The 2012 state Report Card—posted Thursday on the Tennessee Department of Education website—offers detailed breakdowns of last year’s unprecedented statewide student achievement growth and presents the most recent data on graduation rate, demographics and school-level test scores.

This summer, the department released statewide and district-by-district achievement results, and now Tennesseans can view data by grade level, subject and subgroup for each of the 136 districts and 1,784 schools in the state.

They can also see the achievement and gap closure measures that earned various designations under the new accountability system, such as Exemplary District and Reward School status.

“We think it’s important for parents and students, as well as school and district leaders, to know how well their schools are doing each year,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Tennessee is focused on continuous growth, and our Report Card shows us where we are making gains and where we need more work.”

As Tennessee continued to implement its First to the Top education reforms, performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) improved for the second year in a row in 2012, as students made the largest gains in the history of the test.

Last year, elementary and middle school students grew in 23 out of 24 TCAP measures, and proficiency levels on several high school End of Course exams improved, even as more students enrolled in higher-level classes such as Algebra II due to more rigorous graduation requirements. The statewide graduation rate increased from 85.5 percent to 87.2 percent for the Class of 2012.

Nearly every district in the state grew student achievement overall, but many did not successfully narrow achievement gaps or saw declines among particular student subgroups.

As the state strives to advance outcomes for all Tennessee students, these results allow educators to identify areas that need the most improvement. Through its regional offices, the department provides resources, support and expert analysis to help districts and schools with data-driven interventions.

Complementing the data released Thursday in the department’s Report Card, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission released a report card on teacher preparation in Tennessee. The department also re-released its public TVAAS site, giving parents and community members an in-depth look at the academic growth in the state’s schools and districts. When used together, these three tools help paint a picture of the state of Tennessee education.

·         For the 2012 state Report Card, visit tn.gov/education/reportcard.

·         For the Tennessee Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programs, visit tn.gov/thec/Divisions/fttt/report_card.shtml.

·         For the updated public TVAAS site, visit tvaas.sas.com/public.html.

·         To read about school and district accountability under Tennessee’s new accountability system, visit tn.gov/education/accountability.

For more information, contact Kelli Gauthier at 615 532-7817 or Kelli.Gauthier@tn.gov.