MEMPHIS, Tenn. — According to new data released Wednesday by the Tennessee Department of Education, 8.1% of Memphis-Shelby County Schools third-grade students improved their scores to 'exceeds' or 'meets' - which is proficient - on the TCAP retake.
The TDOE said 95.6% of MSCS students who did not meet proficiency on the English Language Arts portion of the TCAP the first time retook the test. The 8.1% who improved their scores will be eligible to move on to the fourth grade.
The TDOE said 11.7% of MSCS students improved to ‘approaching’ from ‘below’ in their proficiency, however that does not mean they can move on to fourth grade.
All those who scored as not proficient – which includes ‘approaching’ and ‘below’ – will need to take part in other ‘pathways to fourth grade promotion,’ such as summer schools & camps or tutoring. Parents can also file an appeal if their student scored ‘approaching.’
On Tuesday, May 30th, the Parent Appeals Form opened, and it will close June 30th. The appeal must be submitted to the Tennessee Department of Education within 14 days of receiving the retention decision from their student's school.
“The TCAP retake assessment pathway provides an important opportunity for third grade students identified for potential retention to be able to retest to move directly to fourth grade, and we are proud of students who participated in the retake for exploring this pathway,” said Interim Commissioner Sam Pearcy. “The work and dedication of schools, districts, educators and families across the state made this opportunity possible for our students, and we are glad to see such strong participation in the first year of implementing this law.”
Last month, the TDOE released district-level 2023 TCAP performance averages for 3rd grade English Language Arts (ELA). Find the average scores for each district here. The department also released statewide averages for third grade TCAP ELA scores ahead of previous years’ timelines, which the department said highlighted “historic gains.”
From the TDOE: “Families can find critical timeline information posted on the department’s website and should coordinate with their student’s school to ensure they can make informed decisions about their student’s education. The annual, full TCAP release, including all grades and subjects for state-level and district-level results, will be released in separate announcements later this summer.
For additional information about Tennessee’s third grade acceleration strategy, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/learning-acceleration. For more information on Reading360, visit https://www.tn.gov/education/reading-360.html.”