STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section II: Education Priorities
STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section II: Education Priorities
Priorities Moving Forward
W
hile Tennessee has made significant progress on the education priorities set last
year, there is still work to be done in many of these areas. Sustaining policy leadership must continue to be a priority in 2013 to ensure that reforms are implemented
successfully and drive improvements in student learning. In addition, since we know that both
teachers and leaders play a critical role in raising student achievement outcomes, it is imperative that the state continue to focus on initiatives that will support educators.
Sustained Policy Leadership
Tennessee has made significant reforms in education over the past several years, reforms that have led to important
early gains in student achievement. As the work has shifted from policy development to implementation, the state
must remain committed to ensuring reforms are implemented with fidelity. Members of the Tennessee General Assembly, Department of Education, Board of Education, Higher Education Commission, Expect More, Achieve More
Coalition, district and business leaders, educators, SCORE, and others all have important roles to play in the following areas:
Continue implementation and support of the important reforms that are underway. Sustaining policy leadership will entail remaining focused on the reforms to which the state has already committed. To ensure
that the early improvements in student achievement are maintained and accelerated, it will be important
to resist the impulse to become distracted by new initiatives or slow down the work already underway.
•
Maintain support for the new teacher evaluation system. It is important that policy leaders maintain their
support for a rigorous teacher evaluation system based on multiple measures, including both student
achievement and observations of classroom practice. A recommendation was proposed to allow the highest performing teachers to make student achievement data count for the entirety of their evaluation score;
this undermines the purpose of the evaluation to look at performance across multiple measures. While we
must continue to evaluate how implementation of the system is impacting student achievement and make
adjustments when necessary, we should not let concerns regarding administrative burdens diminish the
ability of the system to help educators evaluate both student achievement outcomes and teacher practice.
•
There are two additional priority areas that present key issues for the state to focus on moving forward. First, stakeholders across the state must address the need to better integrate technology in the classroom to enhance learning for all students. Second, it is
important that parents are empowered with the information and resources they
need to help their children succeed, particularly as the state raises the bar in
the classroom through higher academic standards.
•
Ensure the new accountability system established through the NCLB waiver is leading to positive results
for students. With the state’s approved waiver from the requirements of No Child Left Behind, schools and
districts have been working to meet the new accountability standards. Under this alternative accountability system, the state is able to recognize the schools and districts that are making gains in student
achievement and narrowing achievement gaps, while targeting interventions and resources toward schools
that are struggling to meet these goals. As with any accountability system, there might be aspects of the
system that distract educators from focusing on improving outcomes for all students. As this new system
continues to be implemented, it will be important for the Department to establish an intentional feedback
process to hear from educators about what parameters of the system drive student achievement gains and
which ones make achieving that goal more difficult.
•
Focus on Common Core implementation, training for educators, and preparing for PARCC assessments.
Tennessee has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring that all students graduate high school prepared
for college and career through the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in 2010. These new
standards are clear and demanding and will help Tennessee students compete in the global economy. The
Department should continue to support educators as they implement Common Core standards by providing on-going, job-embedded training opportunities. The transition will present challenges for educators
and students alike, which is why it is critical that community partners and policymakers engage in the campaign to promote the importance of high academic standards. Furthermore, the move to computer-based
assessments with PARCC will require a thoughtful, well-informed strategy to develop the technological
capacity across schools and districts.
2013 Education Priorities
Sustained Policy Leadership
Foster Great Teaching
Support School and District Leadership
Use Technology to Enhance Learning
Empower Parents
“
Teachers and leaders play a critical role in
improving student achievement, and it is
imperative that the state continue to focus
on initiatives that will support educators.
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