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Tougher Standards for Students

Published August 4, 2010

Williamson County parents and students can expect to see lower scores next month when results of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests and end-of-course exams are released.  It's part of an effort by the Tennessee Board of Education to raise the bar for students and better prepare them for college and the work force.

In addition to implementing a more rigorous curriculum, the State recently adopted new proficiency cut scores for student assessments.  That means not only are students facing tougher questions, but they also face higher passing levels.

According to the new standards, a student who was previously considered proficient could easily be scored as basic or below basic.  Lower scores do not indicate a student knows less than in prior years, but it does indicate the student has work to do to master the new curriculum well enough to successfully progress to higher levels of learning.  As teachers and students spend more time working with the new and higher expectations of them, it is believed scores will rebound, student knowledge will increase, and performance after high school, either in college or the workplace, will improve.

The new test results will identify students as being Advanced, Proficient, Basic, or Below Basic based on assessment scores. One of the biggest changes in the assessment process is the definition of “Proficient.”  Previously, the term referred to students who were at least minimally prepared for the next level of study.  Now, “Proficient” indicates a mastery of the tested material. The following are the formal definitions for the four assessment levels:

  • Advanced – Students who perform at this level demonstrate superior mastery in academic performance, thinking abilities, and application of understandings that reflect the knowledge and skills specified by the grade/course level content standards and are significantly prepared for the next level of study.

  • Proficient – Students who perform at this level demonstrate mastery in academic performance, thinking abilities, and application of understandings that reflect the knowledge and skills specified by the grade/course level content standards and are well prepared for the next level of study.

  • Basic – Student who perform at this level demonstrate partial mastery in academic performance, thinking abilities, and application of understandings that reflect the knowledge and skills specified by the grade/course level content standards and are minimally prepared for the next level of study.

  • Below Basic – Students who perform at this level have not demonstrated mastery in academic performance, thinking abilities, and application of understandings that reflect the knowledge and skills specified by the grade/course level content standards and are not prepared for the next level of study.

The changes could also affect Tennessee's standing under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which enacts punitive measures against school districts where too many schools do not show proficiency amongst all groups of students.  The State Education Commissioner is working with federal education officials to see if they can show leniency toward Tennessee this year.

Williamson County Schools will receive its first look at how students fared under the new standards within the next several weeks.  Parents are expected to receive individual student test reports by the beginning of October.