T he P lan
Embrace and support the high academic standards
that have been adopted through the Tennessee Diploma
Project and create rigorous educational pathways to help
students successfully transition from high school into the
workforce or some form of postsecondary education.
Articulate clear goals and standards for what students should
know at each grade level, ensure those goals and standards are
communicated effectively to all key stakeholders, and continuously
measure progress toward those goals and standards.
• Encourage all elected officials, State Board of Education members,
and other policymakers to hold steadfastly to higher academic
standards in the state of Tennessee, even if and when the resulting
student outcomes do not appear as favorable.
• Define TCAP proficiency in each subject as being on pace to meet
the ACT college-ready benchmark in that subject. Define this
proficiency threshold prior to students taking the assessments in
the spring of 2010.
• Require students score at least basic on select end-of-course tests
for high school graduation with appropriate alternative assessment
opportunities for special education students and English Language
Learners. Implement this recommendation over time as the
reliability of each end-of-course assessment is validated. Ideally,
the State Board of Education’s Middle Grades Policy would be
implemented concurrently.
• Monitor the progress of the National Governors Association/
Council of Chief State School Officers Common Core Standards
project. If the project identifies specific areas where Tennessee’s
standards could be improved, adopt these specific improvements.
Otherwise, continuously modify Tennessee’s standards to ensure
they are internationally benchmarked by regularly reviewing and
updating all standards.
• Launch a statewide communications campaign to emphasize the
importance of the Tennessee Diploma Project and the importance
of education more generally. As part of this campaign, provide
concrete examples of how parents can help their child succeed.
• Enhance Tennessee’s College-and-Career Ready Policy Institute
metrics by: (1) making goal #2 track both 4th and 8th grade
student college-readiness (2) replacing metric #3 with the percent
of students who score at or above proficient in reading and math
on the 4th and 8th grade TCAP and NAEP assessments and the
gap between the percent proficient on the two tests (3) adding
dual credit and International Baccalaureate programs to metric
#7 and (4) adding a new metric to track the percent of first time
postsecondary students completing degrees within 150 percent of
normal degree program time (e.g., three years for associate’s degree
and six years for bachelor’s degree).
• After these changes have been made, align metrics tracked by
the State Board of Education and metrics tracked in the Annual
Joint Report on Pre-Kindergarten through Higher Education in
Tennessee with the College-and-Career Ready Policy Institute
report so that all entities involved in education are tracking a single
set of outcome metrics.
10
A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS
Ensure there are sufficient resources and supports available to
districts, schools, and teachers to implement the Tennessee
Diploma Project successfully by providing TDP-aligned
instructional materials and course designs; strong professional
development for principals, teachers, and guidance counselors;
and meaningful interventions to support low-performing
students, schools, and districts.
• The Tennessee Department of Education should continue to focus
its professional development efforts on helping principals, teachers,
and guidance counselors successfully implement the Tennessee
Diploma Project. As part of this effort, the Department of
Education should use the Electronic Learning Center as a method
for delivering this training and a forum for teachers to collaborate
and share resources.
• Launch a three-month task force to develop a comprehensive plan
for how all students in the state can be given access to low-cost
online courses, especially courses that meet the new high school
graduation requirements. Include e4TN, Oak Ridge Associated
Universities, the Niswonger-Bristol online learning program, and
other online course providers as members of this task force.
Recommendation #1:
Embrace High Standards
Embrace and support the high academic standards
that have been adopted through the Tennessee
Diploma Project and create rigorous educational
pathways to help students successfully
transition from high school into
the workforce or some form of
postsecondary education.
• Ensure the current extended contract funding is continued on a
recurring basis. Over time, expand this funding to adequately
support implementation of the State Board of Education’s Middle
Grades Policy. Encourage this funding be used to expand time
on task for students falling behind grade level, especially through
before-school, during-school, after-school, weekend, and summer
interventions.
• Provide models of how Career and Technical Education (CTE)
classes can meet the new high school