Across Tennessee, schools and districts are setting higher standards and building
partnerships within schools and communities to ensure that students have a
deeper understanding of what will be expected of them once they enter college
or career. These schools are leaders in these efforts, taking their students to
new heights through the implementation of rigorous academic standards.
Beyond Academic Standards – Expanding Access to AP Courses and Dual Enrollment.
Covington High School, a school serving over 700 students in grades 9-12 in West
Tennessee is embracing Tennessee’s higher academic standards and offering
students access to rigorous courses such as Advanced Placement and dual
enrollment. Over the past few years, Covington has shown strong growth in Algebra
I and II, and recently posted strong gains in English II. The school attributes this
success to working together through professional learning communities (PLCs)
to ensure that Covington students master the rigorous academic standards
put before them. The school has offered numerous professional learning
opportunities on Tennessee’s State Standards for teachers, including trainings
focused on math, English language arts, and science.
PRIORITIES
IN ACTION:
CONNECTING
TENNESSEE’S
STANDARDS TO
REAL-WORLD
LEARNING
Recently, Covington has taken rigor to the next level by developing community partnerships to provide students with opportunities that will better prepare
them for college and the workforce. Covington’s partnerships include a dual enrollment program with Dyersburg State Community College and an internship
program with Unilever. Covington now boasts over 100 students in dual enrollment courses with Dyersburg State. Additionally, dozens of students have taken
advantage of internship opportunities with Unilever, some of which are leading
to high paying jobs following graduation. Covington’s focus on raising academic
standards is leading to improved student success in college and career.
High Academic Standards across the Curriculum. At Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet High School (MLK), a school serving students in grades 7-12 in Middle Tennessee, teacher collaboration around rigorous academic standards provides
students with opportunities to apply their learning in real-world contexts. MLK
is well known as a school that has outstanding proficiency and college-going
rates – nearly 100 percent of students are proficient in almost every grade
and subject. While MLK has a tradition of academic excellence, the faculty
continue to work hard to embrace Tennessee’s State Standards and have seen
strong growth, particularly in Algebra I and II.
Staff at MLK are engaged in professional learning opportunities that include
sessions on analyzing student data, strategies for teaching Tennessee’s State
Standards, as well as specific sessions on incorporating informational texts
across content areas. When visiting MLK, it is common to see teachers making
an intentional effort to integrate content from multiple subject areas into one
lesson. For example, students may discuss and write about science concepts
in their English language arts class. The faculty of MLK push themselves to
work together to provide students with learning experiences that are reflective of work they may encounter in college and in their careers.
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