Postsecondary Education:
Postsecondary education refers to
colleges, universities, and technical centers that grant certificates, credentials, and degrees beyond a high school diploma.
Request for Proposal (RFP): A solicitation made through a bidding process by an agency or company looking to procure a
product or service. In 2014, Tennessee’s Central Procurement
Office issued an RFP to potential vendors for a statewide summative assessment in English language arts and math.
Response to Intervention and Instruction (RTI2): RTI² focuses on
high-quality instruction and interventions that are tailored to
individual student needs and where instructional decisions
are made based on student outcome data on high-quality
assessments. It is a three-tiered model with progressively
more intense interventions provided to students who are
not showing growth in general instruction or in response
to initial interventions. Student progress is monitored regularly through research-based assessments, ensuring that
instructional decisions and decisions to intervene are made
based on student data.131
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM):
STEM is a common acronym for the fields of study of science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics. Beyond the subject areas, STEM education reflects an innovative approach to
teaching and learning that incorporates problem solving, critical thinking, and real-world application of skills.
Summative Assessments:
Summative assessments are given
at the end of instructional units or school years to evaluate students’ progress toward mastery on a set of academic standards. State standardized assessments such as the
TCAP Achievement and End-of-Course exams are examples of
summative assessments given in Tennessee.
Teacher Educator Acceleration Model (TEAM):
TEAM is Tennessee’s teacher and principal evaluation model. This model uses a combination of classroom observations, student
growth data, student achievement data, and other factors to
measure teaching effectiveness in Tennessee.132
Tennessee Diploma Project: As a part of the American Diploma
Project, this 2009 initiative increased the rigor of Tennessee’s
academic standards and graduation requirements with the
aim of better aligning them with the demands of college and
the workforce.
Tennessee’s State Standards in English Language Arts and Math:
Tennessee adopted new standards in English language arts
and math in 2010. These standards set higher expectations
for students with the aim of ensuring that all Tennessee students are prepared for success in college and the workforce.
Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS):
TVAAS
aims to measure the impact a district, school, or teacher has on
the academic growth of individual students and groups of students from one school year to the next. TVAAS scores are based
on student performance on