Over 50 percent of Tennessee public high school seniors raise score on ACT Senior Retake
January 16, 2019
Tennessee Department of Education
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Department of Education Interim Commissioner Dr. Lyle Ailshie announced today that 76.1 percent of the state’s public high school class of 2019—53,478 students—participated in the department’s third ACT Senior Retake opportunity in October 2018, the state’s highest participation rate on record.
Of those seniors who retook the ACT in 2018, more than 50 percent increased their composite score from their junior year score, a 10.2 percent point increase from 2017.
Highest participation rate on record, 3,800 new students now eligible for $61.2 million in scholarships.
2018 TNReady Scores Show Mixed Results, Encouraging Areas of Progress
July 20, 2018
Tennessee Department of Education
Nashville TN – Tennessee Commissioner of Education Candice McQueen announced the 2018 TNReady student assessment results today, sharing that while results vary statewide, there are encouraging trends – including strong growth in English language arts for elementary grades and improvement in high school math.
Students in historically disadvantaged student groups also showed notable progress. Gaps between student groups narrowed in multiple areas, and students in Priority schools – including the Achievement School District – grew faster than their non-Priority school peers nearly across the board.
Tennessee Students improved most in early grades reading, narrowed achievement gaps; show need for deeper, more sustained work to support improvement.
Tennessee Department of Education approves New Steps to Reduce Testing
April 12, 2018
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced the approval of recommendations that will reduce student testing in 2018-19.
The recommendations are the first to be released by the state’s third Task Force on Student Testing and Assessment – which includes educators, parents, and education leaders from across the state – and they resulted from months of analysis and discussion, as well as additional surveys of high school teachers and parents.
For the first time, Tennessee Department of Education eliminates two TNReady exams.
Tennessee Public School Students Set New Record with ACT Average Score of 20.1
October 10, 2017
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Education Department Commissioner Candice McQueen today announced that Tennessee public school students have crossed a new threshold, earning an average composite score of 20.1 on the ACT.
Tennessee public high school students improved from the 2016 average of 19.9, with more than 3,500 additional students taking the exam this year.
Tennessee School Students earned an average score of 20.1 on the ACT.
Tennessee High School Students Scores Improve Across All Subjects In Second Year Of New Assessment
July 28, 2017
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen has announced that Tennessee high school students improved across all subject areas – English, math, science, and U.S. history – on the 2016-17 TNReady end-of-course exams.
Thousands of additional students are meeting course expectations compared to last year, and the state reduced the percentage of students scoring at the lowest achievement level across all subject areas.
In 2015- 16, high school students set a new baseline in the first year of TNReady.
Nearly 70,000 Tennessee Public School Students Eligible for Second Statewide ACT Retake Day
July 6, 2017
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced today that the state is expanding its ACT Senior Retake Day to all Tennessee public high school students in the class of 2018, totaling nearly 70,000 students.
In addition, the department is making it easier for public school seniors to retake the ACT this fall by offering this second opportunity during the school day in students’ own schools.
Education Regional Partnerships Double Across the State
Tennessee Department of Education Highlights Successful Practices that Help Students Catch Up in Early Grades
September 15, 2016
Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Education released a report that analyzes the outcomes at schools that implemented a statewide model focused on addressing students’ individual learning needs, called Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2).
Most notably, the report identifies what strategies have been used by schools that helped a high percentage of their non-proficient third grade students move to proficiency in English language arts and math between the 2013 and 2015 school years.
Tennessee Department of Education report shows Response to Instruction and Intervention program helps address individual students needs.
Tennessee Department of Education Reduces Testing Time by 30 Percent
July 16, 2016
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced significant changes to state assessments that respond to feedback from educators, parents, and students—including eliminating Part I in all subjects, restructuring the test to better fit within the school day and year, and reducing overall testing time.
The changes come as the department finalizes its contract with Questar, the primary vendor for the 2016-17 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
Tennessee Department of Education restructures tests to better fit within the school day and year, and reducing overall testing time.
Tennessee Department of Education Suspends Grade 3-8 Testing Due to Vendor’s Inability to Deliver Materials
April 27, 2016
Statewide Assessment Contract Terminated
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced today the department will terminate its statewide testing contract with Measurement Inc., effective immediately.
While high school testing will continue as planned, the state will suspend grade 3-8 testing during the 2015-16 school year due to Measurement Inc.’s inability to deliver all testing materials.
3-8 grade testing suspended for the 2015-16 school year.
Tennessee Board of Regents approves New Programs, Fee Changes, New TCAT Director
March 29, 2015
Hears Restructured Remediation Success Story
Cookeville, TN – Tennessee Board of Regents colleges are improving success rates for students who come to campus requiring remedial support.
Members of the Tennessee Board of Regents received the news during a report on academic initiatives at the Board’s quarterly meeting on the campus of Tennessee Tech University today.
A pilot program involving almost 1,000 students that began at nine community colleges last year helped the colleges improve students’ successful pass rate of the required freshman math course from about 10 percent to 62 percent overall, and in freshman writing from 30 percent to 74 percent. [Read more]
