Tennessee Administrators’ ESSA-Aligned Guide to Planning for the New School Year
Tennessee Administrators’ ESSA-Aligned Guide to Planning for the New School Year
While school may be out for summer, and many students have turned their thoughts to summer reading or vacations, planning for the new school year is top of mind for district and school administrators. To support you in that process, we've curated a list of our best resources aligned to goals outlined by the TDOE and the Tennessee ESSA plan.
To kick things off, let’s review the specific indicators used for school and district accountability in the state of Tennessee. The elements included and the weighting that has been assigned can both help confirm and guide your program focus.
Boost Academic Achievement and Growth
In Tennessee, achievement is measured via two pathways: absolute achievement (proficiency) or school improvement relative to Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) targets (growth). As you consider your approach to supporting students, utilize the following guides to take a fresh approach to your instructional programs or refine your current practices.
Frequent, standards-based formative assessments are a critical piece of effective data-driven instruction. Our workbook provides a framework for implementing formative assessments throughout the lesson cycle. The planning forms and data-tracking worksheets can be used across multiple subjects and grade levels.
Personalized Learning Workbook
Personalized learning allows educators to meet the varying needs of all learners, improving learning outcomes. This workbook takes the guesswork out of personalized learning by providing a step-by-step plan from development to implementation.
Bring the best parts of online learning and traditional instruction together in a blended learning program. Blended learning programs come in many forms and enable scalable personalized learning. Use this workbook to get your district’s or school's blended learning program started.
It’s a well-known fact that a strong foundation in literacy is key to future academic success in any subject. This workbook evaluates the many facets of structuring an effective, research-based reading and language arts block and helps you select the appropriate technology tools to support your approach. With the kick-off of the “Say Dyslexia Law” this school year, be sure to also visit the Edmentum blog for periodic articles related to reading, literacy, and supporting students with dyslexia.
Drive English–Language Learning Proficiency
The number of ELL students in Tennessee has continued to increase over the past five years. To ensure that this population of learners meets WIDA-recommended annual growth targets on the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0® assessments, planning is essential. The following tools provide strategies for helping all students achieve growth, as well as for meeting the needs of special student populations.
This collection of blog posts addresses topics like back-to-school strategies to support English Language Learners, ways to prepare ELLs for high-stakes assessments, and more.
Special Populations Program Planning Worksheet
Use this worksheet to plan programs to address the needs of special populations of students.
Support Graduation Rates
One of the four central goals that Tennessee outlines in its ESSA plan states: “The majority of high school graduates from the class of 2020 will earn some type of postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree.” Make sure that your school has a credit recovery program in place so that all students can see a path toward graduation.
Our credit recovery worksheet will show you how to set up a new program or enhance your current credit recovery offering.
CTE programs have been shown to increase engagement and improve outcomes for enrolled students. Use our CTE workbook to plan a new program or utilize it as a guide to augment your current one.
Ensure That All Students Become Ready Graduates
The Ready Graduate indicator is intended to drive a statewide focus on readiness for postsecondary, military, and the workforce, as demonstrated through four possible pathways. As you’re considering an approach to helping all students get “ready,” make sure that you have the right curriculum options for your diverse population.
Online curriculum can open up a world of college- and career-focused courses to students that their schools may not otherwise be able to offer, including Advanced Placement®, CTE, SAT®, or ACT® assessment preparation. Our online curriculum guide discusses several different ways that online curriculum can be used, and it even includes a worksheet to guide the process of identifying a provider that meets your needs.
A virtual implementation may help your school or district offer more flexible and expansive course options to serve populations in need. Use this workbook to evaluate if a virtual implementation is the best option for your school and get guidance on developing a program and selecting a digital provider.
Across the country, states like Tennessee are focused on providing early intervention to address deficiencies in student learning. Check out this blog for a breakdown on the state’s expectations for each RTI2 instructional tier and tips for identifying programs to better support educator and student needs and keep an eye on the TN DOE website for the latest updates on this year’s RTI2 Framework Manual.
Reduce Chronic Absenteeism
The impact of students being chronically absent is staggering. As a result, Tennessee is using this metric as 10% of school accountability scoring. Check out the following resources for more helpful information and suggestions on improving student attendance.
How Chronic Absenteeism Affects Student Achievement
This blog post looks at the impacts of chronic absence and includes information on initiatives that aim to move the needle on this growing problem.
The Consequences of Suspension and What Schools Can Do Instead
When it comes to chronic absenteeism, suspension is a big offender in hiking up that rate. As you consider how to keep students in the classroom, taking a hard look at suspension policies is an important step.
5 Alternatives to In-School Suspension
We know that suspension practices often negatively affect absenteeism metrics. Because research confirms that time in the classroom equates to success, you may want to reconsider your current practices.
Looking for online programs to help your school or district improve outcomes for all students? Check out Edmentum's suite of K–12 evidence-based assessments and digital curriculum and see why 8,000 districts nation-wide partner with us.
This blog post was originally published on April 26, 2018.
