Tennessee in its percentage of economically disadvantaged students, while maintaining a district-wide
average ACT score in the state’s
top 20.
“We think that we do a pretty good job on the academic set. Our data shows that we grow kids quite
well,” Mr. Durbin said.
At Dyersburg City Schools, ACT preparation and
thinking about post-graduation decisions start very
early. At Dyersburg Intermediate, which serves all
districts students in grades 3-5, college is always
part of the conversation. Combining this academic
focus with Leader in Me goal-setting and leadership
instruction for fifth-graders helps empower kids to
meet high expectations.
Principal Lenita Click estimates that 65 to 70
percent of her students’ parents received no postsecondary education, so teaching kids that other
options are possible requires early communication.
With the Tennessee Promise program in place,
Dyersburg Intermediate students are hearing now
that they can attend Dyersburg State Community
College for two years free of charge. Kids hear
exactly how much more money such a decision can
bring later and learn about the benefits of setting
themselves up to make their own choices.
Two years ago, the school used one of its two
annual Title I-funded Family Nights – which are
well-attended, drawing hundreds of parents and
kids without any kind of door prizes or “bribes,”
Ms. Click said – to educate families about college.
Fifth-graders wrote to different colleges and set up
presentations about different options. A classroom
was temporarily converted to a makeshift dorm
room for families to tour. A high school te