By ERIK SCHELZIG
Associated Press
NASHVILLE (AP) — Proficiency levels are up in all but one of 24 of the latest assessment tests of elementary and middle students, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Tuesday.
The Republican governor credited the state’s recent emphasis on improving education standards for the improved test results of students in grades three through eight.
“We are making efforts on a broad front,” Haslam said. “There is a renewed focus on teaching in Tennessee, and I think our teachers get a lot of credit for that.”
On the whole, about half of the students tested at their grade level or above in reading and math, while 60 percent were proficient in science. That’s the equivalent of about 55,000 more students achieving proficient scores in reading and 38,000 more in science than two years ago, according to education officials.
The governor acknowledged that despite the improving scores in the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests, the remaining half of students fail to reach proficiency in math or reading.
“It concerns me, and that’s why we’re pushing so hard to make the kind of changes we’re making,” he said.
Haslam said the state has set a goal of annual improvements of 3 percent to 5 percent in the coming years.
“I think that’s very realistic, and obviously I’d like to see more than that,” he said. “It’d be hard for anybody to argue that Tennessee’s not on the right path right now when it comes to education.”
Eighth-grade reading was the only area not to show an improvement over last year.
Tuesday’s announcement did not include district or school-level data.
Former Sen. Jamie Woodson, president and CEO of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, said the results show Tennessee’s education standards are moving in the right direction.
“We have a tremendous amount of work to do, but I think it’s important to celebrate moments like these,” said the former Republican state senator from Knoxville.
Woodson’s group earlier this month released the findings of a study of the state’s new teacher evaluation standards that was commissioned by the governor in response to mounting criticism among educators and lawmakers.
The report recommended that the two-thirds of teachers in subjects or grades without specific testing data be allowed to reduce the proportion that school-wide scores count in their evaluations.
Haslam said Tuesday that he will wait to see the state Education Department’s recommendations around the middle of next month before deciding which changes to pursue.

Published in The Messenger 6.27.12