Administrators, Counselors Focus on Tennessee School Reform Efforts

NASHVILLE – District and school administrators will collaborate with school counselors on how best to transition to the new standards, assessments and graduation requirements to take effect in the 2009-10 school year. For the first time, administrators are invited to collaborate with school counselors at the 2009 School Counseling Institute, which is expected to draw 1,200 to 1,500 attendees from across the state Feb. 8-10.

“Every education professional in Tennessee is critical to the success of the initiatives we are embarking on,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. “We are taking every opportunity to ensure educators understand the improvements taking place in K-12 education and how to put them into practice.”

The priorities of the institute this year include training in:

1. use of the new curriculum standards and student assessment results;
2. creating a college-going climate;
3. partnering with your school counselor on school improvement goals;
4. advising students in the development of 6 year plans;
5. working with your special education population and the new graduation requirements; and
6. how career technical education integrates with the new graduation requirements.

Tennessee adopted new math, science and English curriculum standards in 2008 to provide students a deeper understanding of these content areas. A new assessment system includes redesigned tests for grades 3-8, college-readiness pre-tests for 8th and 10th graders and new end-of-course exams for certain high school courses. The new graduation requirements, to take effect with the Class of 2013, prescribe that all students complete the same coursework including a math every year and three lab sciences. These improvements stem from the Tennessee Diploma Project’s goal to better prepare all students for college and work.
For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.  
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