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Knox County Schools receives straight As in Achievement
The Tennessee Department of Education has released the 2013 data on the State Report Card results on pre-K-12 education, and the results for the Knox County Schools show positive gains in several areas.
The Tennessee State Report Card includes state, district, and school-level information on achievement, demographics, and discipline. The Tennessee Education Improvement Act of 1992 established accountability standards for all public schools in the state and required the Department of Education to produce a Report Card for the public to assess each year.
The Knox County Schools (KCS) earned straight As in achievement for reading/language arts, math, science and social studies. The State of Tennessee posted grades of B, A, B and A for reading/language arts, math, science and social studies, respectively. Achievement grades are based on how well students performed on the TCAP assessments against the curriculum standards.
In overall value-added results, the KCS achieved a composite Level 5 value-added score (the highest level) on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS), as well as Level 5 value-added in overall Literacy, overall Numeracy and combined Literacy and Numeracy. In terms of value-added report card grades, KCS earned B, A, B and A grades for reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies respectively. The State of Tennessee posted B, A, B and B grades respectively. Value-added data measures student growth within a grade and subject, which demonstrates the influence the district, school, or teacher has on the students’ performance.
Additional highlights of the data show:
* For the first time since the Tennessee State Report Card began issuing grades in 2000, the Knox County Schools scored straight As in achievement
* As a district, Knox County Schools achieved composite Level 5 value-added growth (the highest level) on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS)
* For the third consecutive year, KCS’s overall scores were either higher or on par with the State of Tennessee in every category.
* The KCS advanced from Cs to Bs in value-added in reading/language arts and science. The district improved from a B to an A in math.
* There were no declines at any school in achievement in math, science and social studies from data released in 2013 versus 2012.
* KCS’s four year high school graduation rate for the class of 2013 was 87.7 percent, compared to 90.3 percent for 2012 and 86.6 percent for 2011.
* For the first time, Copper Ridge Elementary School received straight As in achievement and value-added. For the third consecutive year, Rocky Hill Elementary School received straight As in achievement and value-added.
* Twenty-one schools posted all As in achievement verses 20 in 2012. In value-added, seven schools scored all As versus five in 2012.
”These are tremendous academic results for our children.” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, Superintendent of the Knox County Schools. “A heartfelt thanks to our teachers, school leaders and staff. Their dedication, high standards and hard work are paying tremendous dividends for our students. This good news means we are better preparing our students for a bright, competitive, and successful future in our increasingly complex world. ”
The release of State Report Card data comes on the heels of Governor Bill Haslam’s recent announcement that Tennessee had the largest academic growth on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of any state, making Tennessee the fastest improving state in the nation. The NAEP results also show that Tennessee had the largest academic growth of any state in a single testing cycle since NAEP started nationwide assessments a decade ago. Tennessee chose to set higher expectations for students by first adopting higher standards in 2008 and then adopting the Common Core State Standards in 2010.
The Tennessee State Report Card includes state, district, and school-level information on achievement, demographics, and discipline. The Tennessee Education Improvement Act of 1992 established accountability standards for all public schools in the state and required the Department of Education to produce a Report Card for the public to assess each year.
The Knox County Schools (KCS) earned straight As in achievement for reading/language arts, math, science and social studies. The State of Tennessee posted grades of B, A, B and A for reading/language arts, math, science and social studies, respectively. Achievement grades are based on how well students performed on the TCAP assessments against the curriculum standards.
In overall value-added results, the KCS achieved a composite Level 5 value-added score (the highest level) on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS), as well as Level 5 value-added in overall Literacy, overall Numeracy and combined Literacy and Numeracy. In terms of value-added report card grades, KCS earned B, A, B and A grades for reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies respectively. The State of Tennessee posted B, A, B and B grades respectively. Value-added data measures student growth within a grade and subject, which demonstrates the influence the district, school, or teacher has on the students’ performance.
Additional highlights of the data show:
* For the first time since the Tennessee State Report Card began issuing grades in 2000, the Knox County Schools scored straight As in achievement
* As a district, Knox County Schools achieved composite Level 5 value-added growth (the highest level) on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS)
* For the third consecutive year, KCS’s overall scores were either higher or on par with the State of Tennessee in every category.
* The KCS advanced from Cs to Bs in value-added in reading/language arts and science. The district improved from a B to an A in math.
* There were no declines at any school in achievement in math, science and social studies from data released in 2013 versus 2012.
* KCS’s four year high school graduation rate for the class of 2013 was 87.7 percent, compared to 90.3 percent for 2012 and 86.6 percent for 2011.
* For the first time, Copper Ridge Elementary School received straight As in achievement and value-added. For the third consecutive year, Rocky Hill Elementary School received straight As in achievement and value-added.
* Twenty-one schools posted all As in achievement verses 20 in 2012. In value-added, seven schools scored all As versus five in 2012.
”These are tremendous academic results for our children.” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, Superintendent of the Knox County Schools. “A heartfelt thanks to our teachers, school leaders and staff. Their dedication, high standards and hard work are paying tremendous dividends for our students. This good news means we are better preparing our students for a bright, competitive, and successful future in our increasingly complex world. ”
The release of State Report Card data comes on the heels of Governor Bill Haslam’s recent announcement that Tennessee had the largest academic growth on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of any state, making Tennessee the fastest improving state in the nation. The NAEP results also show that Tennessee had the largest academic growth of any state in a single testing cycle since NAEP started nationwide assessments a decade ago. Tennessee chose to set higher expectations for students by first adopting higher standards in 2008 and then adopting the Common Core State Standards in 2010.