Attention Tennessee students! It’s time to enter the next Students Rise to the Challenge Competition, a chance for you to speak out about the great learning that is happening every day in your classes, schools, and districts – and to win a $250 scholarship. Students know first-hand that their teachers are working hard to prepare…
Next week, we will announce the finalists for the SCORE Prize, which honors the Tennessee public schools and school districts that are leaders in student learning. But how does a school or school district get to be a finalist? Our data-intensive process is explained in a new animated video created by Snapshot Interactive. Watch below…
One June morning this summer, I found myself sitting at a table, surrounded by smiling faces beaming with excitement and a sense of “Finally, I’m understood!” I was in Shelbyville at one of SCORE’s focus groups held across the state each year, witnessing talented educators making connections with each other, as well as with us…
The State Collaborative on Reforming Education today released this statement from President and CEO Jamie Woodson on Tennessee’s improved results on the ACT assessment. Late last year Tennessee was named the fastest-improving state in the nation in academic achievement, second only to the District of Columbia. Today’s news is the second national benchmark in less…
The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) today announced that 22 teachers have been selected for the inaugural Tennessee Educator Fellowship, a program that will provide them an opportunity to learn and communicate about student-focused education policy issues. “SCORE has always emphasized the importance of including diverse voices in discussions of how best to ensure…
When Mia Howard, the Principal and founder of Intrepid College Prep, dropped off a book for all the new teachers to read before school started, I naturally expected it to be about the fundamentals of teaching. Therefore, when I looked down at the book The Power of a Lot of Little Things Done Well and…
As a former classroom teacher, I know how powerful student data can be when making day-to-day decisions that support student achievement. From assessment results to attendance records to basic demographics, information about our students, when used effectively and strategically, is a crucial part of improving education at the local, state, and federal levels. It is…
Dear Friends, All across Tennessee, students and teachers are focusing on going back to school. Families are filling backpacks with notebooks, pencils, and pens, while students get to know their schedules. Teachers and school leaders are working tirelessly to prepare their classrooms and themselves for the new season of learning. The start of the school…
As a science teacher, I know firsthand the challenges teachers face every day. I’ve experienced the terror of a reckless classroom, the fatigue of planning lessons and grading papers long into the night, the frustration of recognizing my own limitations, and the joy of a student who finally “gets it.” As an educator I have…
Each year, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education awards the SCORE Prize to three schools and one district in Tennessee that are leaders in student learning. The winners are announced at the annual SCORE Prize event, which serves as an opportunity for students, educators, families, and community members to come together and celebrate those best…
After graduating from college, I spent two years teaching math at a high school in rural Mississippi. The experience was a rewarding one that invested me deeply in education, but it was also immensely frustrating, exhausting, and humbling. It wasn’t until I moved back to Nashville and began learning about policies and reforms taking place…
By Laura Louis and Benjamin Smith Students sit next to each other for 60 minutes a day 180 days a year, yet they don’t actually know each other. They can text each other at a rate of 50 words per minute, but they don’t know anything about their classmates that isn’t posted somewhere. They are…
Dear Friends, The most important in-school factor in raising student achievement is great teaching. Over the years, I have seen that a great teacher also brings a solid and trusted voice to the discussion about improving student achievement. SCORE is committed to empowering teachers to have a greater impact on key state-level education policy issues….
I will never forget the feeling as I walked off the stage toward my seat. A lovely lady behind me reminded me to take a deep breath after I had given, for the first time ever, a 30-minute keynote speech in front of over a thousand educators. They were all standing on their feet offering…
Joshua is a second-grade student here in Tennessee. All his classmates are diving into books on their own, but Joshua is completely mystified by the squiggles on the page. His teacher is worried. She can’t give him the support he needs to catch up, but he’s not far enough behind to qualify for special education…
When I began researching the issue of data privacy as a SCORE Graduate Fellow, the extent of my knowledge involved the acronym FERPA (which stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). I was informed of my FERPA rights to a confidential student record upon entering my freshman year of college. Little did I know…
Dear Friends, Who was the biggest contributor to your success when you were in school? For me, three talented teachers come to mind: Mrs. Seiler, who taught me to love reading, Mrs. Funderberk who showed me that while learning can be hard, it is also fun, and Mrs. Dunning, who spent countless hours patiently supporting…
Every year, SCORE releases a comprehensive report on the state of education in Tennessee that reviews progress and sets priorities for approaching challenges in the coming year. For example, this year’s report highlighted rigorous standards and assessments, effective school leadership, access to great teaching, using technology to enhance instruction, and supporting students from kindergarten through…
Marianne’s multiple-choice test was the easiest things in the world to grade. A, B, A, D, D, B….it’s right or it’s wrong and I move on. The problem is that in mathematics, all “A” really tells me is that Marianne (not her real name) can write down a letter. There are a dozen different reasons…
In 2009, approximately 7,000 Tennessee students with the academic preparation necessary to pass Advanced Placement (AP) exams entered high school. Four years later, only half of those students had succeeded on an AP exam, and the rates were even lower for economically disadvantaged students. Why? AP courses are one of several early postsecondary opportunities through…