Students in Knox County Schools outperformed the state and its three largest urban districts in the most recent academic scores reported in the Tennessee Department of Education’s 2017 Report Card released on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018.
The annual report measures each district and school on math, reading, science and social studies. The state uses four levels of performance reporting: mastered, on track, approaching and below.
Knox County Schools had the highest percentage of students compared to the other large urban districts who scored mastered or on track in every subject and combination with the exception of Algebra 1.
In math, 25.5 percent of Knox County high school students scored on track or mastered, compared to 21.5 percent statewide. In English, 39.8 percent of Knox County high school students scored on track or mastered, compared to 34.7 percent statewide. And in science, 54.2 percent of Knox County high school students scored on track or mastered compared to 51 percent statewide.
Knox County students also had the highest ACT composite score of 21.1 compared to the state and other large urban districts.
In overall value-added results, Knox County Schools achieved a composite Level 5 – the highest level – on the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVASS) in all areas on the annual state assessment. This means students tended to grow more in the subjects than their peers across the state.
“I’m so proud of the progress our students are making as we continue to focus on meeting the needs of each child,” Superintendent Bob Thomas said. “The hard work of our teachers is paying off. We know we have to keep working to ensure all students are meeting their fullest potential, and our principals and teachers are focused on improving student achievement and growth.”
The state report card for Knox County Schools also shows:
- A graduation rate of 90.3%
- A 26.1 percent rate of graduating students achieving all four college readiness benchmarks on the ACT
- A 51.1 percent rate of students who scored a composite of 21 or better making them eligible for the Tennessee Hope Scholarship
