2552 South Church Street, Suite 100 urfreesboro Mutiesbora, TN 37127-6382 City Schools 615-893-2313 Fax 615-893-2352 cityschools.net September 26, 2017 To: Commissioner Candice McQueen From: Murfreesboro City Board of Education Re: Timely Return of Test Scores Without question, TNReady is the benchmark that measures the success of Tennessee's districts, schools, employees, and children. However, the ability to use that benchmark to impact student success is impeded-if not nullified--by multiple return dates that are months after the administration of the assessments: ‘© Prime time to plan for the next school year is May until late July--before the school year begins. This time span is, when curriculum and materials should be purchased, professional development should be scheduled, and physical changes to classrooms should be made to increase academic achievement. With September/October results return dates, instructional changes that impact student learning are dramatically delayed, © Employee decisions must be made a few days after the end of the school year-whether those decisions are retentions, non-renewals (within five days of the last instructional day), intensive assistance plans, or grade placement. Yet, with the primary measure of teacher effectiveness not in the hands of administrators until September or October, we may be keeping teache's and principals who are not advancing student learning, dismissing teachers who are growing children, not relping teachers who need to be helped, and not assigning teachers based on student need. With September/October results return dates, personnel changes that impact student learning are dramatically delayed—if not lost until the following year. ‘© Summer is the season for closing gaps and enriching learning, Parents choose summer activities and programs, and schools design summer activities and programs, based on student need, However, with the delay in test scores, decisions about summer learning based on objective data are almost impossible to initiate. In Tennessee, critical decisions are made based on test scores, However, currently those test scores seep ever-so-slowly back to their source of origin from September until January. And every year, precious time is lost. We encourage you to do everything possible to get test results—all test results—to schools in a timely manner so decisions that unquestionably impact learning can be made in a timely manner. We also encourage you to try to schedule distribution of those results at one time so that months are not consumed in interpreting, explaining, and responding to those results. ‘Thank you for hearing our concems. Respecttully, Collier Smith Black Fox Elementary - Bradley Academy - Cason Lane Academy - The Discovery School at Bellwood - Erma Siegel Elementary Hobgood Elementary - John Pittard Elementary - Mitchell-Neilson School - Northfield Elementary Overall Creek Elementary - Reeves-Rogers Elementary - Scales Elementary