Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 14

enrolling. Nationally, the average is 56.1 percent, resulting
in Tennessee ranking 31st nationally on this metric. In
comparison to other Southeastern states, Tennessee ranks fifth
below Virginia (9th) North Carolina (16th), South Carolina
(22nd), and Florida (29th).16
On the whole, this data shows Tennessee
ranks significantly below the national
average on almost all educational outcomes
metrics. Perhaps just as concerning,
Tennessee only ranks in the middle when
compared with other Southeastern states,
consistently ranking behind Florida,
Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia.

than students from higher socioeconomic classes. Specifically,
while 52.8 percent of white third through eighth graders scored
advanced in math on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment
Program (TCAP), only 34.7 percent of Hispanic, 26.1 percent
of African American, and 31.4 percent
of economically disadvantaged students
did so. Similarly, while the high school
graduation rate for white students was
85.6 percent, the graduation rate for
A m o n g states i n t h e
Hispanic students was 73.1 percent, and
the graduation rate for African American
S o u t h e a st, T e n n essee
students was 71.6 percent.17
co n siste n t ly r a n ks

Percent of Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on TCAP
(Average of Fourth and Eighth Grade Reading and Math Scores)

100
95
90
85
80
75

80
75
70
65
60

65
9

60

8

55
50

7

All Students

African American

5

All Students

White

4

2005-06
African American 2007-08

3

65

2

60

2005-06
1

55
50

White
6

55
50

70

Percent of Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on TCAP
(Average of Fourth and Eighth Grade Reading and Math Scores)

The Achievement Gap in Tennessee

2007-08

0
All Students

White

African American

Hispanic

Economically
Disadvantaged

Source: Tennessee Department of Education
2005-06

2007-08

Infant mortality rate (per 1,000 births)

Percent of Students Scoring Proficient and Advanced on TCAP
(Average of Fourth and Eighth Grade Reading and Math Scores)

The good news is Tennessee is slowly
closing the achievement gap. For example,
b e h i n d F l ori da ,
when one examines eighth grade TCAP
The Achievement Gap
math scores, one finds the percent of
Ke n t u c k y, Nort h
In almost every state and district
white students scoring proficient or
across the country, there are significant
advanced on the test increased 3.4
differences in how various subgroups of
percent from 2005-06 to 2007-08 while
C a ro l i n a , a n d V ir g i n 100
ia.
students perform on educational outcome
the percent of African Americans scoring
95
metrics. Tennessee is no exception.
proficient increased 9.1 percentage
Within the state, African American and
points, the percent of Hispanic students
90
100
Hispanic students consistently perform
scoring proficient increased 9.7 points,
worse than white and Asian st udents in terms of both student
and the percent of economically disadvantaged students
85
95
achievement and educational attainment. Similarly, students
scoring proficient increased 8.0 points. The achievement gap
80
from lower socioeconomic classes perform significantly worse
closed in similar ways if one exams fourth grade reading,
90
fourth grade math, and eighth grade reading TCAP scores, as
75
Figure 3.3 illustrates.
85
Figure 3.3
70

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