MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 11:33 am

At first glance, it may look like the performance of Rutherford County Schools’ students have slipped since last year, but in reality the lower grades on the Tennessee Department of Education’s annual Report Card reflect changes in state standards.

“Because we have been on an aggressive path of improvement with the Tennessee Diploma Project, it was necessary to utilize this transition year to change our calculation methods and more accurately demonstrate student progress in an effort to pursue higher standards,” Education Commissioner Timothy Webb said.

The Tennessee Diploma Project increases the number of classes required for high school graduation and raises the bar to pass those classes. The changes in graduation requirements and curriculum difficulty are intended to better prepare Tennessee students for college and the job market.

And these changes in difficulty are reflected in seemingly lower scores on this year’s Report Card.

Even with the higher standards, RCS students performed better than the state as a whole and showed academic growth for students in all areas except English I, which remained flat.

For grades 3-8, all districts are judged in two categories: achievement and value-added learning gains. RCS posted all A’s in achievement and scored two B’s (math and reading/language) and two C’s (Social Studies and Science) for value-added, meaing the district showed mean gains in all four areas.

“It’s important not to be misled by the letter grades,” Director of Schools Harry Gill Jr. said. “The letter grades reflect the new academic baseline adopted by the state, but the report still shows that our district has made positive gains in these four areas. Administrators, teachers, students and parents should be commended for their continuous efforts to make our schools better year-over-year.”

On the high school level, districts are judged using results of Gateway and End-of-Course exams and the ACT test. The 2009 report shows Rutherford County Schools scored significantly above the state average in all areas except English I, which was listed as “No Detectable Difference.”

The report also indicated Rutherford County Schools had a graduation rate of 91.3 percent for 2009.

Even though, RCS’s current scores are less than last year’s TDOE cautions not to compare these scores with past years. They’re like apples and oranges, because a new grade scale was used. The scale used to determine all grades A through F has been dramatically revised, meaning scores considered to be an “A” proficient in years past may now be a “B” or “C”.

“Part of student success means setting the stage,” said Dr. Connie Smith, Assistant Commissioner of Accountability, Teaching and Learning. “With the Tennessee Diploma Project and recalibrating the Report Card, we’re setting the stage for our students to be more competitive and better prepared for career or college after high school.”

In 2007, the Tennessee Department of Education launched the Tennessee Diploma Project. The more rigorous curriculum and graduation requirements the TDP call for become effective this year. For more information on the TDP visit www.tn.gov/tdp.

To access Report Card data, please visit tn.gov/education/reportcard/index.shtml.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.