Pathways Tennessee began in 2013 in two pilot
paced instruction focused primarily on reading and
regions: Upper Cumberland and Southeast
math.152 The 2015-16 school year is the second year
Tennessee.145 In 2014, the initiative expanded to
of program implementation. If after three years of
Southwest Tennessee, and in 2015 it expanded
implementation the students in the pilot schools
to Northwest, East, and Northeast Tennessee.146
show larger gains in English language arts and
These regions match economic development regions
math than students in other schools, the district
identified by the Tennessee Department of Economic
will consider expanding the program to more
and Community Development. In these communities,
schools.153
Pathways Tennessee has created opportunities
for teachers to participate in externships in local
Tennessee Digital Learning Project. In fall 2015,
industries and expanded dual credit opportunities for
the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA)
students.
partnered with the Tennessee Organization
147
of School Superintendents, the Tennessee
Educational Technology. Across the nation,
Association of Supervision and Curriculum
schools are increasingly making use of educational
Development, and the Tennessee Educational
technology to enhance student learning.
Technology Association to launch the Tennessee
148
Educational technology can take many forms, from
Digital Learning Project. This project aims to
digital resources that are integrated into traditional
support school districts in their creation of a
classroom instruction to fully online courses or
learning environment that prepares students for
virtual schools. There are a variety of options
today’s digitally connected world. During the first
between these two examples, including blended
phase of this project, free digital learning materials
learning, which combines online and in-person
(such as textbooks, lesson plans, and videos) will be
instruction.149 To support digital learning, some
developed for fourteen high school courses. These
schools and districts are investing in “one-to-one”
resources will help equip high school students
initiatives, in which the school provides each student
for life in a digital world while also saving districts
with a laptop computer or tablet that he or she can
money. Teams of teachers are currently working to
use both in school and at home.150 While technology
develop the digital resources, and TSBA expects to
is an important resource for teachers and schools,
launch the resources by April 2016.154
technology is not a substitute for high-quality
instruction. When expanding access to technology
Virtual Instruction to Accentuate Learning
in classrooms, it is essential to provide teachers
(VITAL). Putnam County Schools’ VITAL program
with high-quality professional learning opportunities
began in 2008 as a small online credit-recovery
focused on how to integrate technology into
program. The program has since expanded to
daily instruction. Below are descriptions of three
include a variety of blended learning opportunities
programs that are bringing educational technology
that reach about one-third of students in the
to Tennessee students.
district. In addition to credit recovery for students
who have failed one or more classes, VITAL includes
Shelby County Blended Learning Pilot. In 2014,
online intervention modules that help students
eighteen schools in Shelby County were selected
who have fallen behind to catch up before they fail
to participate in a three-year blended learning pilot.
a class. Other components of VITAL include dual-
The program, which is funded out of Shelby County
credit courses with local colleges, a nine-week online
Schools’ general budget and a grant from the
personal finance course for all ninth grade students
Plough Foundation, provides a laptop computer to
each student and teacher in participating schools.
41
in the district, and online courses for homebound
151
students. All VITAL courses rely on both an online
Using these laptops, students and teachers can
teacher who is a subject-matter expert and an on-
access the program’s blended learning curriculum,
site facilitator who can provide face-to-face support
which includes a mix of teacher-guided and self-
to students.155