High Priority Schools Make Improvements

The State Department of Education says test scores from the spring show across the board improvements in Tennessee schools.

Every school district on a list for failing to meet benchmarks under the No Child Left Behind law has managed to strengthen their weak areas and show progress. Those districts include Bedford, Davidson, Madison, Robertson and Murfreesboro City Schools.

About a third of the individual schools on that high priority list have improved enough to get off the list. Two of those schools, Middle College and Franklin High, are in Williamson County.

Dr. Connie Smith, state Director of Accountability, says all this news is good, but there’s more that needs to be done. This year, the department will focus on reading, that’s where test results across the state took the biggest hit.

“Reading is the main area. It’s our main target. You fix the reading problem and science and math, etc.”

Some reading specialists may be placed in schools where students aren’t performing well. Smith says economically disadvantaged kids, disabled, and English-language learners are still the groups struggling the most.