Tennessee Schools Recognized for Achievement Updates

News Summary

The Tennessee Department of Education has announced the school district designations for the 2025-2026 academic year, awarding 97 districts the ‘reward school’ status. Among them, 10 districts achieved the ‘Exemplary’ designation, while 10 were identified as ‘In Need of Improvement.’ Local highlights include West Tennessee districts excelling in student performance. The recent TCAP testing results reveal challenges and improvements, particularly within Memphis-Shelby County Schools, with slight gains in proficiency scores across several categories.

Exciting News from the Tennessee Department of Education!

Hey there, folks in Memphis! The Tennessee Department of Education has just released some thrilling updates regarding school district designations for the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year. If you want to know how our local schools stack up, you’ve come to the right place!

Celebrating Our Reward Schools

Let’s jump right in! A whopping 97 school districts across the beautiful state of Tennessee were awarded the prestigious “reward school” designation. Among these, a select 10 districts were honored with an “Exemplary” designation, highlighting their top-notch performance in fostering student success. On the flip side, there were also 10 districts that were labeled as “In Need of Improvement.”

Right here in West Tennessee, we have got some stellar performances to shout about! Four of the districts that received that shiny Exemplary badge are located right here in our neck of the woods. How awesome is that?

How Are Schools Rated?

Now, you may be wondering, what exactly goes into these district designations? The Tennessee Department of Education evaluates schools based on several important indicators that really bounce off the walls of student achievement. These include things like student proficiency rates, accelerated learning opportunities, attendance numbers, preparation for postsecondary success, and—don’t forget!—support for our English learners who are acquiring valuable language skills.

To reach the coveted “Exemplary” status, districts must achieve an impressive overall performance score of 3.1 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Talk about setting the bar high! Schools earning the designation of “Advancing” fall within a score range of 2.1 to 3.1, and believe it or not, 26 districts from West Tennessee made the cut. Meanwhile, nine districts clocked in with a “Satisfactory” label, scoring between 1.1 and 2.1. Fortunately, there were no districts scoring below 1.1—hooray for progress!

Spotlight on Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Now, let’s shift gears and get into the recent TCAP testing assessment results. In our very own Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), the numbers reveal both challenges and encouraging improvements. For instance, only 27.4% of third graders met or exceeded expectations on the ELA exam. This is noticeably lower than the statewide average of 42%. It is important to note that for fourth graders in MSCS, only 29.4% scored at or above expectations, compared to 44% statewide.

However, there is a silver lining! Impressively, proficiency scores saw improvements in eight out of ten categories among MSCS students from 2023 to 2024. For elementary students, ELA scores crept up to 26%, rising from 23.2% last year, while math scores increased from 20.9% to a notable 23.7%. Not bad at all!

As for our middle school students (grades 6-8), they held steady or enjoyed small gains, especially in math, creeping from 12.1% to 14.9%. High school students also added to the uplifting story by improving science proficiency rates from 22.2% to 26%, with ELA rising from 26.6% to 28%.

Overall State Performance

Looking at the bigger picture, the statewide proficiency rate in ELA testing is 39%, with many grades demonstrating gains in performance. Math results showed that 40% of third to eighth graders reached grade-level expectations, highlighted by impressive nearly three-point improvements in both fifth and seventh grades.

The concerted efforts and strategic investments in education across Tennessee have led to this steady growth. And while there’s always room for improvement, one thing is certain: we’re making strides toward a brighter educational future!

Stay tuned for more updates, and let’s continue to support our schools in achieving greatness together!