The Tennessee Department of Education has released the 2015 State Report Card on pre-K-12 education, and results show the Knox County Schools has improved its graduation rate for the Class of 2015 to 90.0 percent, a significant improvement from the Class of 2014 graduation rate of 88.7 percent.

The Knox County Schools has earned an A, B, and A in achievement for math, English language arts/reading, and science respectively. The State of Tennessee posted grades of A, B, and B in achievement for math, English language arts/reading, and science. The Tennessee Department of Education did not assess students in social studies. Achievement grades are based on how well students performed on the TCAP assessments against the state standards.

 

In overall value-added results, the Knox County Schools achieved a composite Level 5 in growth, as well as 5 in literacy, 5 in numeracy and a 5 in combined overall literacy and numeracy. A Level 5 is the highest level attainable. In terms of value-added Report Card grades, the Knox County Schools earned a B, C, and B in math, English language arts/reading, and science respectively. Again, the Tennessee Department of Education did not assess students in social studies. Due to a change in methodology of how value-added letter grades are calculated, the Tennessee Department of Education no longer posts value-added scores for the state. Value-added data measures student growth within a grade and subject, which demonstrates the influence the district, school, or teacher has on the student’s academic performance.

Additional highlights of the data show:

• KCS’s four-year high school graduation rate for the Class of 2015 was 90 percent, compared to 88.7 percent for the Class of 2014. The graduation rate in 2008 was 79.3 percent.
• 22 schools had straight As in Achievement: A. L. Lotts Elementary, Ball Camp Elementary, Bearden Elementary, Blue Grass Elementary, Brickey-McCloud Elementary, Farragut Intermediate, Gap Creek Elementary, Hardin Valley Elementary, Karns Elementary, Northshore Elementary, Pleasant Ridge Elementary, Rocky Hill Elementary, Sequoyah Elementary, Shannondale Elementary, Sterchi Elementary, Cedar Bluff Middle, Farragut Middle, Gresham Middle, Karns Middle, West Valley Middle.
• For the fifth consecutive year, Rocky Hill Elementary received straight As in achievement and value-added.

Earlier in August, the Knox County Schools made history when it was named an Exemplary District by the Tennessee Department of Education. The Knox County Schools was the first large urban school district to ever earn this distinction from the state.

The Tennessee State Report Card includes state, district and school-level information on achievement, demographics and discipline. The Tennessee Education Improvement Act of 1992 established accountability standards for all public schools in the state and required the Department of Education to produce a Report Card for the public to access each year.