Franklin Co. Schools Cited as “Needs Improvement”

by K.G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The Tennessee Department of Education released district-level accountability statuses on Aug. 6, based on results from the standardized testing. Franklin County has been designated as a district that is “in need of subgroup improvement” in three areas: a students, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.

School districts in Tennessee are held accountable on achievement and gap-closure between subgroups. According to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), districts in need of subgroup improvement may have successfully attained their goals in achievement, gap closure or even both, while experiencing declines among particular groups of students. Ninety-six districts in the state were designated as in need of subgroup improvement. 

Districts can be designated by TDOE as exemplary for raising proficiency levels, narrowing achievement gaps and seeing growth within the subgroups. Five districts in the state achieved exemplary status for 2013–14.

Districts can have an intermediate status if they meet achievement goals but not gap closure, or met gap closure but not achievement. Thirty-two districts in the state were identified as intermediate.

Districts that do not meet their targets in achievement and gap closure are in need of improvement. Three districts were designated as in need of improvement, including Franklin County.

There are specific annual measurement objectives (AMOs) to achieve on testing each year because of the waiver Tennessee received from the federal No Child Left Behind. These AMOs include achievement benchmarks to be reached in third-grade math and reading/language arts, seventh-grade math and reading/language arts, and third- through eighth-grade aggregate scores in math and reading/language arts. Franklin County met its achievement goals except for grades 3–8 in both math and reading/language arts.

There are also specific benchmarks to reach in Algebra I, Algebra II, English II and English III. Franklin County declined in English II and English III. 

Achievement gaps between subgroups should also lessen in grades 3–8 math and in grades 3–8 reading/language arts, Algebra I and II, and English II and III.

Franklin County as a district closed the gap and met its black/Hispanic/native American (BHN) subgroup gap in all areas except for English III. For the economically disadvantaged (ED) subgroup, the gap was not closed in Algebra I or English II. 

As a district, Franklin County did not meet its ED subgroup target. For students with disabilities (SWD), the gap was closed in English II, English III and reading/language arts 3–8 aggregate. Franklin County met it SWD target in English II and English III.

For subgroup improvement, Franklin County improved for the white student subgroup in Algebra I and Algebra II. It declined in English II, English III, math in grades 3–8 and reading/language arts in grades 3–8. 

For ED students, Franklin County improved in Algebra I and Algebra II, but declined in the rest. For SWD, Franklin County improved in English II and English III, but declined in grades 3–8 math and grades 3–8 reading/language arts.

Those districts categorized as intermediate, need of improvement or in need of subgroup improvement have to have a strategic plan in place with TDOE by November. These plans include key strategies to achieve goals, implementation and desired outcomes.

For more information go to < www.tn.gov/education/>.