Tennessee teachers have been offered an extraordinary opportunity. With implementation of the Common Core State Standards, we can redesign the way we teach to better prepare our students for an unknown future. The Internet provides an abundance of resources that promise “Common Core aligned lessons” that allow students to apply knowledge. Apps and web tools allow…
It seems like every day there’s another article about the horrors of standardized testing. Just this week comedian Louis CK raised the issue to seemingly new heights when he first took to the Twittersphere to rail against testing and then followed up with an appearance on Letterman. His daughter took New York’s state tests last…
As an organization, The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) collaboratively supports Tennessee’s work to prepare students for college and the workforce. We work toward the goal of all Tennessee students graduating from high school prepared for college and a career. More than 180 pieces of education legislation were put before the Tennessee General Assembly in…
SCORE’s work is built around four research-based levers to improve student achievement, with great teaching being one. Excellent teacher preparation programs, effective recruitment strategies, and high-quality support and evaluation systems for existing teachers cultivate effective teachers and strong leadership in Tennessee’s schools. In the second part of this legislative series, I provide a synopsis of…
A study published last year laid out in data what we’ve always known anecdotally: School leadership matters. It matters a lot. According to the research report School Leaders Matter, highly effective principals raise the achievement of a typical student in their schools by between two and seven months of learning in a single year, and…
The second session of the 108th Tennessee General Assembly encompassed 67 legislative days full of activity, during which the 33 senators and 99 representatives worked to promote, advocate, and revise the laws of our state with a common goal to improve life for Tennesseans. I became a member of the SCORE team in January. Prior…
The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has been named as the winner of the Data Quality Campaign’s (DQC) 2014 Advocacy Award for its advocacy of the value of using education data to enhance instruction and improve learning for all students in Tennessee. “We are pleased to honor SCORE’s efforts to engage all Tennesseans, including…
(NASHVILLE) – The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) released the following statement from President and CEO Jamie Woodson regarding the 2014 legislative session in Tennessee and HB1549/SB1835, which passed the General Assembly today: After a year of extensive public and legislative conversation regarding higher academic standards and related strategies to improve student learning, our…
Dear Friends, Most of us here in Tennessee, especially those of you reading this letter, know of the tremendous work that has been dedicated to improving student achievement in our state. We are proud of the exceptional efforts undertaken to raise expectations, strengthen leadership, support excellent teaching, and use data and technology well to ultimately…
“I did fine without technology in the classroom when I was in grade school—why is it so important now?” That was a direct quote from one of my college classmates on the first day of our “Technology and Learning” course my sophomore year. I have to admit that I questioned it as well. Up until…
At Centennial High School, part of Williamson County Schools, the focus is on preparing students for the challenges they will face in college and career through rigorous academic preparation, including the innovative use of technology in the classroom. Drew Welch, a senior at Centennial, was recently awarded a $250 college scholarship for his video on…
STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education is a hot topic and undoubtedly vital to the future educational and economic goals of Tennessee. By providing students with rigorous classroom experiences driven by high standards and a focus on critical thinking and problem solving, STEM schools are focused on equipping students with the knowledge and skills they…
A new policy memo released by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) shows no correlation between the governance structure of t state boards of education and student achievement, leading to the conclusion that, “the state should continue with the critical work of implementing its ambitious policy agenda under the current system… rather than disrupt…
Over the past few years, I have heard a lot of discussion about Common Core State Standards, their roll out, and the assessment designed to measure CCSS. As an educator immersed in Common Core implementation, here are a few of my thoughts. New standards are not new. Standards change as we educators learn more about…
“Tell me the height of our school.” This is a seemingly easy question, yet one that requires the student to apply a variety of academic and critical-thinking skills. It’s also a very Common Core-driven question and one that I wouldn’t have been able to tackle in my classroom under the old Tennessee state math standards….
There’s a young man at our school – let’s call him Dedric (his name has been changed for issues of privacy) – who has always been a good student. He made good grades in elementary and was proficient last year on the reading/language arts portion of TCAP. But he’s been struggling a little this year,…
Over the past month, the Students Rise to the Challenge Competition has given students across Tennessee an opportunity to add their voices to the conversation that is helping to shape the future of education. Tennessee public school students in grades 3-12 were invited to submit essays or videos on three topics related to the education…
As someone who researches the nuances of assessment data, policy proposals, and academic studies for a living, I have a great appreciation for the details. It’s the details – the finer, perhaps boring points of education policies – that determine how things actually happen in practice. Having a clear understanding of the details gives us…
Too often, conversations about education policy fail to include the voices of those most affected: students. When we take the time to stop and listen to what students believe is best for their schools, they almost always impress with their insight, thoughtfulness, and maturity. That is certainly the case with the four students who chose…
They say the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing but expecting different results. Tennessee adopted the Common Core State Standards in 2010. Prior to this adoption we received an “F” for failing to give our students the knowledge and skills needed to compete in today’s workforce. I believe the Common Core…