State of Education in Tennessee Executive Summary – 2011-12 | Page 19
SECTION 2: S CORE Card
to ensure fully staffed schools by the beginning of the 2011 2 school year. The ASD also began working with the
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other eight ASD-eligible schools this year to develop interventions even though they are not technically being comanaged. Field staff has been assigned to all 13 schools. In early 2012, the ASD began finalizing and releasing the
list of schools it will be directly managing during the 2012 3 school year. In the Fall of 2011, the ASD authorized
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three organizations — Gestalt Community Schools, Cornerstone Prep, and LEAD Public Schools — to open charters
in Memphis and Nashville.
In November 2011, Tennessee submitted a proposal seeking a waiver from some provisions of the No Child Left
Behind law. The proposal has significant implications for the way the state identifies and supports schools with
different needs, including rewarding schools that have demonstrated significant progress with student achievement
and/or growth. The state also proposed establishing district innovation zones, a service-oriented model of support
with state oversight that provides flexibility for making financial, programmatic, staffing, and time allocation
decisions.
2012-2013
Change
2013-2014
Change
2013-2014
ASD
6 schools
+ 12
18 schools
+17
35 schools
LEA Innovation Zones
9 schools
+9
18 schools
+12
28 schools
-2
SIG turnarounds
LEA-led turnaround
35 schools
35 schools
35 schools
-21
-13
22 schools
14 schools
-14
0 schools
Source: Tennessee’s ESEA Waiver Request, November 2011.
STEM
Although the state has not issued specific STEM goals,
a STEM focus is integrated throughout
the other priorities of the state’s plan and
will drive much of the work with regard
to preparing students to compete in the
global marketplace. Over the last year, Tennessee
established the STEM Innovation Network to share best
practices, support innovative start-up efforts, and boost
student achievement in STEM fields. STEM schools have
been opened in Nashville and Knoxville, and both cities
received grants to establish innovation hubs.
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THE STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE 2011–12
Additional proposals are being vetted