NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success is kicking off the 2020 legislative session by outlining our policy pillars and how they affect student success. Our five pillars are higher academic standards, an aligned assessment to those standards, protecting accountability, innovation in education, and securing economic freedom for all.
Why Higher Standards Matter:
High academic standards that set clear goals for what students should learn are necessary to prepare students for success in a 21st-century economy. From Kindergarten to graduation, today’s students need a strong foundation and a variety of skills and abilities to be successful in their chosen next steps. Upon graduation, they will enter the workforce, complete a professional certification at a technical school, serve in America’s Armed Forces, or earn a degree from a college or university. Whatever the path, students must be ready to achieve, learn, and grow. High academic expectations in today’s classrooms prepare students to reach their fullest potential and to thrive as they pursue tomorrow’s opportunities for success.
Watch Dr. Rachel P. Cornett, K-5 Academic Interventionist at Brown’s Chapel Elementary School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, as she highlights how high academic standards taught at every grade-level help ensure Tennessee’s students are able to exceed expectations and continue on the pathway to success.
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Below is an excerpt from Dr. Cornett:
“Hi, my name is Rachel P. Cornett and I have been a public educator for 14 years here in middle Tennessee…
“I’m really excited that in Tennessee we have high standards that are very rigorous. [They are] revised by educators with input from policymakers, parents, and our communities to really form what we expect and want all of our students in Tennessee to know and be able to do.
“When we think of high standards, we have to have aligned assessments to make sure that we’re working towards reaching those goals in Tennessee…
“I’ve worked a lot with the state Department of Education. I’ve done professional development and worked around the state, so I’ve seen educators get excited about the rigor of these standards and what their students are able to do with what they know when they’re pushed and when they have the proper support. It’s exciting, with the aligned assessment, to see their progress.”
Click here to view the video.
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