STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Glossary
including facilities and resources,
professional development, school
and teacher leadership, and time
for collaborative instructional planning. The TELL Tennessee Survey
was given in 2011 and will be given
again in 2013
Tennessee Academy for School
Leaders (TASL) – TASL provides
professional learning for principals,
assistant principals, and instructional
supervisors. Participation includes
an induction academy for beginning
leaders and 28 hours of TASL-approved professional learning within
two years.
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) – The
Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) is a collection
of criterion-referenced achievement
tests designed to evaluate the levels
of students’ proficiency in reading/
language arts, math, science and
social studies. Among the assessments are the Achievement Test
(grades 3-8), the Writing assessment
(grades 5, 8, and 11), the End-ofCourse tests (grades 9-12), and college readiness exams (grades 8, 10,
and 11). Districts may also choose to
administer TCAP assessments in selected subjects to students in grades
K-2. There are four proficiency levels
on the TCAP: below basic, basic,
proficient, and advanced.
STATE OF EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE: 2012-2013 – Glossary
ress or growth rates of individual
students and groups of students
from year to year. TVAAS scores are
based on multiple measures, including TCAP examinations.
Tenure – Tenure is a status where
employees are hired on a permanent basis without periodic contract renewals. Tennessee law was
changed in 2011 to enable districts
to grant tenure to teachers after
a five-year probationary period if
teachers have demonstrated a certain level of effectiveness, based, in
part, on student achievement.
Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) – TVAAS is
a measure of the effect a district or
school has on the academic prog-
“
Whether we succeed or fail in this
work over the next few years will have
significant implications in the lives of
the next generation of Tennesseans.
“
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