STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section II: Education Priorities
STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Section II: Education Priorities
Hamblen County Schools
Technology in the Classroom
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The most prominent evidence of Hamblen’s technology focus can be found in the classroom. Take for
example Manley Elementary’s audio/video enhancement room, funded with Race to the Top money.
Here, Stephanie Dallmann’s English Language Learner students can be observed grappling with
different tasks aligned to the Common Core State Standards, already in place at Manley a year
ahead of the state department’s schedule. The 360-degree camera fixed to the ceiling and
voice amplifier attached to Ms. Dallmann’s neck pipe the lesson through a live stream to
Principal Debbie Dickenson’s office. Not only does this provide an opportunity for principals to review teacher performance and make informed recommendations for improvement, it also serves as a professional development tool for the entire district:
all recordings are archived in the system, and exemplary lessons are posted on
the district website for teachers and administrators to view.
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Hamblen County Schools, a rural, high-poverty district in East Tennessee serving a population that includes 12 percent
English-language learners, has not let demographic challenges stand in the way of success, even as expectations for
education have risen statewide. “The rules of the game have changed in education in Tennessee and across our country,” Superintendent Dr. Dale Lynch said, “and I’m proud of the fact that we can say in Hamblen County our students
and our teachers have risen to meet those expectations.” While great teaching, strong leadership, and concerted
efforts to increase student access to rigorous courses have all contributed to Hamblen’s inspiring achievement
gains, the district’s forward-thinking integration of technology also stands out as a driver of student learning.
As a member of the Northeast Tennessee College and Career Ready
Consortium, Hamblen County has taken full advantage of the opportunities to expand students’ access to rigorous coursework and effective teachers through the use of distance-learning technologies. The distance-learning classroom at Morristown-Hamblen
High School East, for example, uses video-conferencing software
to live-broadcast its German classes to a classroom of students enrolled remotely at Greeneville High School. In return Morristown East
receives Latin classes from another Northeast Tennessee high school.
Morristown West High School receives Physics instruction for its students
via distance learning from the University of Tennessee, and will share AP Economics with the consortium in the spring. Additionally, East and West use distance-learning classrooms for ACT prep classes with one school providing the math
teacher and the other school providing the English teacher. “It started with raising
expectations for our middle school students,” Dr. Lynch said. “And now, it’s enabled us
to provide more opportunities.” And that means more students get access to the rigorous
courses they deserve.
Hamblen has demonstrated a diversified approach to funding technology infrastructure through
additional grant procurement. The new STEM Center at Morristown East was made possible by the
state’s Qualified School Construction Bond (QSCB), which funds infrastructure expansion in schools. Dr.
Robert Gant, science teacher and resident STEM expert, explains that the new infrastructure at Morristown
East has opened doors for all students—providing those interested in accelerated science courses with the
opportunity to work on real-world, grant-funded projects in addition to capturing the interest of th ose students
who are typically intimidated by science. Bio-energy and bio-fuels research, reverse engineering of a model rocket,
and growing algae for human food product are just a few of the dynamic opportunities available to students. Dr.
Gant explains that “the essence of learning” is in allowing students to “find an outlet for rigor that drives them with
an internal motivation, a desire to reach out and use this knowledge, and a context which they themselves could never
have envisioned before they stepped in the classroom.”
The results are hard to ignore. In just five years, Hamblen County has gone from offering five AP classes to nearly 20—
such that AP enrollments now account for 39 percent of all high school course enrollments. It’s no surprise, then, that
Hamblen has earned the status of AP honor district based on the increase in AP test takers and average score, one
of only four such districts in the state. It is clear that the visionary leadership of central office staff and their innovative
prioritizing of technology have played a significant role in vaulting Hamblen County Schools to the top of the 2012
SCORE Prize competition.
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