Schools receive top marks from TN Ed. Dept. on student improvement

Kingston Springs Elementary School and Harpeth High School have been named Level 5 schools by the Tennessee Department of Education, the Cheatham County School District (CCSD) announced on Aug. 23.

This designation is based on the 2022-2023 Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) composite scores.

Schools that earn a schoolwide composite score of 5 are making more growth than expected. These numbers signal that more than a year’s worth of growth was made during the past school year.

TVAAS is not an additional student test – like TCAP (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program) but a useful tool to help districts make data driven decisions. It is a statistical analysis of achievement data that reveals academic growth over time for students.

The tool is used to give feedback to school leaders and teachers on student progress and assesses the influence of schooling on that progress. It allows districts to follow student achievement over time and provides schools with a longitudinal view of student performance. TVAAS provides information to assist teams of teachers to make informed instructional decisions.

With the TVAAS analysis, districts will be able to see, report and act upon growth data – they will ‘see’ whether their students are in fact making progress; they will be able to ‘report’ on the gains made and they will be able to ‘act’ on what the TVAAS analysis reveals to make relevant instructional decisions for all groups of students.

Harpeth Middle School (HMS) received a Level 3 score, which was still celebrated by the district.

“We're so proud of the huge growth that HMS made this past year,” the district wrote on Facebook.

CCSD also received an overall top mark of 5 – the highest score a district can achieve for student academic growth.

"This is really exciting news for the Cheatham County School District. This is what we have been working toward as a district,” said Director of Schools Dr. Cathy Beck.

“What we are doing every day in the classroom is paying off. Everyone who contributes to this success should be commended for their efforts,” Beck added. “It takes all stakeholders working together, including administrators, faculty, staff, students, parents, the community and the Cheatham County School Board and Cheatham County Commission.