Tenn. students in grades 3-8 struggle in reading
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — District-level student assessment scores released by the Tennessee Department of Education show elementary and middle school students need improvement in reading.The state released results from the 2014 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program on Wednesday.

Statewide, reading in grades three to eight dropped slightly, and is an area of continued need for improvement. Results from the 2013-14 TCAP results released earlier this month showed students in those grade levels continue to lag behind in reading.

For 2014, results in grades three to eight math, science, and social studies were largely flat or showed slight growth.

However, districts did well in high school in most subject areas.

Negative gaps occur when the historically under-performing subgroup has a higher proficiency rate than the comparison group. The change in gap size column represents the difference in gaps from 2013 to 2014.

• A positive change in gap size means that the gap between the historically under-performing subgroup and the comparison group increased from last year to the current year.
• A negative change in gap size means that the gap between the historically under-performing subgroup and the comparison group narrowed.

THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE TENN STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SENT FROM THE JACKSON MADISON COUNTY SCHOOL CENTRAL OFFICE

 (July 30, 2014, NASHVILLE, TN)— The Tennessee Department of Education today released district-level results from the 2014 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, which show strong gains in high school, and relatively constant scores in elementary and middle school.

As seen in state results, districts did well in high school in most subject areas. Statewide, growth in 3-8 reading dropped slightly and is an area of continued need for improvement. Results in 3-8 math, science, and social studies were largely flat or showed slight growth.

“Students are learning to do more advanced writing, citing evidence from the text, and showing their work in math, and we know that this work is important to get our students ready for post-secondary opportunities and the workforce. While the TCAP remains a multiple choice test that doesn’t reach all of these skills, we are pleased that there continues to be progress in most subject areas,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “As I have conversations with superintendents across the state, I hear the same thing over and over again: teachers are working hard, instruction keeps getting better, and students are learning at a higher level.”

Since the current administration took office in 2011, Tennessee students have made significant and sustained growth in academic achievement. In 2011, only 18 percent of districts had the majority of their students at or above grade level in 3-8 math, and this year that number is 57 percent. Similarly, in 2011, 49 percent of districts had the majority of high school students at or above grade level in Algebra I, as compared to 85 percent of districts that met that mark in 2014.

To see district-level TCAP results, visit: http://tn.gov/education/data/tcap_2014_districts.shtml.