Honesty is the best policy, especially when we are talking about student achievement. In separate reports, Harvard University researchers and the nonprofit organization Achieve, have identified Tennessee as a national leader in erasing the gap between measures of student proficiency on statewide assessments and the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Eleven years ago, such…
Although a substantial body of research has indicated students of color tend to benefit educationally when they have the opportunity to receive instruction from and form relationships with teachers from similar backgrounds, many districts nationwide struggle to recruit, support, and retain high-performing teachers of color to provide that instruction and form those relationships. For this…
Sometimes, grant-funded school programming effectively has an expiration date. When temporary funds end, so do the services they paid for. Sometimes. But not always. Eight years ago, SCORE Prize finalist Johnson City Schools (JCS) won a sizable federal grant: $5 million in Safe Schools/Healthy Students funds, received over the course of four years. The grant…
“How do you find the time to do it all?” I frequently hear this question from several colleagues, co-workers, and friends who wonder about the balancing act of being a teacher, mother, and advocate for students through the SCORE Tennessee Educator Fellowship. My usual response is, “I have absolutely no idea.” As I reflect on…
The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) today released the 2015-16 State of Education in Tennessee report and a list of five priorities that Tennessee should pursue in 2016 to sustain and accelerate recent student achievement gains. The nonprofit, nonpartisan education research and advocacy group compiles the state’s comprehensive annual report that examines recent successes…