State releases 2009 Schools Report Card

 In a report released Tuesday, the state changed how it grades local school systems. The standards are tougher, and in some cases, the grades are lower.

"The scores they see on the current year report card more realistically represent where the students are," said Dan Long, executive director of assessment, evaluation, research and e-learning for the Tennessee Department of Education.

The state average for Academic Achievement is a B.

With a new grading system, the Tennessee Department of Education said school systems should be compared to the state to see where they stand.

The new grading system is a way for Tennessee to align with national standards. That means scores considered an A in the past, may now be B's or C's.

In East Tennessee, the lowest grade goes to Campbell County, which earned straight D's for Academic Achievement in grades 3-8 and scored below the state grade in other areas.

Three school systems in East Tennessee earned straight A's in Academic Achievement: Greeneville, Maryville and Oak Ridge.

But those same systems scored low in the category of Academic Growth (Value Added). Greeneville earned D's and an F while Maryville made B's and Oak Ridge earned C's and D's.

With one exception, Knox County Schools earned B's across the board.

"'B's are fine but we're all about A's," Knox County Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre said.

He supports the change in the state report card grading system. "We're measuring ourselves against a higher standard. We're measuring ourselves against meaningful, national, academic standards," McIntyre said.

State educational leaders said Tuesday the new grades are real measures of student achievement, something that hasn't always been true.

"Beginning this school year, when we say a student is proficient, they're really going to be proficient. So we're going to get an A in truth in advertising," said Dr. Connie Smith, assistant commissioner of accountability, teaching, and learning for the Tennessee Department of Education.

The changes establish a new baseline for future comparisons so next year local school systems can measure their progress.

"What the report card shows for Knox County Schools is some solid academic performance, but also I think it shows some room for improvement," McIntyre said.

Knox County showed solid scores in science and social studies with the only C in math.

"It tells us what our strengths and weaknesses are and where we need to focus our energy and resources to make sure we're providing a great education to every child," McIntyre said.

Both the state of Tennessee and Knox County showed a higher percentage of students finishing school. The drop-out rate is down, and graduation rates are up.

For more information and to see the complete report card, click here.