From WCS inFocus
Below is a statement from Williamson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney addressing the results of the TNReady exams that were released on Thursday, July 19:
On Thursday, the Tennessee Department of Education released the 2017-18 TNReady results. While we remain in the top five in every test and grade level, I have struggled with how to best respond to the release. I value the hard work of our students, parents, teachers and staff. I am so proud of them. In addition, I respect the Tennessee Department of Education personnel.
However, it would be disingenuous to fully celebrate without acknowledging the problems experienced by students, parents and teachers during last year’s testing process. While many of our students gave their very best effort, we did have groups of students who simply gave up out of frustration. This negatively impacted student, school and district results. In recognition of the testing problems, the Tennessee General Assembly even passed a law last spring to prohibit adverse action against students, teachers, schools or districts.
We will glean what we can from these results and compare them with other indicators of progress. Our students have been offered in excess of one billion dollars in college scholarships since 2010; AP participation rates and number of exams passed are at record highs; and our ACT scores for last year’s graduating cohort will once again exceed expectations.
While I am so sorry that our students and teachers had to endure last year’s State testing experience, moving forward, we are optimistic that our students will be able to show what they know with a reliable and functional assessment. As a district, we will continue to be laser focused on success for all students.
Respectfully,
Mike Looney
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