Walkthroughs to assess academic rigor and engagement in classrooms were first conducted in
2010 at Meadowview Middle School, and administrators from throughout the district were trained
to provide feedback to the school. During walkthroughs, students were observed as they completed tasks. The observer listened for questions
and who was asking the questions or responding.
Feedback was later provided to teachers privately
on what was observed. To ensure there was agreement and consistency among observers, group
walkthroughs were conducted and observers compared their feedback and observation scores.
“So That’s What They Mean
By Rigor”
http:/
/www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/So_Thats_What_
They_Mean_By_Rigor.pdf
“Rigor Walk-Through
Research”
http:/
/www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/Rigor_Walk_
Through_Research.pdf
“Examples of Activities at
Rigor Instructional Levels”
http:/
/www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/Examples_of_
Activities_at_Rigor_Instructional_
Levels.pdf
Programs to Promote College and Career Readiness. Hamblen County has embraced the idea
that all students should be prepared for college
and career upon graduation. They believe that the
pathway to college and career readiness begins in
pre-kindergarten and is expressed through a culture of rigorous instruction with high expectations
for student engagement and instruction. Hamblen
County has been very active in implementing a
series of initiatives to reach this goal.
• Hamblen County is part of a network of districts
known as the Northeast Tennessee College and
Career Ready Consortium, which serves approximately 26,100 students from 29 high schools in
the region. Established by the Niswonger Foundation, the consortium procured a $21 million
federal Investing in Innovation (i3) grant in 2010.
The goals of the program include expansion of
dual enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), and
distance learning and online courses. The program also provides college and career counseling resources to every high school student in the
region. The grant has enabled Hamblen County
Schools to offer its advanced content courses to
students in other districts through videoco