Latest Test Scores Place Rutherford On Top For Student Improvement

New scores meant to show student improvement for the last academic year reveal a wide discrepancy among Nashville-area districts.

There is a complicated equation behind these growth numbers, also
known by the acronym TVAAS. But they’re boiled down to a simple one-to-five scale. And on the whole, Metro got a one, though it did show more improvement in literacy and science roughly on par with the statewide average. School officials say the bright spots reflect some priorities for the district, but they’re largely disappointed with the lack of improvement.

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See TVAAS scores for districts and school-by-school

“Our overall growth is not where we expect it to be,” spokesperson Michelle Michaud says in a written statement. “As we have developed a new strategic plan – which emphasizes teaching more explicitly to our rigorous standards – and aligned our budget to the plan, we anticipate more accelerated growth in all academic areas.”

Robertson County also scored a level 1. And Maury County had ones in all subjects for student growth.

Rutherford County, on the other hand, had all 5s — one of just eight districts across the state. That doesn’t mean the school system had better overall test scores than high-achieving Williamson County. But it does mean its students showed slightly more year-over-year gains. And administrators consider that a better indication of whether a school is doing its job.  

“We are very proud of those results,” district spokesman James Evans says in an email. “Our educators, students and parents should be commended for their hard work and dedication to excellence.”