The hallways of John Coleman Elementary in Smyrna, Tennessee, look like a pep rally before a big game. But in this case, the banners, balloons, spirit signs, and daily pep talks were preparation for the Super Bowl of school testing in Tennessee: TCAP, Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. “They work all year long for this one [...]

Property development  has a direct link to student test scores in public schools, according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. The report says areas with restrictive zoning laws about the type and cost of housing—have wider gaps in school performance. It also means gaps in educational opportunities that can impact a student’s economic [...]

Nashville’s Cameron School is actually two schools in one building. One part of the building is a traditional public school (Cameron Middle School), whose staff is aggressively working to get rid of the label it acquired in recent years as a “failing school.” The other part (Cameron College Prep) is a charter school run by [...]

At Nashville’s Overton High School, 9th grade students spent a lot of time this school year planning for graduation—four years from now. Every freshman had to write down specific steps to reach the goal of graduating with the class in 2015. They also had to name 3 people who can help support them in the [...]

Robert Drake teaches Algebra 2 to a classroom full of English Language Learners at Smyrna High School, and he knows it will take more than chalkboards and calculators. He jumps, waves and moves around the classroom while animatedly explaining math concepts.  When his students still look puzzled about a lesson on factoring, Drake turns to [...]

Smaller class size is a big factor in improving student performance– one of many revealing comments from teachers who gathered for a town hall style discussion at Nashville Public Television. The Teacher Town Hall drew more than 100 teachers from several different school districts in middle Tennessee. Here is a preview of the broadcast that will air [...]

Tennessee is leaving behind No Child Left Behind with approval from the Obama Administration. Governor Haslam says the federal standards have become impossible to meet. But Tennessee will continue to work hard at education reform in a way that is effective yet realistic.  

Tennessee is one of 10 states that will receive waivers under the federal No Child Left Behind Law, according to an announcement by President Barack Obama on Thursday. The President will release details of the waivers later today. For more on this developing story, click here for the Associated Press.

  Every high school diploma does not count when it comes to the graduation rate in Tennessee. Beginning last year with the Class of 2011, students are required to finish high school in 4 years by age 18 in order to count in the state graduation rate ( see “Calculating and Reporting High School Graduation [...]

For many students who do not make it to high school graduation, there are warning signs; indicators that are not obvious or that may be disregarded until it is too late. If educators could spot drop-out indicators every day for each student, they would have a powerful tool for improving the graduation rate. Nashville School officials [...]