High expectations
1. Hamblen County’s leaders embrace high expectations for all students, regardless of their background, and
teachers are universally expected to teach to high standards.
a. What are some of the expectations Hamblen County Schools holds for its students? How does your district maintain
high standards for everyone, while ensuring that the most vulnerable students don’t fall behind?
b. How do leaders in your district communicate their expectations to principals, teachers, students, parents, and the
community?
c. Examine the demographic trends of your district. What will your areas of need be over the next five years? How can
you prepare to address them?
d. How do schools’ standards articulate high expectations in your district? In what ways might school leaders improve
upon the expectations held for faculty, students, and parents?
e. How do teachers convey high expectations in the classroom? What additional policies or practices could teachers
use to convey high expectations?
Priorities
2. Hamblen County Schools has embraced the goal of helping all students become college and career ready. To
help students achieve this goal, the district uses graduation coaches for students beginning in kindergarten and
starts explicitly talking about postsecondary opportunities and options in middle school.
a. How does your district gauge college and career readiness?
b. What programs does your district have in place to prepare all students for success after high school?
Pathways to F