A separate report noted that we ’ re one of just seven states that took big strides toward closing the “ honesty gap ,” and now the feedback from our state test matches what national benchmarks also say . That means we ’ re telling the truth about where students are – and that means we can know where we need to help them improve every year so they can compete with their peers across the state and around the country when they apply for a job or to a university .
Additionally , Stanford ’ s Center for Education Policy Analysis looked at growth across the country from 2009 , and Tennessee ’ s progress literally stood out in their color-coded map , with the vast majority of our districts showing more growth than districts nationwide . In some cases , our districts grew faster than 95 percent of the country and even into the 100th percentile – showing everyone what ’ s possible .
Even more encouragingly , we know more students are going on to be successful in college , and Tennessee continues to attract new industry partners and committed to proving , and do just that .” jobs because our students are ready and able to meet employers ’ expectations . Our high school graduation rate is higher than ever , as is our statewide ACT composite , and Tennessee ’ s unemployment rate has hit record lows .
None of this could have been possible without an incredible amount of hard work and courageous decisions at all levels of leadership . cation Candice McQueen School board members have been at the forefront as they
( June 14 , 2018 Press Conference ) communicate high expectations and keep students at the center of decisions . Our teachers , principals , administrators , students , and families have a lot to be proud of , and as leaders of your district , you should also take pride in knowing that this long game is showing success across Tennessee .
These successes are also motivating us to get better . We ’ re continuing to scale up our work in reading to provide more high-quality literacy instruction and materials to students , particularly in the early grades , and we ’ re training thousands of teachers this summer as we transition to new standards in science and fine arts . We ’ re also taking a number of steps to improve our state assessment , so we never experience a testing season like this spring again , and reduce the number of tests our students take , particularly in both 11th grade and elementary school . In the past few years , we know the transitions we ’ ve been through on our state test have been challenging , and as we continue to move forward , we ’ re bringing more Tennessee teachers and administrators into the test development process to continue to improve .
Your leadership remains critical if we are going to continue on this path toward more and more success . Our students need you to continue to push for high academic expectations , accountability for meeting those , safe schools that serve the whole child , world-class teachers in every classroom , and the resources and support that meet the unique needs of every child . Reaching those goals may sometimes require decisions that are unpopular or that seem hard , but if we continue to put students first , I know every child will win .
r Schools are Leading
for Tennessee ’ s Future by TN Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen