Approaching Cliff of Higher Standards, Ed Officials Consider Slow Down

Tennessee’s public schools are scheduled to bump up testing standards this fall to align with other states. Education officials say the historic move could have unintended consequences, and they’re now considering a slow down.

What’s been termed the “Diploma Project” would effectively move the goal posts on students. Their schools will appear to be doing far worse than they are now.

Education Commissioner Tim Webb says it’s like a B-student will begin making D’s overnight. But it’s not the appearance of backsliding Webb’s worried about with the switch. It’s the question of what the state will do when dozens of schools, newly classified as failing, all of the sudden require intervention mandated under No Child Left Behind.

“I know as a general idea what ripping the Band-aid off looks like. What we’re asking our folks now to do is to go back and model, what does it look like if you go in over two years as opposed to going immediately.”

Webb says he’s not backing away from the higher standards, just trying to avoid overburdening the Department of Education.

The department has asked federal education officials for leniency, but Webb says he’s gotten no response.

The state board of education will make a decision on whether to slow down implementation of the new, higher testing standards at its meeting July 29th.