STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review
ing schools and create a new staterun Achievement School District
(ASD). Before the 2012-13 school
year, the ASD engaged in work to
finalize its management strategy and
build capacity. Early programmatic
efforts included co-managing a
subset of ASD-eligible schools with
their home district and assigning
field staff to all ASD-eligible schools
to develop interventions.
Currently, the ASD has two main
roles. First, the ASD serves as an
STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section I: Year in Review
operator, directly managing schools
in the bottom 5 percent statewide.
Second, the ASD has the authority to authorize organizations to
open charter schools to assist in
turnaround efforts. In Fall 2012,
the ASD began directly managing
three schools in Memphis. Additionally, Gestalt Community Schools,
Cornerstone Prep, and LEAD Public
Schools converted three additional
schools in Memphis and Nashville
to charter schools. The state plans
to add 12 additional schools to the
ASD in 2013-14 and 17 more in
2014-15 for a total of 35 schools.
These schools will either be directly
managed by the ASD or converted
into charters.
In Spring 2012, the state awarded
grants to establish Innovation Zones
in Memphis and Nashville. Innovation Zones offer these districts flexibility to make financial, programmatic, staffing, and time allocation
decisions in low performing schools.
Overview of School Turnaround Initiatives
2012-2013
Change
2013-2014
Change
2014-2015
ASD
6 schools
+ 12
18 schools
+17
35 schools
LEA Innovation
Zones
9 schools
+9
18 schools
+12
28 schools
SIG turnarounds
35 schools
LEA-led turnaround
35 schools
-2
35 schools
-21
-13
22 schools
14 schools
-14
0 schools
Source: Tennessee’s ESEA Waiver Request, November 2011.
Because schools may transition out
of the ASD after five years, it is crucial that the ASD teams work closely
with the schools’ home districts to
ensure a smooth transition back.
Additionally, the state should ensure
that efforts are underway to study
the effects of the ASD and Innovation Zones so that best practices
can be highlighted and shared with
other districts undergoing turnaround efforts.
Public Charter Schools
The number of public charter
schools in the state has increased
significantly in the past several
years, following significant legislative changes. Three significant
changes to public charter school
laws were enacted in 2011 and went
into effect in 2012. First, the state
legislature lifted eligibility requirements to allow any student within a
33
charter’s zone to attend—a policy
known as open enrollment. Second,
the legislature removed the cap on
the number of charters that can be
opened in the state. Third, the ASD
began its inaugural year as a charter
school authorizer for those schools
identified in t