Bartlett, Arlington and Lakeland post improved TCAP scores

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The new municipal school districts overall outperformed state gains on TCAP and end-ofcourse exams students took this spring. The notable exception is Millington Municipal Schools. Besides trailing the state, students in grades 3-8 lost ground in each tested subject — including significant drops in reading.

But the biggest blow is the 17 percentage points it lost in Algebra I proficiency, a fact that means nearly half the freshman class (47.6 percent) cannot do beginning algebra.

“Our schools have had challenges comparing accountability proficiency data from the 201314 school year (when our schools were still part of the Shelby County Schools) to the 2014-15 year,” said Supt. David Roper.

With new attendance zones, transfers from other schools and the elimination of a modified test for students with mild disabilities, “we naturally expected unusual data results,” Roper said.

Children in grades 3-8 there lost more than 7 percentage points in reading. Overall, nearly 60 percent of children (57.9 percent) cannot read at grade level in the suburb.

The other municipal districts posted strong showings. Arlington, Bartlett and Lakeland (with one school) made gains in every subject. Bartlett City Schools racked up 15.9 and 12.7 percentage gains in Algebra I and II. Arlington followed with 15.2 point bump in Algebra I and 13.3 in Algebra II.

“I am pleased with the foundation we are building in Bartlett City Schools,” said Supt. David Stephens, “and the hard work of our teachers, students and families this past school year.”

While Bartlett students made a 3.6-point gain in chemistry, 63.8 percent of its students did not pass the high school exam.

Collierville has the largest percentage of students proficient in the most subjects, including seven where 80 to 90 percent of children performed at the highest levels. But the district’s reading scores fell 1.1 percent this year in grades 3-8. It also made only small gains in Algebra I and negligible progress in elementary science.

While Supt. John Aitken praised teachers for their work, he noted there was room for improvement. “We will face those opportunities and find ways to ensure student learning is taking place at a high level.

Germantown, which also has high levels of proficiency, lost ground in English III and elementary science.

The state exams given this spring were based on standards the state used before it began teaching the Common Core State Standards more than four years ago. Next spring, the exams will change to reflect the state’s TNReady curriculum, approved by the General Assembly last session. Instead of multiple-choice questions, the new tests will have essay questions and short-answer responses.

School districts are also expected to administer the tests online next spring for the first time.

All districts are expected to see declines in scores until teachers and students adjust. In districts like Millington, where more than half of students in grades 3-8 lack proficiency in math and reading, the change could have deeper repercussions.

While high school students in Millington beat state gains in English II and English III, they fared worse in every other subject. School board chairman Greg Ritter said he would see the scores when the board discusses them at its next meeting.

Roper intends to “aggressively target reading and language arts” in the coming year, plus work to strengthen high school math programs.

“We also plan to address deficit areas with our students with disabilities as we go forward to implement the new more rigorous standards and the new state testing instrument,” he said.

Last year, about 16,000 special education students with mild disabilities took the written TCAP test without modification for the first time. Roughly 65 to 70 percent of students who qualify for special education services have what are considered mildly handicapping conditions, including learning disabilities and hyperactivity disorders.