By Julie Hubbard - THE TENNESSEAN -

The first look at student performance under Tennessee's tougher tests and higher benchmarks showed that both took a toll on scores, but the picture wasn't as grim as education officials feared.

Scores for spring 2010 testing finally emerged Friday after five months of delays that were mostly due to officials' deciding how to calculate them after sweeping education reforms.

Under the new scoring system, about half of Tennessee students in kindergarten through eighth grade read at a level that ensures college success. About a third do math at that level.

Among the state's 1,653 public schools, 76 percent met goals, down from 80 percent last year. The number of schools considered "high priority," meaning they have missed the mark two or more years, rose from 144 in 2009 to 186.

The 2010 report card illustrates two things: Tennessee now knows where its students stand in comparison with the nation, and the state must improve to offer a competitive work force, said David Mansouri, advocacy and communications director for SCORE. The nonprofit, chaired by former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, promotes education reform.

"The key to moving forward is going to be implementing a lot of the policy reforms that came about in the last year," Mansouri said.

The state, once known for easy-to-reach performance goals, aligned them with those of some of the nation's highest performers for the 2010 testing. Hundreds of schools were expected to suffer in the report.

And while many did, state officials say it wasn't the blow they initially expected.

"This is an unusual year, totally unprecedented," Commissioner of Education Bruce Opie said.

Still 'a long way to go'

Classrooms began using tougher curricula in the 2009-10 school year. The state passed more education reform legislation in January 2010 to compete in President Barack Obama's Race to the Top grant program. Tennessee won a half-billion dollars to improve schools.

"We've been going 100 miles an hour ever since," Opie said. "We still have a long way to go because we have upped the ante."

The federal No Child Left Behind law dictates that schools and districts show progress among all groups of students, including those who are disabled, poor or minorities or who speak limited English. Those that don't do so face increasing sanctions for each year of missing the mark.

Benchmarks can't be compared with the previous year's because the state reset the standards, but the new ones show a performance gap.

For elementary and middle school reading, 51 percent of students overall reached new goals, but only 24 percent of those with limited English proficiency did so. Thirty-four percent overall reached math goals, but black students, students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency trailed behind.

"It does look like the achievement gap is widening," Opie said. "This year, teachers were working toward more rigorous standards, and it impacted subgroups differently."

Additional Facts
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
This is the percentage of students in each district who earned scores of “proficient” or “advanced” in this school year’s standardized testing. Those designations mean students are learning on a level to prepare them for success in college.

For a full report on the state plus every district and school, visit www.tn.gov/education/reportcard.

TN 2010 target rates
K-8 math 20%
K-8 reading 32%
9-12 math 25%
9-12 reading 49%

Tennessee statewide
K-8 math 34%
K-8 reading 51%
9-12 math 49%
9-12 reading 70%

Davidson County
K-8 math 27%
K-8 reading 41%
9-12 math 39%
9-12 reading 60%

Williamson County
K-8 math 59%
K-8 reading 76%
9-12 math 72%
9-12 reading 88%

Rutherford County
K-8 math 44%
K-8 reading 63%
9-12 math 55%
9-12 reading 77%

Sumner County
K-8 math 36%
K-8 reading 58%
9-12 math 51%
9-12 reading 76%

Wilson County
K-8 math 35%
K-8 reading 58%
9-12 math 63%
9-12 reading 76%

Source: Tennessee Department of Education