T he P lan
Create a data-driven environment that equips policymakers,
superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents with
the information and tools they need to advance student
learning and success.
Ensure superintendents, principals, and teachers are
provided timely data and the support to effectively use this data
to improve student achievement.
• Develop a single statewide pre-K through postsecondary data
warehouse containing data from multiple existing sources
including student performance and demographic databases, teacher
identification and demographic databases, financial databases,
and formative and summative assessment databases. The data
warehouse must provide information that is easily accessible and
user friendly to principals, teachers, counselors, administrators,
school board members, higher education institutions and (as
appropriate) parents and students.
• Reconfigure existing TVAAS, teacher effect, and other student
achievement data reports to ensure they are transmitted
electronically and easy for teachers to understand.
• Ensure the Tennessee Department of Education directly provides
all principals and teachers log-in information to the appropriate
portions of the TVAAS database.
• Provide additional online and in-person training to superintendents,
principals, guidance counselors and teachers about how TVAAS
works and how it and other assessment tests (e.g., PLAN and
EXPLORE) can be effectively used to improve classroom
instruction.
• Identify options for reducing the turnaround time for grading
assessment tests to allow TCAP and end-of-course exams to be
given during the last four weeks of school.
• Identify best practices for school readiness assessments for students
in grades K-2. Over time, provide state funding for these new
assessments and add an additional metric to the CCRPI report
tracking student readiness on these assessments.
• Negotiate a statewide contract for K-12 formative assessments that
districts can purchase at a reduced price. Over time, provide state
funding for these formative assessments.
Assist schools with efforts to engage parents and help parents
better understand how they can help their child succeed.
• Create an easy-to-understand printout of each child’s student
achievement data that includes projections of how a child is likely
to perform in the future and ensure this printout is given to each
6