STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review
STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review
Introduction
I
n August 2011, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan traveled to Tennessee and challenged our schools to become the fastest-improving in the nation. The Secretary’s comments reflected the fact that Tennessee’s actions to establish itself as a leader in education
reform had put the state in a unique position to begin realizing significant gains in student
achievement. After several years of making strides in changing policy conditions, 2011-12 was
the first year in which many of those reforms were affecting districts, schools, and classrooms
statewide. Tennessee showed that it was up to this challenge in education reform, and the hard
work is already paying off for students in improved achievement and growth.
Over the last year, the state was
faced with significant challenges
that occurred as it transitioned from
policy development to implementation. The new teacher and principal
evaluation system placed new demands on principals and superintendents to be instructional leaders and
significantly increased their administrative workload. The transition to
the new, higher academic standards
necessitated a comprehensive plan
for training educators to ensure that
instructional practices were altered
to prepare students to be critical
thinkers. And, the state faced two
sets of accountability requirements
as it managed the requirements
of its Race to the Top grant and
the provisions of the federal No
Child Left Behind Act. In response
to these challenges, Governor Bill
Haslam called on the state to gather
extensive feedback on what enhancements could be made to the
evaluation system to ensure that it
was leading to improved outcomes
for students. The Tennessee Department of Education rolled out a
comprehensive plan for implementing new academic standards that
includes peer-led trainings, follow
up training, and a communication
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plan to ensure educators understand
what the changes will mean in their
classrooms and for their students.
Additionally, the state department of
education developed an alternative
accountability plan that reflects the
state’s education reform priorities.
All stakeholders—including K-12
educators, higher education faculty,
the Governor, Tennessee Department of Education, State Board of
Education, and General Assembly—have committed to not only
implementing ne ܁ɕ