Bartlett, Arlington and Lakeland school district leaders are proud of their students’ high-ranking standardized test results released last week. Superintendents for each district talked with The Bartlett Express about the scores.
The Tennessee Department of Education has released state and district-level results for TNReady and End of Course (EOC) scores in math, English language arts (ELA), science and U.S. history. Students score in one of four performance categories: Below grade-level, approaching grade-level, on track and mastered. Students scoring in the top two performance categories – on track and mastered – are considered to be proficient for that content area.
Statewide, test scores were mostly flat or dipped this year in Tennessee, especially in middle school, where performance declined in every subject, according to statewide data released July 19. Students across the board saw declines in science, an unexpected twist because the state hasn’t transitioned yet to new, more difficult standards and a new aligned test for that subject. Read Chalkbeat.org’s interview with Education Commissioner Candice McQueen at bit.ly/TNReady-scores-dip.
See detailed state and district results and additional information at tn.gov/education/assessment/tnready.html.
BCS results
Bartlett City Schools Superintendent Dr. David Stephens said, “We are proud to report that the students in our District placed in the top ten in the State based on overall achievement for elementary (grades 3-5) in both ELA and math. Bartlett City Schools consistently outperformed the State in all other tested subjects.
He continued, “In middle school (grades 6-8), our District saw an increase in the number of students who performed at the on track or mastered level in all subject areas, while the State experienced declines. In high school (grades 9-12), we continued to outpace the State in all tested subjects. We appreciate the hard work of our students and teachers and look forward to using these results to support our teachers as they prepare students for future successes.”
LSS results
Lakeland School System’s TNReady achievement scores in grades 3-5 ranked number one in the state in both math and reading/language arts. It was the third year in a row (for years in which scores were available).
The scores included student results from both Lakeland Elementary School and Lakeland Middle Preparatory School.
LMPS fifth-graders were among only 15 percent of fifth-graders statewide who completed their assessments online during a testing period that included disruptions to testing nearly every day of the test administration due to technological issues with the statewide testing platform.
Lakeland students in grades six, seven and eight were also among 30 percent of students in those grades who took the assessments online. They also experienced repeated interruptions because of technical issues outside of the district’s control.
LSS superintendent Dr. Ted Horrell said, “While we are disappointed that our middle school students did not get the opportunity to complete their online tests in a smooth, standardized testing environment, we obviously want to celebrate the accomplishments of our teachers who worked hard every single day of last school year to prepare our wonderful students to show what they learned. While it is gratifying to see our students succeed on their assessments, we know that their learning and progress cannot be summed up in a test score.”
Kevin Floyd, chair of the LSS school board, said, “Recognizing that a test score is one of many indicators of a child’s education, we are extremely proud of our students, teachers, and administrators. To be the highest ranked district in the State in both Math and Reading/Language Arts in grades 3-5 is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the hard work of our teachers and students.”
ACS results
The test results show that Arlington Community Schools continues to rank among the best in the state for achievement and growth. Of the nine tested categories, ACS ranked in the top five in four categories and ranked in the top 10 in one additional category
“We are particularly proud of the 5-8 science test results, where our students scored in the top five for both growth and overall achievement,” said Tyler Hill, ACS communications coordinator.
Overall, ACS ranked in the top five in the following subject areas: 3-5 English Language Arts, 3-5 Math, 5-8 Science and 9-12 US History. The district also ranked in the top 10 for 6-8 English Language Arts.
Hill added, “The results also showed areas in which we need to improve, and we look forward to working with our schools and students to make sure we’re providing the best learning opportunities possible.”
Superintendent Tammy Mason said, “We should be proud of our students and teachers for the work they put forth in the 2017-2018 school year. We continue to compete with the best of the best in the state and region, and we should celebrate those achievements. I look forward to working with our educators this upcoming school year to make sure we’re improving in all categories.”
