Bill 1835/House Bill 1549 reaffirmed Tennessee’s sovereignty
over academic standards, created more protections for student data with the implementation of a new assessment, and
prevented the adoption of standards that were developed by
a consortium of states in subjects beyond English language
arts and math.55 This piece of legislation addressed many
of the concerns opponents of Tennessee’s State Standards
voiced during the legislative session.
Professional Learning Opportunities: As the new standards
were implemented, the Tennessee Department of Education
provided extensive professional learning opportunities for
teachers on the new standards. In 2013, the Tennessee Department of Education replicated the training model used
in 2012 and selected an additional 700 educators to serve as
Core Coaches. These coaches went through extensive training that prepared them to lead professional learning on the
new standards for thousands of educators around the state.
Since 2012, over 63,000 educators have been trained on
the new standards.56 During SCORE’s Listening Tour, many
teachers cited these professional learning opportunities as
being more helpful than most other state-level trainings
they have attended.57
In 2013-14, the Tennessee Department of Education offered
additional professional learning opportunities for teachers in
reading instruction, reading intervention, math instruction,
and math intervention. The Tennessee Department of Education also offered professional learning opportunities for
school leaders on the standards. These professional learning
opportunities provided school leaders with a deeper understanding of how to lead teachers toward improved instruction
of the standards. In the 2014-15 school year, the Tennessee
Department of Education is offering professional learning opportunities for teams of teachers to attend. These teams of
teachers are expected to bring their learnings back to other
teachers in their schools and districts. These professional
learning opportunities focus on math, literacy, and success
in the early grades.58
In addition to state-level trainings, some districts are providing teachers with additional opportunities for professional learning on the standards. Some districts have used
their teacher leader models to provide additional training
and coaching on the standards, empowering teacher leaders
to provide professional learning opportunities for their colleagues or to coach their colleagues on implementation of the
standards in the classroom.
THE PUSH FOR HIGHER STANDARDS
As a veteran math teacher at Dobyns-Bennett
High School in Kingsport City Schools, Valerie
Love can speak to the impact higher standards
are having in Tennessee classrooms. Ms. Love
was a Core Coach with the Tennessee Department of Education and has received continued
support from leaders in her district on the implementation of new standards. “The way we’ve
been supported to make instructional shifts in
our classrooms and the opportunity we’ve had
to collaborate with Core Coaches across the state
has made such a big difference,” Ms. Love says.59
Ms. Love was entering her 17th year teaching when
she became a Core Coach. Much has changed in
those years, and Ms. Love feels she is a different
teacher now than when she entered the classroom. “The way we develop student understanding and the depth we go into with the standards
was new for me,” Ms. Love ͅ