Tennessee's Vision for Excellence and Equity in Education

1. ESEA Directors Institute August 23, 2016 Dr. Candice McQueen | Commissioner of Education

2. OUR VISION Districts and schools in Tennessee will exemplify excellence and equity such that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to successfully embark upon their chosen path in life.

4. OUR BELIEFS We believe: • Tennessee has laid a solid foundation with • Improved standards • Increased accountability • Aligned assessments • Tennessee’s focus on all students has been critical to our success  • K-12 must align to postsecondary and workforce needs

5. 2 GOALS The average ACT score in Tennessee will be a 21, allowing more students to earn HOPE scholarships. 1 3 Tennessee will continue rapid improvement and rank in the top half of states on the Report Card. The majority of Tennessee high school graduates will earn a certificate, diploma, or degree. • All students take ACT • NEW: ACT required for graduation • NEW: Every student given one ACT retake • NEW: ACT in accountability model • NEW: 50 districts & 100 high schools giving department’s elective ACT prep course • NEW: Read to be Ready campaign • NEW: Kindergarten Entry Inventory • NEW: All PreK & K teachers required to complete portfolio for accountability • NEW: 2nd grade assessment option • NEW: Statewide reading training & coaching • NEW: Standards roll-out • Tennessee Promise • NEW: Reducing fees and increasing training for AP • NEW: Increasing the number of students that dual enroll in TCATs • Ongoing: expanding dual credit options • NEW: Creating foundation to accurately track early postsecondary credit and industry certifications

6. OUR PRIORITIES

7. Early Foundations & Literacy Building skills in early grades to contribute to future success • Rolling out Kindergarten Entry Inventory with a small set of pilot districts this falland a larger pilot in 2017 • Creating a new second grade assessment to monitor students’ progress in early grades • Increasing the number of educators enrolled in or completing state reading courses to 3,200 educators • Sharing vision for elementary reading proficiency developed by Early Literacy Council • Partnering with over 80 districts on the Read to be Ready coaching initiative • Awarded 20 Read to be Ready Summer Grants; each region received at least one grant to fund summer instructional programs.

8. Early Foundations & Literacy Sharing vision for elementary reading proficiency developed by Early Literacy Council

9. High School & Bridge to Postsecondary Preparing significantly more students for postsecondary completion • Offering department’s elective ACT preparation course in 100 high schools across 50 districts in 2016-17. • Expanding access to early postsecondary courses by • reducing fees and increasing training for Advanced Placement courses, • increasing the number of students that dual enroll in TCATs, and • expanding dual credit options • Creating foundation to accurately track early postsecondary credit and industry certifications through new partnerships with the Tennessee Board of Regents, TCATs, and industry certification groups. • Launched the Career Forward Task Force, composed of business, education, and community leaders, to explore ways to better engage students in their academic preparation, personal development, and workplace readiness. 

10. High School & Bridge to Postsecondary Launched the Career Forward Task Force

11. All Means All Providing individualized support and opportunities for all students, with a focus on those who are furthest behind • Delivering RTI2 training to high school staffin preparation for RTI2 in high schools in the upcoming school year • Revisiting RTI2 training and requirements in department’s cross-division Tier I working group to highlight best practices and develop new ways to ensure that schools remain focused on solid Tier I/core instruction • Distributed human capital reports highlighting patterns around teacher quality and equitable access to highly effective teachers • Kicked off Student Advisory Council meetingsto help the department better understand the challenges facing all types of students as they chart their paths through high school and beyond

12. All Means All • Student Advisory Council meetings • Led by department staff kicked off this spring • Helped the department better understand the challenges facing all types of students as they progress through high school

13. All Means All Quotes from students: Student Advisory Council meetings • “[I would like to see] more honors classes and college credit classes. We only have a few. Like you can't even take any as a freshman.” • “Sometimes you as an individual could understand something very well but the majority of the class doesn't. The whole class will be staying on that subject until everyone gets it. That should be addressed more. More personalized.” • “This is kind of out there, but I'd like to see more communications between schools because I feel like at [my school] we're in our own little world.” • “I would have to say that every single teacher in our school has a personal relationship with at least one student in their group.  Every teacher has at least somebody that they will help out with something.”

14. Educator Support Supporting the preparation and development of an exceptional educator workforce • Provided additional flexibility for teacher evaluation composite • Expanding portfolio assessment options to more districts and more subject areas, including pre-K and kindergarten teachers • Testing incentive programs that differentiate salaries, including the Tennessee Teacher Leader Network,throughout the state • Pairing teachers in an increasing number of schools through the Instructional Partnership Initiativeto provide data-based opportunities for personalized professional learning • Launched the Governor’s Academy for School Leadership for 24 assistant principals and the Transformational Leadership Council to guide the state’s direction across multiple leadership initiatives.

15. Educator Support In 2014–15, an expanded Instructional Partnership Initiative pilot welcomed 93 schools across the state. Below are findings comparing IPI schools to non-IPI schools: • Students in IPI schools scored significantly higher on TCAP than students in non-IPI schools. • Teachers improved their TVAAS scores, were more likely to feel supported by school leadership and more likely to view evaluations as fair and focused on improving their practice. • For teachers with low evaluation scores, participating in a partnership increased their students' TCAP scores by 12 points relative to those of similar teachers in non-IPI schools • Administrators in IPI schools were more likely to feel appreciated for their job than those in non-IPI schools. • Schools in IPI saw improvements to school culture and increases in morale.

16. Educator Support Supporting the preparation and development of an exceptional educator workforce • Provided additional flexibility for teacher evaluation composite • Expanding portfolio assessment options to more districts and more subject areas, including pre-K and kindergarten teachers • Testing incentive programs that differentiate salaries, including the Tennessee Teacher Leader Network,throughout the state • Pairing teachers in an increasing number of schools through the Instructional Partnership Initiativeto provide data-based opportunities for personalized professional learning • Launched the Governor’s Academy for School Leadership for 24 assistant principals and the Transformational Leadership Council to guide the state’s direction across multiple leadership initiatives.

17. Educator Support • 24 assistant principalsare participating in the inaugural Governor’s Academy for School Leadership. • In addition, the department has launched the Transformational Leadership Council to guide the state’s direction across multiple leadership initiatives.

18. District Empowerment Providing districts with the tools and autonomy they need to make the best decisions for students • Added chronic absenteeism and teacher equity data, and district BEP funding to ePlan to better supports districts’ planning and funding processes • Launched the $5 laptop program,allowing districts to provide students with state-of-the-art laptops for a low cost • Working with 23 districtsto offer a pilot for Algebra I and Integrated Math I, which use principles of personalized learning and blended learning • Launched first district networked improvement communities (NICs) in Upper Cumberland and East Tennessee, with seven districts taking part • Focus of NICs is on innovation and improvement in early literacy

19. District Empowerment • Kicked off the first district networked improvement community • Upper Cumberland and East Tennessee regions, with seven districts taking part in new collaboration • Aimed at spurring innovation and improvement in early literacy

20. Assessment Update

21. Partnership with Questar • Based in Apple Valley, Minnesota and founded in 1976 • History of success with other states • Mississippi, New York, Indiana, Missouri • Proven to work on developing assessments quickly and at scale • Online platform is user-friendly and continuously improving • Focus on high-quality scoring that provides useful, timely feedback • History of including teachers in item development

22. 2016-17 Assessment Changes • Students will spend about 30% less time taking state tests • Single testing window towards the end of the school year • Part I eliminated for all TCAPtests • Partnership with vendor to ensure scores are timely and meaningful to students, parents, and educators • Students will take the test in a series of shorter subparts • Social Studies test in grades 3-8 will be a field test • Computer-based testing will be phased in over the next three years

23. Overview: ESSA in Tennessee

24. Stakeholder Feedback

25. ESSA State Plan - Overarching Goal To develop a Tennessee-specific ESSA state plan, aligned with the department’s strategic plan and informed by meaningful consultation with stakeholder groups.

26. Timeline for Developing TN’s ESSA Plan Stakeholder Feedback Approving the Plan Stakeholder Input Kick-off Writing the Plan May 2016 Dec. 2016–Jan. 2017 Feb.–March.2017 June–Sept.2016 Sept.–Nov. 2016 Stakeholders will include directors of schools, principals, educators, parents and students, legislators, governor’s office, state board of education, school board members, CORE offices, community organizations, and advocacy groups.

27. ESSA State Plan Working Groups • Six working groups: • Accountability • Standards and Assessment • English Learners • Educator Support and Effectiveness • Student Support • School Improvement • Working groups are comprised of individuals who are • Geographically diverse • Represent multiple stakeholder groups • Representative of both policy and practitioner points of view

28. Other Opportunities for Input • ESSA working lunch on Thursday • Received about 300 comments through online feedback form • Many of the current task forces and advisory committees will be hosting input/feedback sessions: • Career Forward Task Force • Teacher Advisory Council • Governor’s Teachers Cabinet • SWD Advisory Council • CPM Advisory Committee • Personalized Learning Task Force • Assessment Task Force 2.0 • TSBARegional Meetings • TOSS • Urban League • StudentsFirst • SCORE • TEA and PET • TASL and TLA