Department of Education, local school districts, and
school leaders should also protect instructional time
as they transition to new interim assessments.
Educators and policymakers should remain committed to
Ensure Stability in Statewide Assessments. The
full implementation in the coming academic year.
Tennessee General Assembly should maintain
stability in Tennessee’s assessments, providing
Assessments provide educators with important
educators with adequate time to implement the
information that helps guide their instruction and
state’s standards and prepare students for success
improve student learning. As Tennessee transitions to
on the TNReady assessment. During the 2016
TNReady, students, teachers, principals, and district
legislative session, the General Assembly should
leaders must receive clear and consistent information.
refrain from advancing any legislation that would
Educators and families also need resources to
alter the timeline for implementation of TNReady.
support implementation of the assessment and
Tennessee’s transition to higher standards in 2010
timely, actionable information about student
was an important step toward ensuring all Tennessee
progress toward college readiness after students
students graduate from high school prepared for
take the assessment. In addition, many districts will
postsecondary education and the workforce. Since
transition to new interim assessments as a result
the implementation of higher standards, educators
of the transition to TNReady. Local school districts,
across the state made significant shifts in their
with the support of the Tennessee Department of
instruction to meet the needs of their students,
Education, should ensure their interim assessments
and students rose to the challenge. Since 2011,
align with Tennessee’s State Standards and provide
there are 131,000 more students proficient in math
educators accurate feedback on student progress
and nearly 60,000 more students are proficient in
toward mastery of those standards. The Tennessee
science.156 In the 2015-16 school year, Tennessee will
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