The Tennessee Department of Education announced Thursday that student performance on the 2012 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program improved significantly in school districts across the state.
Nearly all of the state’s 136 districts saw proficiently levels increase, and two-thirds improved in every subject of the 3-8 TCAP Achievement tests.
The district-by-district results follow unprecedented gains on the statewide level, where student scores saw the largest growth in TCAP history as Tennessee continued to implement its First to the Top Education reforms.
“The widespread improvement shows that efforts to raise student outcomes are working in many districts,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Our students, teachers and administrators worked incredibly hard, and we are gratified that so many districts were able to significantly grow results.”
District proficiency levels reveal major improvements in math skills. More than 50 districts saw double-digit growth over last year in Algebra I, with some reporting gains greater than 30 percentage points. Additionally, 23 districts saw double-digit growth in grades three to eight math.
Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson (R-Hixson) said,. “The across-the-state results demonstrate significant improvement in all areas particularly in Math. We should remember that theseresults are based on increased standards that were implemented a couple of years ago; thus, teachers, students, and families have stepped up to the challenge and are working hard to move our state’s public education process forward.
“Hamilton County demonstrated modest gains in all areas from the prior year, but the results indicate there is still plenty of work to be done- 49.6% of Hamilton County students were advanced or proficient in Math,45.7% in Reading, 57.6% in Science, and 79.8% in Social Studies. The improvement is nice, but these numbers should not be satisfactory to anyone and further underscore the importance of maintaining our focus on continuous improvement in our public education system.”
District-by-district TCAP results can be accessed on the education department website, where they are posted in sortable spreadsheets. Statewide TCAP results, released last month, are also on the site.
For more information, contact Kelli Gauthier at 615 532-7817 or Kelli.Gauthier@tn.gov.