Tennessee's Most Effective Schools

Update: see here for an article in the Johnson City Press on the ECF Most Effective Schools initiative.

For the past few years, the Education Consumers Foundation has taken value-added achievement data from the Tennessee State Department of Education and made it available to the public in an intuitive and interactive format. This information, accessed through the Foundation's School Performance Charts, has made it possible for consumers to easily compare the effectiveness of schools and districts across the state.

While the Foundation has been recognizing the principals of a handful of the most effective schools through its Value-Added Achievement Awards, it is now beginning to identify and study the top 20% of schools through its Most Effective Schools Program. These schools are living demonstrations of how Tennessee's educational aspirations can be achieved, and there are at least a few of them in every area of the state. The foundation has already released one report on the practices common to top schools like these; click here to review the study.

Each school receives a certificate recognizing its status, with the Foundation initiating community-wide notices highlighting their accomplishments. Because school effectiveness can be a major draw to individuals and businesses looking to relocate, ECF is also developing plans to highlight the work of these schools through national channels.

In Spring 2008, ECF recognized schools in two areas: Hardin County and Washington County (including Johnson City, a separate district located within the county). Recognized schools from these areas include:

Hardin County

Elementary:

• Walker Elementary, ranked #25 out of 755 elementary schools
• West Hardin Elementary, ranked #118 out of 755 elementary schools

Washington County/Johnson City

Elementary:

• Boones Creek Elementary, ranked #5 out of 755 elementary schools
• Towne Acres Elementary, ranked #100 out of 755 elementary schools
• Woodland Elementary, ranked #106 out of 755 elementary schools

K-8/Middle:

• University School, ranked #4 out of 531 K-8/middle schools
• Fall Branch Elementary, ranked #6 out of 531 K-8/middle schools
• Indian Trail Middle, ranked #11 out of 531 K-8/middle schools
• West View School, ranked #93 out of 531 K-8/middle schools

Economic Development Implications

According to recent reports, only 58% of Tennessee high school graduates are fully prepared for college. Only 55% are ready to enter the workforce. Unless substantially increased, these numbers will significantly impair Tennessee's economic development. Happily, the Tennessee Business Roundtable and the State Board of Education under the leadership of Governor Bredesen have launched a concerted effort to improve these outcomes. 

But there is a caveat. The state improvement program is focused almost exclusively on high schools, which cannot reach their new goals without significant improvements in the number of students who arrive at high school fully prepared to benefit from a rigorous educational experience. In reality, many students are not well prepared. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that only about 25% of Tennessee's entering high school students are "proficient" in math and reading - a number that is approximately 5 points below the national average.

In other words, high school outcomes cannot improve greatly without a higher percentage of elementary and middle schools students who have the basic skills and knowledge necessary to enter a high school curriculum.

In coming weeks, ECF will post a school-by-school list estimating the NAEP-defined preparedness of the freshmen students entering each of Tennessee's high schools. What it will show is that newly set high school graduation and workforce preparedness goals will be far more attainable by some schools than others. 

ECF's Effective Schools Program is designed to address the matter of student preparedness for high school. Tennessee has a substantial number of elementary and middle schools that are doing an exceptional job of lifting individual student achievement and turning out students who are prepared for the next level. Frequently, however, their work is not well known or given the recognition it deserves. 

Through its Effective Schools program, ECF is examining these schools, highlighting their results, identifying their key practices, and encouraging other schools to adopt the methods that make them successful. 

We hope that you'll join with us in recognizing the significant accomplishments of these schools, and that you'll take the time to look at the performance of your own schools and district as you learn more about value-added effectiveness.