CMCSS Academic Leaders Pleased with Student Performance
October 22, 2015
Please note: This article was originally published on 10/22/2015. Information and/or dates from past events may be not be relevant for the current school year.
CMCSS students scored above their expected three-year academic performance in reading, math, and science, according to the state Department of Education release of its annual report card on Tennessee school districts. In achievement, CMCSS scored A’s in math and science and a B in reading. Social studies was field tested with no data available.
District Accountability and Data Analyst Dr. Kimi Sucharski explained that the state defines a “C” as expected one year of academic growth for students in grades 3-8. An “A” or a “B” indicates students performed above the expected target. High schools receive status score based on the students’ predicted achievement and expected growth calculated from prior performance on state assessments. Status scores of “above” mean the schools exceeded targets; “below” mean the schools did not meet targets; and “NDD” (or No Detectable Difference) mean the schools met their targets.
“We are seeing our students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of a more rigorous curriculum,” said Dr. B. J. Worthington, Director of Schools. CMCSS academic leaders are especially pleased with the results considering Tennessee has been transitioning through a standards change. School staffs have worked diligently with their school communities to ensure their students are prepared for this higher level of learning and this is evidence of that hard work.
“We believe collaborative planning among teachers and alignment of what we are teaching with what is being assessed are the difference makers,” said Chief Academic Officer Dr. Bryan Johnson. “We can see significant improvement in academic achievement in the one-year analysis of areas identified last year for improvement.”
District and school leaders are particularly proud of graduation rate results. The district hit an all-time high graduation rate of 96.5 percent. A community-wide focus on high school graduation has been instrumental for this improvement. It takes everyone doing their part to build and sustain a strong community, Dr. Worthington added.
“The district is transitioning to the Tennessee Standards this year and the TNReady assessment this spring. We know results like this are difficult to sustain with so much transition, but we are committed to preparing our students for their future opportunities,” Dr. Johnson said.