On Thursday, the State Board of Education Released its fifth annual Educator Preparation Report Card, which evaluates educator preparation programs (EPPs) in Tennessee on teacher candidate preparedness; the 2020 Report Card includes modified metrics to account for COVID-19 related data challenges while still prioritizing rigorous educator preparation. Established in state law, the Educator Preparation Report Card is an annual report designed to track metrics across Tennessee’s public, private, and alternative EPPs. By assessing EPPs’ performance in teacher effectiveness, employment outcomes, and recruitment of diverse candidates, the State Board’s Report Card aims to ensure every Tennessee student is taught by a well-prepared educator. Certain metrics in the Report Card, such as performance on licensure examinations and measures of teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom, are mandated in state law. Other metrics, such as candidate diversity and the percentage of candidates pursuing endorsements in high-demand fields, are included on the Report Card as key priorities highlighted by the State Board. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, limited the availability of data regarding teacher effectiveness during the 2019-20 school year.

On Thursday, the Executive Director of the State Board of Education, Dr. Sara Morrison, released the reports of her findings on the charter application appeal for Gaffney Athletic Preparatory Academy (GAPA); her recommendation to the State Board is to affirm Monroe County Schools’ decision to deny the charter school’s amended application. Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) § 49-13-108 allows a sponsor whose amended application has been denied by a local board of education to appeal that decision to the State Board of Education. Pursuant to T.C.A. § 49-13-108 and State Board Policy 2.500, State Board staff and an independent charter application review committee conducted a de novo, on the record review of the amended application under appeal as well as a virtual public hearing with representatives of GAPA and Monroe County Schools. Upon receipt of the appeal from GAPA in June 2020, State Board staff began their review process, which included an examination of the documentation included in the notice of appeal and Monroe County School’s decision to deny the amendment petition.

History is more than just facts and dates found in the dusty pages of old textbooks. It teaches us how events and decisions have shaped the world in which we live. Now, as the COVID-19 crisis continues to alter the way we live, learn, work, and play, Tennessee students are experiencing first-hand the events that will be recorded in future history textbooks. When teaching middle school social studies, I used history to help students learn the importance of their voice and how to productively get involved in the issues they care about. Social studies shows how civics, geography, economics, and government work together to shape the society in which we live.

The Tennessee State Board of Education is inviting the public to provide feedback and comments on the proposals to revise the state’s K-12 mathematics academic standards through May 22, 2020, at 12 PM CT. All Tennesseeans are invited to review the revised math standards through the public review survey. Public comments and feedback will be considered by the Standards Recommendation Committee before the math standards are finalized and submitted to the State Board of Education for approval. These revisions to the math standards were developed by three advisory teams composed of Tennessee K-12 and university educators split between three grade bands: K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Following this review, several educators from each grade band team reviewed the standards for coherence and consistency through all grade levels. On the survey, participants will be able to see the original academic standards and the proposed revisions as they provide feedback.

Last week, the State Board of Education convened for a special called electronic meeting to enact emergency rules governing graduation requirements for Tennessee’s high school seniors and other necessary rule changes in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. Pursuant to Public Chapter 652 of 2020, the State Board of Education was tasked by the General Assembly with approving emergency rules to address the special circumstances created by the statewide closure of schools. These rules were developed by State Board staff in close consultation with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). Feedback was solicited from numerous stakeholder organizations including the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents, the Tennessee School Boards Association, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, and other valued partners. The emergency rules made the following changes:

Today, the State Board of Education announced that the Board will convene a special called electronic meeting April 9th at 2:00 PM CDT to enact emergency rules governing K-12 graduation requirements for Tennessee’s high school seniors in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis. “Our Board takes our responsibility to students, educators, and districts very seriously, especially in times such as these,” said Ms. Lillian Hartgrove, chair of the State Board of Education. “Our members and staff are standing by to make this process as smooth and transparent as possible under these circumstances.” During the special called meeting, members of the Board will also address guidance regarding licensure issuance for teacher candidates set to complete their educator preparation programs during the 2019-2020 school year. Current educator preparation rules require student teachers to obtain 15 weeks of classroom teaching time. However, school closures across the state may prohibit teacher candidates from completing these requirements. “The State Board of Education serves as a bridge between the state legislature and local school districts,” said Ms. Hartgrove. “We will work to clarify expectations as set forth in the statute so that every school district understands the expectations for this unprecedented school year.”

In its newly enhanced Educator Preparation Report Card, the State Board identified nine educator preparation providers (EPPs) as exceeding expectations in their preparation of the state’s future teachers and school leaders. “Our latest report card shows us that more educator preparation programs are meeting or even exceeding expectations in their work to prepare our state’s future teachers,” said Dr. Sara Morrison, executive director of the State Board of Education. “As we continue our partnership with program providers, we look forward to continuing to raise the bar on how we define successful educator preparation in Tennessee.”

Teachers are the heart of every successful school. Every day, teachers dedicate their time and energy to prepare the next generation for success in college and the world beyond. To meet that challenge, teachers must be well versed in the content they’re covering, the best ways to deliver it, and the science of learning and connection. In Tennessee, we want to make sure every teacher has the chance to master those skills, no matter how they reach the classroom. People assume that nearly all teachers arrive on the job after earning a four-year undergraduate degree in education. But in reality, there are many different ways to earn a teaching certificate, which reflect the diversity and flexibility of our education system. There are more than 40 educator preparation providers in Tennessee, giving people many options for transferring their drive and talent into the teaching profession. It’s especially important that mid-career professionals — people with experience in other fields from biology, computer science, to welding — can get the added training they need to bring real-world expertise to our students.

This morning, the State Board of Education’s Executive Director, Dr. Sara Morrison, released the report of her findings regarding the charter agreement amendment appeal submitted by Nashville Classical Charter School (NCCS); in her report, Dr. Morrison recommends that members of the State Board overturn the Metro Nashville Board of Education’s denial of a charter amendment petition for NCCS. Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) § 49-13-110 and State Board emergency rule 0520-14-01-.06 allow a charter school to appeal the denial of a charter amendment petition to the State Board of Education. In order to overturn the decision of the local board of education, the State Board must find that the local board’s decision to deny the charter amendment petition was contrary to the best interests of the students, local education agency (LEA), or community.

Next month, the Tennessee State Board of Education will release the annual Educator Preparation Report Card with new enhancements and user tools. By law, the State Board is required to produce an annual report card on the performance benchmarks of educator preparation providers (EPPs). The enhanced interface allows users to filter data by EPP type, location, and the endorsement areas offered.

Next month, the members of the Tennessee State Board of Education (SBE) will meet for its first quarterly meeting and workshop of 2020, where they will recognize Tennessee’s 2019 Blue Ribbon and ESEA Distinguished Schools. Blue Ribbon schools are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for their overall academic excellence or progress in closing achievement gaps among student groups. The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) recognizes ESEA Distinguished Schools for their student achievement gains as a result of collaborative and targeted efforts and innovations.

When we discuss or debate education policy, our students with special needs are seldom the first priority. Given that the majority of students are served through general education in traditional classrooms, it is very easy for special education to get lost in the mix. How then do we ensure that our most vulnerable students receive the support and services they need to achieve in their academic life? A study by Hechinger Report in 2017 suggested that "up to 90 percent of students with disabilities are capable of graduating high school fully prepared to tackle college or a career if they receive proper support along the way."