2012 Score Annual Report | Page 17

STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review analysis. Additional progress in data availability came this year when the Tennessee Department of Education released value-added data to schools and districts in June, the earliest release of these data in state history. The TVAAS data were also loaded into the evaluation data system for educators to access. While it is significant that the state was able to move up the release date of value-added data, there is still a consensus among educators that an even faster turnaround for results would be beneficial in improving instruction for their students and enabling districts to make human capital decisions based, in part, on student achievement data. It is critical that the state continue to look for ways to provide more immediate results on state tests. The use of online assessments with PARCC implementation may help make this a reality. The state has also been working to develop an Early Warning Data System, which will enable educators to see real-time indicators for at-risk students so they can craft effective academic interventions to keep more students on track to high school graduation and postsecondary readiness. In April 2012, the system was piloted in 10 districts to provide the state with feedback in advance of a statewide rollout. The Department has plans to combine this work with other data, such as teacher evaluation data, and provide it on a common web platform. The state currently has plans for a small scale release in Spring 2013 with trainings planned for Summer 2013. The state has also been working with the University of Tennessee’s Center for Business and Economic Research to create a database that will combine information from a variety of agencies, including higher education and health and human services, to track data on students from prekindergarten through postsecondary. 31 The system, known as a P-20 longitudinal data system, will be used to provide the state with additional information about students’ progression along the pathway to postsecondary education and training. From the beginning of the Race to the Top grant period, the Department has worked to build local capacity to interpret data to differentiate instruction. Through an early partnership with Battelle for Kids, the Department trained 25-30 educators as regional value-added specialists to build local capacity on using value-added and formative assessment data. Additionally, Battelle for Kids has offered online courses to K-12 educators and higher education faculty on these topics. For the 2012-13 school year, the state has hired data analysts to work in each of the eight Centers of Regional Excellence to continue this work with districts. (See call-out box on page 32.) While the Department has made progress in building educator capacity to understand and use data to inform decisions for students, there is still significant work remaining. The statewide rollout of the Early Warning Data System (originally set for Fall 2011) has been continually delayed due to lengthy contracting processes, a change in vendors and project direction, as well as technical issues. These delays have limited the ability of educators, particularly those in small and rural districts who do not have the funds to create their own systems, to use this information to make changes to ensure that more of their students graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary and career. It will also be important that the Department, aided by the Centers of Regional Excellence, continues to support districts in using data to drive academic interventions at the classroom, school, and district levels. The Department should also work to STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review share relevant information it gains from the statewide longitudinal data system to help districts address systemic issues. An example could include sharing information with a district about workforce demands so the district can ensure its st udents have the skills they need to compete for jobs. Innovative Practices Achievement School District Over the last two years, Tennessee has redefined the way that it identifies and supports the state’s underperforming schools. Aligned with its First to the Top plan and the work outlined in its approved waiver from some provisions of No Child Left Behind, Tennessee has implemented two key strategies. One strategy is the development of an Achievement School District, which allows the state to intervene in the bottom 5 percent of schools. The other strategy provides districts with the flexibility to turn around low performing schools through the establishment of Innovation Zones. As part of the First to the Top Act passed in 2010, the General Assembly provided the Commissioner of Education the authority to take over persistently fail- Centers of Regional Excellence In order to help Tennessee become the fastest improving state in the nation on student achievement outcomes, the Tennessee Department of Education has renewed its focus on providing regional support to local school districts. This focus has been reflected in the restructuring of the Department’s field service centers – which traditionally focused on compliance – into Centers of Regional Excellence that are focused on providing targeted and differentiated support to help districts meet student achievement goals. To make this transition, the state has hired strategic planning directors for each of the state’s grand divisions. Each of the eight offices – which have replaced the nine field serve centers – has hired a director, a data analyst, and a math coordinator. At the state level, a chief district support officer and senior director have been hired to oversee the work statewide. In 2012-13, the Centers of Regional Excellence have been charged with helping districts understand how to use data to drive decision making and help schools effectively implement Common Core standards in math. The Centers are also working with the Department’s Teacher and Leader division to develop a principal bootcamp that will focus on five areas: understanding standards and curriculum, high quality standards-based instruction, balanced assessment, responding to student learning outcomes, and developing and facilitating professional learning communities (PLCs). In the future, the Centers have plans to hire special education advisors, early childhood advisors, and fiscal advisors who will help districts think about how to align and maximize resources to improve student achievement. By restructuring the field service centers, the Department has begun the important work to enhance district capacity to carry out the significant reforms to which the state is committed. As the Department continues with this strategy, it will be important to ensure that those districts that need help the most have access to these supports. The state will also need to harness technology to overcome the geographical challenge of managing these offices and ensuring that best practices can be shared among them. 32