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  • New Vision Academy Counts on Data to Fuel Staff Collaboration and Student, Parent Buy-In

    Count eighth-grader Sydney Lee among New Vision Academy’s many fans of academic growth data. Sydney was earning C’s and B’s in math and English until she was introduced to her own diagnostic assessment data by educators at 2015 SCORE Prize-winning middle school New Vision Academy (NVA). After challenging herself to put in more effort on…

  • Letter from Jamie Woodson: The Work of Our Teachers is at the Heart of Student Achievement Success

    Dear Friends, When we look at the data and at the ways Tennessee is influencing national education conversations, we know Tennessee is moving in the right direction for student achievement. When we have the opportunity to spend some time in a Tennessee classroom, it is immediately apparent that at the heart of this success is…

  • Trousdale County Fosters Success with Personal Attention and Innovative Use of Data

    When students at Trousdale County High School see graduation coach Shelley Cook waiting for them after class, they usually know what brought her there. Maybe it’s a course grade starting to slip below passing, or a substantial assignment that wasn’t turned in. Trousdale County High – which is the only high school in SCORE Prize-winning…

  • Andersonville Teachers Take the Lead, Delivering Big Gains for Learners

    Breakfast is a social time at Andersonville Elementary, a 2015 SCORE Prize finalist school. Volunteers from a nearby church – many of whom are retirees – stop by first thing each morning to eat breakfast with the kids, open cartons of milk, and chat about the day ahead. “It’s the easiest thing to do. It…

  • Here Are the Finalists for the 2015 SCORE Prize

    The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) today announced the 12 finalists for the fifth annual SCORE Prize. The SCORE Prize recognizes the elementary, middle, and high schools and school districts that are leaders in student learning in Tennessee. The 2015 SCORE Prize finalists are: Elementary schools • Andersonville Elementary School, Anderson County Schools •…

  • Teachers Collaborate Across Disciplines at MLK

    How many drops of water can fit on the face side of a penny? It’s a tough question. Even if you can assume that all drops are made with a common, measurable dropper, there’s a lot involved. Cohesion between water molecules allows for surface tension, creating a bubble that holds more water than you might…

  • WCS Supports Schools in Well-Rounded Approach to Achieving Excellence

    Ever tried to change a tire without stopping the car? For Eric Lifsey, a principal in Williamson County Schools (WCS), that’s what it can feel like to implement even the most helpful of new practices. “You can’t stop school while you institute a change,” said Dr. Lifsey. “Being able to learn from others makes it…

  • Differentiated Instruction at Dresden Helps Students Achieve Their Best Work

    What is your level of effort? What is the best that you can give? These are questions asked of students daily at SCORE Prize winner Dresden Elementary, according to fourth-grade teacher Honey Cantrell. Students are encouraged to give “their absolute.” And in classrooms driven by creative, engaging, and differentiated instruction, teachers know that students’ best…

  • All Students Supported Individually at Ravenwood

    Grady McGinnity, a senior at SCORE Prize finalist Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, wasn’t persuaded to take an advanced placement (AP) class by a teacher or guidance counselor. It was another student. At the time, Grady was a freshman just learning to navigate his large new high school. An upperclassman connected with him through Ravenwood’s…

  • Letter from Jamie Woodson: Illuminating the Best Practices of SCORE Prize Winners and Finalists

    Dear Friends: As a state, Tennessee has been committed to dramatically improving academic outcomes for all students. In order to achieve our ambitious goals, it is vital that we not only highlight the schools and districts that are leading the way in student learning but also explore the specific strategies that lead to success for…

  • Teacher Voice: “The State of Assessment” Address

    Assessment isn’t bad. Whew! I got that off my chest. And before you take a breath to agree or disagree, let me explain why I threw that out there. My recent thumbing through various social media platforms proves that assessment is THE hot topic in the current education debate. From YouTube videos to #TwitterChats to…

  • Statement on ESEA Reauthorization and Annual Assessment

    SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson sent a letter about the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on February 4, 2015. Here are excerpts of that letter, which calls for continuing the annual assessment requirement: Tennessee has made notable…

  • Recapping the 2014 SCORE Prize

    People often ask me what my favorite part of SCORE Prize is. Hands down it is the opportunity to make 12 site visits to the finalist schools and districts to observe, interview, and learn from teachers and school/district leaders, who are getting great results for Tennessee students. I walk away from these visits renewed and…

  • Letter from Jamie Woodson: Review Is Valuable Opportunity to Engage in Standards Conversation

    Dear Friends, Since SCORE was founded, we have supported student-centered education policies in Tennessee. Raising the bar in the classroom and other improvements in education have delivered unprecedented results for children. In particular, having high academic standards can help lead to students better prepared for postsecondary study and to reduced remediation rates. Importantly, all Tennesseans…

  • Project Lead The Way and Tennessee Schools: Preparing Students for the Global Economy

    The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that jobs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) will grow 17 percent by 2018 – nearly double the growth for non-STEM fields. Projections show that by 2018, the U.S. will have more than 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs because there will not be enough qualified workers to fill…

  • A Look at the 2014 Teacher Preparation Report Card

    As Tennessee embraces higher academic standards and prepares students for a more competitive and demanding economy, the training that teachers receive is increasingly important. Research has shown time and again that teachers are the most important in-school factor in driving student achievement. As such, focusing on understanding and improving the quality of teacher preparation programs…

  • 2014 SCORE Prize Winners Announced

    The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has announced the winners of the fourth annual SCORE Prize. The winners – three public schools and one district– were recognized for being leaders in student learning in Tennessee. The 2014 SCORE Prize winners are: • Dresden Elementary School, part of Weakley County Schools, in the elementary school category. • Hillsboro Elementary/Middle…

  • Connectivity Is Essential to Good Public Policy

    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…

  • Sweat the Small Stuff

    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…

  • SCORE Focus Groups: An Educator’s Perspective

    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…