NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Metro Nashville Public Schools ranked well for student achievement on the Tennessee Department of Education’s State Report Card for the 2021-2022 school year, according to data from the TDOE.
The report card, released Monday, contains information about how Tennessee schools and school districts are performing to inform decisions and strategic investments to best support students, according to TDOE spokesman Brian Blackley.
“With the release of the State Report Card, Tennessee continues our firm commitment to providing families with clear, actionable information on how our districts and schools are serving students,” Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said. “The Report Card allows stakeholders to access years’ worth of meaningful data through an interactive, easy-to-navigate online platform, and now the latest data is available to help Tennesseans to explore and learn about their local schools and districts.”
📧 Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
The Report Card measures student academic achievement in three grade bands: elementary (grades 3-5), middle (grades 6-8) and high school (grades 9-12). The Report Card also measures the rate of absenteeism, graduation rate and English language proficiency for English-as-a-second-language students.
According to the Report Card, Metro students in the elementary and middle school levels scored a 3.5 out of 4, and high school students ranked 3 out of 4. Per the report, the achievement score is assessed “based on the percent of students who met or exceeded grade-level expectations (i.e., success rate) on state math and ELA assessments.”
The report states 26.2% of students in grades 3 through 5 met or exceeded expectations on the math and ELA assessments last year, as did 22.5% of grade 6 through 8 students and 20.4% of high school students. All three grade bands fell short of the state rate for all students, however, the report states. The state success rate was 33.8%.
The “chronically out of school” score for Metro was 0.5 out of 4. Per the report, chronic absenteeism is defined as “the percent of students who missed at least 10% of the instructional days that they were enrolled for during the school year.”
| READ MORE | Latest headlines from Nashville and Davidson County
According to TDOE, the goal for districts is to have a higher score, meaning the MNPS score is low compared to the state average. The MNPS rate of chronic absenteeism for the 2021-2022 school year was 29.7%, whereas the state average was 20.3%.
Where MNPS was also behind the state was the graduation rate. According to the Report Card, Metro’s graduation rate was 81.8%, compared to the state average of 88.7%. The rate netted the district a 2.5 out of 4 score on the Report Card. The graduation rate is also slightly behind the 2021 graduation rate of 82.3%, per the report.
Where the district also fared well was its K-12 English language proficiency score, which was a 3.5 out of 4. The 2022 English language progress in Metro Schools was 41.1%, according to the report, much higher than the 2021 rate of 15.8%
Metro Schools implemented multiple programs during the 2021-22 school year that accelerated student academic growth and outcomes, including multiple tutoring and coaching programs and the establishment of advocacy centers.
Accelerating Scholars is a high-impact tutoring program that uses a combination of paid tutoring opportunities and volunteer tutoring to provide small group and one-on-one support in reading and math. Promising Scholars is the Metro Schools summer learning program that extends the school year, combining instruction in literacy and numeracy along with STEAM activities.
Literacy Reimagined is a program that seeks to increase the literacy skills of our students through additional supports for teachers and students, including the adopt of a high-quality ELA curriculum with books and materials for all students and teachers, as well as an emphasis on foundational skills.
The district also invested in personalized learning time by increasing interventions and supports for students, especially those with special needs and English learners so they can receive intensive, individualized support.
The district also added advocacy centers, regulation spaces designed to support wellness for elementary students who become emotionally or behaviorally dysregulated during the school day and need short-term trauma-informed and restorative care.
“In Metro Schools, we are focused every day on making sure every student is known, understood, supported, cared for and on a path to success,” Director of Schools Dr. Adrienne Battle said. “We want to see every student learning, growing, advancing and then, at the end of their time with us, not just collecting a diploma but confidently crossing that stage as a Ready Graduate who is prepared for college, career and everything life has to offer. And that mission will continue to guide us and inspire us and spur us on.”
In addition to the high scores on the Report Card, Metro Schools was also named one of 67 Best for All Districts for 2022, recognized for its educators from the Grow Your Own program and recognized for its utilization of the Reading 360 and TN ALL Corps programs. Reading 360 is a COVID-related literacy development resource. TN All Corps, short for Accelerating Literacy & Learning Corps, is another COVID-related educational tool designed to mitigate learning loss and help accelerate student achievement.
To read the full Report Card click on this link.