A Guide For Policymakers 2016 - 17 | Page 47

mathematics ), fine arts , enhanced rigor ( e . g ., International Baccalaureate ), or career and vocational education .
National Assessment of Educational Progress ( NAEP ): Also known as “ the Nation ’ s Report Card ,” NAEP is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics in the subject areas of mathematics , reading , science , writing , the arts , civics , economics , geography , and U . S . history . Exams are administered every two years to representative samples of students in grades 4 , 8 , and 12 , and provide common metrics to indicate levels of student proficiency across states and selected urban districts .
Race to the Top ( RTTT ): Race to the Top is a federal competitive grant program focusing on four key areas of reform : standards and assessments that prepare students for college and career ; building data systems to measure student growth and inform teachers and students ; recruiting , developing , rewarding , and retaining effective teachers and leaders ; and turning around the lowest-achieving schools . RTTT funds are awarded to states and allocated at the state and district level . Tennessee was one of two first-round recipients of a RTTT grant , securing an award of $ 501 million . In 2012 , the U . S . Department of Education announced a Race to the Top competition for districts .
Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Program : State law requires that all approved teacher preparation programs in Tennessee be evaluated annually based on the placement and retention rates , Praxis II scores , and teacher effect data of their graduates . As part of the state ’ s First to the Top initiatives , the Tennessee Higher Education Commission has made improvements to the report card .
Response to Intervention and Instruction ( RTI 2 ): RTI 2 focuses on high-quality instruction and interventions that are tailored to individual student needs and where instructional decisions are made based on student outcome data on high-quality assessments . It is a three-tiered model with progressively more intense interventions provided to students who are not showing growth in general instruction or in response to initial interventions . Student progress is monitored regularly through research-based assessments , ensuring that instructional decisions and decisions to intervene are made based on student data .
Science , Technology , Engineering , and Mathematics ( STEM ): STEM is a common acronym for the fields of study of science , technology , engineering , and mathematics . Additionally , STEM education is about incorporating technology in the classroom to enhance learning . STEM is often discussed as an area in need of improvement and growth to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce .
State Salary Schedule : Tennessee ’ s State Salary Schedule for teachers is a minimum salary amount determined by years of experience teaching and professional degrees earned . A first-year teacher with a bachelor ’ s degree can earn a minimum $ 29,680 according to the salary schedule .
Statewide Longitudinal Data System ( SLDS ): State Longitudinal Data Systems are intended to enhance the ability of states to manage , analyze , and utilize education data by pooling data from K-12 sources or even P-20W ( early learning through college and the workforce ). The end goal of SLDS is to enable states , districts , schools , educators , and other stakeholders to make data-driven decisions to improve student learning and outcomes . Tennessee received a federal grant in 2006 to develop a longitudinal data system .
Summative Assessments : Summative assessments are given at the end of instructional units or school years to evaluate students ’ progress toward mastery on a set of academic standards . State standardized assessments such as TCAPs or EOCs are examples of summative assessments given in Tennessee . Formative assessments are used to monitor student learning throughout the school year .
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 of Course 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 .
TNReady : TNReady is Tennessee ’ s statewide annual assessment for English language arts , math , science , and social studies and is taken by students in grades 3-11 . TNReady , first administered in 2015-16 , is part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program . The assessment is aligned with Tennessee academic standards and includes a mix of item types to better measure student understanding , including essay and short-answer questions , multi-step math problems , and multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions .
Tennessee Promise : The Tennessee Promise is a scholarship and mentoring program that provides a lastdollar scholarship for high school graduates seeking a
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