County schools earn Cs and Ds

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Tennessee Department of Education released the annual report cards Tuesday for schools, school systems and the state as a whole, although state officials say a recalibration of the guidelines makes it impossible to compare this year's letter grades with previous years.

The letter grades apply to schools with students in fourth through eighth grades and are meant to describe the success of a school or school system in providing value added -- the difference between what a student knows this year and what that student knew a year earlier, as measured by the annual TCAP tests.

The state has adjusted its grading guidelines and made them more rigorous, and the state's grade in all four subject areas this year is "C."

Bedford County School System, as a whole, carries that same "C" grade in two of the four areas -- math and social studies -- but gets a "D" in the other two, reading/language arts and science.

"I'm always disappointed if we don't have all 'A's," said School Superintendent Ed Gray. But he said Bedford County scored comparably to school systems of similar size and demographic makeup.

"We are essentially the same as they are," said Gray.

Bedford County's high percentage of students for whom English is not their primary language, and the county's high poverty, are contributing factors, he said.

"Those are two big factors we have to overcome," he said.

Bedford County has a 17 percent Hispanic population; Gray said the only other county in the state with a similar percentage is Robertson County. But Gray said the number of Hispanic students fluent in English is increasing over time, and noted that the percentage of Hispanic students attending Thomas Magnet School, a program for high-achieving elementary-age children, is the same as the percentage of Hispanic students in the overall student population.

Betty Farrar, supervisor for elementary instruction, said trying to assess someone who is not a native English speaker can sometimes be deceptive. A child who converses well may not be as far along in reading or writing, she noted.

Gray said 60 percent of students in Bedford County are poor as defined by participation in the free and reduced-price meal program. He said the actual poverty level might be even higher, because some poor families refuse to apply for the meal program.

Bedford County School System spends an average $6,820 per pupil. The state average is $8,518 per pupil, although Gray said that special school districts (usually meaning city-run school districts) bring up the state average.

Two individual schools got an "F" in three of the four subject areas. Thomas Intermediate School got an "F" in math, reading/language arts and science, as did Community Middle School.

In the case of Thomas, the school which received those scores no longer exists. A reconfiguration of elementary classrooms in Shelbyville turned it into Thomas Magnet School, with a completely different faculty and student population.

Until this school year, Shelbyville had three "primary schools" serving kindergarten through third grade and one "intermediate school" for fourth and fifth grades. Because TCAP testing starts in the third grade, there's no value-added data until the student reaches the fourth grade. Now, all of the elementary schools within the city are K-5, and so each will have value-added letter grades in next year's Report Card.

Administrators say Community Middle School should benefit by being separated from Community High School, which moved into a new facility this fall. Connie Boutwell, director of federal projects for the local school system, says federal Title I special education funds are being spent at Community Middle, which added a Title I teacher and will have a "target-assisted" Title I program this year. It will move up to a school-wide program next year.

In general, the school system is ramping up technology as a way of reaching out to students. Today's students are more technology-oriented than any previous generation, and Gray said it's necessary to use technology to reach them.

"Today's student comes in to us as a digital learner," he said. Educational software can make learning tasks fun.

"Are the students engaged in class," he asked, "or are they just sitting there?"

Gray said he visited every classroom in the system last January and spoke with teachers. He stressed the importance of reaching "bubble students," those who are just on the edge of proficiency.

"Our school administrators and our teachers are working very hard, and we realize that we have to address every child, period." He said the requirements of NCLB have forced educators to concentrate on results, not just theories or techniques.

Farrar said that new programs such as "Read Well," a reading program for primary school students, and "LANGUAGE!", for fourth graders through seniors, are based on research into how children learn.

Boutwell said the special education program is also based on data about what works and what doesn't.

The state's method of calculating scores and the scale used to determine letter grades were revised to allow for a transition to the new standards and assessments required by the Tennessee Diploma Project, according to a state news release. Comparison of the 2009 Report Card data with previous years' scores will not be possible or valid.

"Our students have made great progress over the last five years," Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said. "Our teachers have truly made the difference. These changes to our calculations reflect no loss of learning but rather the pursuit of higher standards as we demand the highest level of success fo our students."

Two major changes have been implemented for calculation of scores on the Report Card. First, the baseline year for comparing student achievement has been reset using 2009 test scores. Previously, all students were compared to students who took state tests in 1998.

Second, a new grade scale will be used. The scale used to determine all grades A through F has been dramatically revised. In past years, Tennessee defined student proficiency in subject matter as a very basic understanding of the knowledge required. The Tennessee Diploma Project requires that the state realistically assess proficiency of subject matter. Going forward, students will be expected to have mastered a concept to be considered proficient.

"We must set expectations for all students higher," said Connie Smith, assistant commissioner for accountability, teaching and learning. "The Tennessee Diploma Project sets the stage for children to succeed."