Advanced Placement (AP) – Advanced Placement
courses are offered by the College Board and
provide students with an opportunity to take college-level courses and earn credit towards college
while in high school. There are more than 30 different AP courses across multiple subject areas.
College-going rates – The college-going rate is
the percentage of high school graduates who enroll
in college by the fall semester after high school
graduation. The rate includes students who attend
college in state or out of state at public four-year
college, public two-year college, technical college,
and private colleges.
Common Core State Standards – Common Core
State Standards are a set of English/language arts
and mathematics standards developed by state
leaders to ensure that every student graduates
high school prepared for college or the workforce,
regardless of the state in which they live. Common
Core standards are internationally benchmarked,
and are designed to promote critical thinking and
depth of understanding of course content.
Dual enrollment – Dual enrollment is a postsecondary course taught at either the postsecondary
institution or high school that allows students to
simultaneously earn postsecondary and secondary
course credit upon successful completion of the
course.
National Blue Ribbon School – The National Blue
Ribbon Schools Program was created by the U.S.
Department of Education to recognize public and
private elementary, middle, and high schools where
students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are being made in students’
levels of academic achievement.
Professional learning communities (PLCs) – Professional learning communities are groups of
educators working collaboratively toward continued personal and school improvement. PLCs bring
teachers and administrators together in order to
enhance their effectiveness and, therefore, raise
student achievement. PLCs often meet regularly
and share a learning vision, and members work
together to attain new and improved approaches to
educating.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – STEM is a common acronym for the
fields of study of science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics. Additionally, STEM education is
about incorporating technology in the classroom to
enhance learning. STEM is often discussed as an
area in need of improvement and growth to meet
the demands of the 21st century workforce.
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program
(TCAP) – The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) is a collection of achievement
tests designed to evaluate the levels of students’
proficiency in reading/language arts, math, science and social studies. Among the assessments
are the Achievement Test (grades 3-8), the Writing
assessment (grades 5, 8, and 11), the End-of-Course
tests (grades 9-12), and college readiness exams
(grades 8, 10, and 11). Districts may also choose to
administer TCAP assessments in selected subjects
to students in grades K-2. There are four proficiency
levels on the TCAP: below basic, basic, proficient,
and advanced.
Tennessee Value Added Assessment System
(TVAAS) – TVAAS is a measure of the effect a
district or school has on the academic progress or
growth rates of individual students and groups of
students from year to year. TVAAS scores are based
on multiple measures, including TCAP examinations.
Pathways to the Prize
Lessons from the 2012 SCORE Prize District Winner
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