Rigorous Academics and Character Education Fuel Success at Dyersburg City SchoolS
Elementary school students at Dyersburg City Schools might find themselves , in the middle of the day , removing scuff marks from a hallway or helping walk a dog .
Dyersburg City Schools Director Neel Durbin says these responsibilities bring out the best in students of all ages , academically and otherwise . And apparently , the kids like it .
“ We give them a lot of responsibility for things that you wouldn ’ t think fall on kids ,” Mr . Durbin said . “ When a child feels like they ’ re doing something important , they are .”
“ We asked them , ‘ What do you need ? What do our students need to be successful in your particular workforce ?’ That can mean any industry , including various higher education settings ,” Mr . Durbin said . “ We reverse-engineered this . We started at the end and then worked toward the beginning .”
District officials learned that soft skills are a critical component of post-graduation success . Students must know how to take responsibility , function on a schedule , and communicate well and appropriately with others .
2015 SCORE Prize district finalist Dyersburg City Schools does an exceptional job of preparing students for college and the workforce , starting with kindergarten and continuing through graduation . A rigorous , career-focused curriculum combined with comprehensive , age-appropriate development of soft skills ensures that students graduate with the academic preparation and personal focus needed to succeed after high school .
The northwest Tennessee district has maintained a trajectory of increasing academic expectations for many years , netting strong gains in math over the last three years and ACT test scores above the state average . But it ’ s only been in the last five years that district leaders worked to connect this academic growth with development of other skills needed for college and career . This effort began in community conversations with various local industry leaders , the Dyersburg / Dyer County Chamber of Commerce , and downtown development associations .