Business and Philanthropic Community
1. Be a strong voice for education reform efforts and the Tennessee
Diploma Project.
2. Invest in SCORE’s five-year implementation plan.
3. Invest in expanding programs focused on recruiting high-quality
candidates into teaching, especially in hard-to-staff schools
and hard-to-staff subjects (e.g., Teach for America, The New
Teacher Project, Teach Tennessee, Distinguished Professionals,
Chattanooga / Knoxville / Memphis Teacher Residencies, UTeach,
Math and Science Scholarships).
4. Invest in expanding high performing schools, including highperforming charter schools.
5. At the request of the Tennessee Department of Education,
school districts, and individual schools, provide advice on
business management principles to state, district, and school
administrators.
6. Encourage your employees to volunteer in their local school,
use your employee newsletter to emphasize the importance of
education, and provide special recognition for excellent teachers
(e.g., awards, coupons).
Faith-based and Community
Organizations
1. Encourage a culture of high expectations for students, educators,
and schools in your area. Emphasize that no matter a child’s
background, they can succeed. Underscore the importance of
the Tennessee Diploma Project in setting high expectations for
students.
2. Craft before-school, after-school, weekend and summer programs
with the state and district’s academic goals and standards
in mind.
3. Support school systems and be a resource for parents and families.
Local non-profits can help a school meet the emotional, physical,
and social needs of its students and their parents.
4. One non-profit should take the lead on developing a network of
non-profits, higher education institutions, school districts, and
Tennessee Department of Education programs that are currently
assisting students in applying to postsecondary institutions. This
network should provide these programs with opportunities to
share best practices, resources, and training opportunities.
School Boards
1. Create high expectations for every employee and student in your
district. Believe that every child can succeed and make sure
everyone in the district believes the same.
2. Develop a district strategic plan and connect mandated district
and school improvement plans with this strategic plan. The
district’s strategic plan, guided by a strong mission statement,
should ultimately lead to improved instruction, student learning,
and student achievement.
3. Create policies for your district that are consistent with your
strategic plan. Leave the implementation and management of
these policies to your superintendent, but hold your superintendent
accountable for improving student achievement.
4. Pass a resolution supporting the higher standards of the Tennessee
Diploma Project to illustrate your commitment to working over
time to ensure students meet these standards. Communicate the
importance of these standards within your district and to the
general public.
5. Make it a priority to recruit, develop, support and retain highly
effective principals and teachers.
6. Use data to inform all your policy decisions and help all employees
in your district do the same.
Superintendents
1. Create high expectations for every employee and student in your
district. Believe that every child can succeed and make sure
everyone in the district believes the same.
2. Develop a district strategic plan and connect mandated district
and school improvement plans with this strategic plan. The
district’s strategic plan, guided by a strong mission statement,
should ultimately lead to improved instruction, student learning,
and student achievement.
3. Ensure all principals, teachers, and guidance counselors in your
district have opportunities to learn about the state’s new standards
and provide opportunities for principals and teachers to learn
from one another about how they are implementing these new
standards.
4. Make it a priority to recruit, develop, support and retain highly
effective principals and teachers.
5. Ensure principals have access to high-quality professional
development that teaches them how to provide meaningful
feedback and evaluations to teachers and how to develop
professional learning communities within their schools.
6. Observe principals periodically throughout the year and provide
them with constructive feedback. Provide principals with
meaningful annual evaluations that highlight their strengths and
weaknesses. Meet with principals throughout the year to discuss
their progress.