2012 Score Annual Report | Page 9

STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review State Academic Results Chart 2: Comparison of Tennessee Proficiency on 2012 TCAP and NAEP (2011) TCAP Improving Student Achievement O posite page) Chart 1: TCAP Reading and Math Proficiency (Grades 3-8) TCAP Reading Proficiency (Grades 3-8) TCAP Math Proficiency (Grades 3-8) 60 50 Percent Proficient/advanced ver the last year, Tennessee’s students improved more than they have in any previous year on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) exams. Data from the 2011-12 school year show that student outcomes improved on 23 out of 24 tested subjects for grades 3-8. Proficiency in reading has steadily increased over the past two years in nearly all grades, and now 50 percent of students are reading at or above grade level. (Eighth grade reading is the only subject in which scores did not increase in 2012.) Math scores showed similarly positive growth. Across the state, 55,000 more students in Tennessee are proficient or advanced in math compared to two years ago. Science scores improved as well, with 60 percent of students scoring proficient or advanced. Over the past two years, proficiency levels in science have increased by more than 15 percentage points, meaning 38,000 more students are at or above grade level in science.8 While improvements on state assessments are significant, the state must still address the gap between proficiency on state and national assessments, which shows a 20-25 point difference between Tennessee’s assessments and the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) exams, which provide a common measure of academic achievement for all states. The transition to the Common Core State standards will help ensure consistency across state, national, and international assessments moving forward. (See Chart 2 on op- NAEP 49.9 47.3 40 30 27 26.5 20 10 0 Reading Math In addition to the significant gains in grades 3 through 8, high school students also made progress in 2012. Achievement increased for most high school end-of-course (EOC) exams. More than half of students taking exams in English I, English II, Algebra I, biology, and history scored proficient or advanced for the first time since Tennessee began raising its academic standards in 2009.9 The state has also made important progress in increasing student access to Advanced Placement (AP) courses and improving overall achievement. In 2012, 24,924 students enrolled in an AP course—up from 22,816 in 2011—and 60.4 percent passed the final exam – a 1.8 percentage point increase from the year before.10 (See Chart 3 on pg 17) Percent Proficient/advanced 60 49.9 50 47.5 44.8 47.3 41 40 Common Core State Standards 34.6 The Common Core State Standards are a set of English/language arts and mathematics standards that were developed by state leaders to ensure that every student graduates high school prepared for college or the workforce, regardless of the state in which they live. Common Core standards are internationally benchmarked, and are designed to promote critical thinking and depth of understanding of course content. Page 28 of this report provides more detailed information on the implementation of the new standards in Tennessee. 30 20 10 15 0 2010 2011 2012 16