Here’s what school and district leaders have to say about Tennessee education
Concerns about school funding and the condition of school buildings were front and center in results published Tuesday from a statewide survey of Tennessee education leaders.
Of the 575 leaders who responded, none said that they thought Tennessee’s funding formula should stay as it is, according to TennesseeCAN, a Nashville-based education advocacy organization. This is the third year of the organization’s survey.
School funding has been a high-profile topic in Tennessee for years, and is the backdrop of a three-year legal fight between the state and Shelby County Schools and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Tennessee’s two largest districts are suing the state over whether it allocates enough money to provide an adequate education, particularly for urban school systems that serve more students who live in poverty, have special needs, or come from non-English-speaking homes.
In the survey, 71 percent of district and school leaders said they support some sort of change to the way Tennessee funds schools. More than 40 percent of both groups said they favor weighting school funding based on student need.
Only 4 percent of the 63 district leaders surveyed said they believe they receive an adequate amount of funding.
About 6 percent of the 512 school leaders surveyed said they had more than $500,000 worth of deferred maintenance on their school building, while about 30 percent said their building had $50,000 worth of repairs or less.
The surveys also covered topics like leader preparation, parental involvement, and previous educational experience. You can find results for district leaders, school leaders, and overall takeaways on TennesseeCan’s website.
[Read more at Chalkbeat] Read MoreTennessee hits highest graduation rate for second year in a row
Tennessee’s graduation rate held steady year over year, maintaining the record rate of 89.1 percent that was recorded last school year.
In Middle Tennessee, Nashville public schools posted a similar graduation rate from the previous year while Williamson County Schools posted one of its highest graduation rates in several years.
Overall, more than 56 percent of districts with high schools saw their graduation rates improve compared with last year’s rates, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.
“Our schools and districts should be proud that once again we have hit our state’s highest graduation rate on record while still holding our students to high expectations,” said Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen. “By continuing to raise the expectations, we are signaling that Tennessee students are leaving high school with the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce. This graduation rate is a testament to the work being done by teachers and students in schools across the state.”
The majority of the districts statewide — 106 districts — posted graduation rates above 90 percent, according to the Education Department.
Tennessee calculates its graduation rates by the number of students who graduate in four years plus a summer. The state put into place harder standards for graduation in 2011 under the Gov. Bill Haslam administration.
The number of students completing high school has slowly risen since the 2011 year, when the state posted an 86 percent graduation rate.
Tennessee students, as of the 2018 graduation year, were required to participate in the ACT or SAT to graduate.
Nashville and Williamson schools
Metro Nashville Public Schools’ graduation rate fell slightly, with the district posting an 80.2 percent graduation rate.
That was down from 80.3 percent in the 2016-17 school year.
The district’s graduation rate also hit a three-year low. The district’s graduation rate in the 2015-16 school year hit 81 percent before dipping almost a full percentage point.
Nashville public schools spokeswoman Dawn Rutledge didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Williamson County Schools’ 95.9 percent graduation rate in 2018 was the highest since the 2011 requirements were put in place.
“I am proud of the students, parents, teachers, staff and school board members who continue to make graduating from high school a priority,” said Mike Looney, WCS superintendent.
Middle Tennessee graduation rates
Cheatham County Schools
2017-18: 91.1
2016-17: 89.9
2015-16: 91.9
Clarksville-Montgomery County School System
2017-18: 94.2
2016-17: 95.1
2015-16: 94.8
Metro Nashville Public Schools
2017-18: 80.2
2016-17: 80.3
2015-16: 81.0
Robertson County Schools
2017-18: 94.5
2016-17: 96.9
2015-16: 94.4
Rutherford County Schools
2017-18: 95.6
2016-17: 95.3
2015-16: 95.2
Sumner County Schools
2017-18: 94.3
2016-17: 94.7
2015-16: 92.2
Williamson County Schools
2017-18: 95.9
2016-17: 95.6
2015-16: 95.5
Wilson County Schools
2017-18: 95.6
2016-17: 96.2
2015-16: 95.1
[Read more at The Tennessean] Read More