Tennessee Announces New Goals to Measure Education Progress

NASHVILLE— Commissioner Candice McQueen and the Tennessee Department of Education announced today three ambitious education goals for the state as part of a new five-year strategic plan called Tennessee Succeeds. Building on the progress and momentum the state’s districts, schools, teachers, and students have already created, the state will focus on three new overarching goals to guide its work through the next five years:

• Tennessee will rank in the top half of states on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), or the nation’s Report Card, by 2019
• The average ACT composite score in Tennessee will be a 21 by 2020
• The majority of high school graduates from the class of 2020 will earn a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

“Tennessee is one of the fastest improving states in the nation in student achievement because we’ve focused on higher standards and increased accountability, while working to better align state assessments to match our high expectations.” Education Commissioner Candice McQueen said. “Now it is time to build on that foundation and focus on some priorities that take us to the next level - in literacy, teacher preparation, and postsecondary readiness.”

Five priority areas will focus the department’s work in achieving these new goals:

• Early Foundations & Literacy: Building skills in early grades to contribute to future success
• High School & Bridge to Postsecondary: Preparing significantly more students for postsecondary completion
• All Means All: Providing individualized support and opportunities for all students with a focus on those who are farthest behind
• Educator Support: Supporting the preparation and development of an exceptional educator workforce
• District Empowerment: Providing districts with the tools and autonomy they need to make the best decisions for students

The department will rely on multiple strategies to support the work in each priority area, including new literacy initiatives called Ready to Read and Read to be Ready – initiatives focused on providing high-quality literacy support for teachers of all grades. The department will also strengthen literacy instruction by working to deepen literacy requirements within licensure and educator preparation programs to better equip teachers with deep literacy knowledge and skills from the beginning. This is in addition to raising the number of classroom-ready teaching candidates graduating from Tennessee educator preparation programs prepared to meet the challenges of the classroom.

Among other strategies in direct support of the state’s Drive to 55 initiative, the plan calls for schools to leverage school counselors in new and purposeful ways to ensure students are successfully moving along the path to postsecondary. Expanding the number of high school students earning early postsecondary credits and industry certifications is also a critical strategy to broaden the reach of these programs to include students who have lacked these opportunities in the past.

You can read additional details about the department’s plan, Tennessee Succeeds, online.

For more information, contact Ashley Ball at (615) 532-6260 or Ashley.M.Ball@tn.gov.