teacher has that mindset, it’s going to be a positive place for learning, and you’re going to see
those results at the end of the year. It warms your
heart.”
The district also uses data to communicate transparently with parents and the local community.
Parent-teacher conference time is closely focused
on student growth, proficiency levels, and benchmark data. District strengths and struggles are
clearly communicated to local stakeholders, news
media, and funders.
“We’ve just built a data culture with our administrators, our parents, our teachers, and our community,” Mr. Satterfield said. “If you don’t know
where you are, then it’s hard to plan out where
you want to go. We’re rural and we’re poor. We
have to strategically leverage every resource
we have.”
The district’s remarkable graduation rate is fostered by this culture of high expectations, as well
as concrete support for career and education
goals. Students in Trousdale County Schools have
detailed plans for their lives after graduation before they complete middle school, setting the stage
for successful use of time in high school.
All eighth-graders take a fall-semester class
called EXPLORE, which combines ACT test preparation with career and academic planning. In the
spring, each eighth-grader completes a cross-curricular project identifying a future career plan,
necessary academic steps, and the fiscal impact
of these decisions – the kinds of houses they
might be able to purchase, and what a budget
might look like with different numbers of kids.
Students visit a range of colleges, from trade
schools to state universities. Benefits of the program include solid preparation for high school
as well as measurable gains in ACT scores. The
district’s ACT average has increased by two
points in the last three years.
55
“We want them on a college and career path
before they even set foot in high school. They can
change that plan 100 times, but at least they have
a goal from the first day,” Mr. Satterfield said.
“It’s a lot about motivation and incentive, and kids
seeing themselves four years down the road. That
helps you prevent the dropouts, if everyone has an
idea of where they’re going.”
Tracy Belcher, parent of two Trousdale County students, believes they have benefited academically
from class work with similarly achieving peers. The
district has also delivered impressive opportunities
for her kids to pursue their interests in athletics
and music.
For Ms. Belcher, the source of the district’s
strengths lies in the commitment level of its educators and leaders.
“It’s not just a job for them. They really want our
schools to advance, to help everybody. It’s a
personal thing,” Ms. Belcher said. “You think of a
small school system as being limited in what kids
can do. It’s the opposite. I’m just so proud that a
small system like ours can hang in there with the
big systems and the private schools.”