by Senator Reginald Tate -

Special to the Tri-State Defender -

This week you may see a lot about a new education coalition launched by Gov.

Phil Bredesen and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. The two leaders, along with Education Commissioner Tim Webb, are kicking off the First to the Top Coalition, which is comprised of more than 30 business, community and education groups that have joined together to support public education reform in Tennessee.

“That “First to the Top” phrase should be familiar by now: The Tennessee

First to the Top Act of 2010 was the legislation we passed this year that helped Tennessee secure $500 million in federal education funds through the Race to the Top competition. That legislation required some pretty big changes of our education system that will begin with the coming school year.

The coalition’s goals are simple yet daunting: Help guide Tennessee through the education reforms we face over the next few years as we increase standards and better prepare students for the future. Their first task is a big one: Informing students and parents about the increased difficulty of our annual assessment test, TCAP.

Many parents are going to be a little shocked to see their children’s TCAP scores drop this year, the first under the harder test developed as part of the Tennessee Diploma project. In new TCAP reports scheduled to be released to parents this fall, any student who is rated “basic” or “below basic” needs help. Students who are rated “advanced” or “proficient” are on track, academically.

To put it bluntly, we know a drop in scores is coming, but this is where the coalition can help. The coalition is launching a public awareness campaign to explain what the new scores mean and what we can do as parents to help our children improve their grades. Mayor A C Wharton Jr. will be a leader in this movement, which I hope will become a key group in ensuring that our students are ready for the challenges that face them in high school and beyond.

Some may wonder why we need to do this. Simply put, Tennessee’s education standards need to catch up to the rest of the country. In 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – representing America’s top employers – gave the state an ‘F’ for lack of high standards and assessments in the classroom. At that point, our legislative and education leaders knew something had to change. Since then, we created the Tennessee Diploma Project to strengthen TCAP and raise requirements for math and science courses in high school. The students that go through this more rigorous curriculum will be better prepared for college and the workforce, where the need for some sort of postsecondary education continues to increase, no matter the field.

I encourage you to have a conversation with your children about TCAP scores before the new school year starts. Explain to them that you’ll be watching for their new scores once school starts, and that you’ll work together to improve their scores if needed.

The First to the Top Coalition is good news for our students, but the biggest impact on your child’s education starts with you. Let’s get to work.

(Senator Reginald Tate represents portions of Memphis and Shelby County. Contact him at sen.reginald.tate@capitol.tn.gov or 615-741-2509 or 320 War Memorial Building, Nashville, TN 37243-0033.)