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16th Annual Education Report Card 2007-2008 School Year Submitted February 2009 by the Chamber Education Report Card Committee Co-Chairs: Michael Hayes & Joyce Searcy Supporting-Level Education Advocate Supporting Sponsor Co-Chair Michael Hayes Lonnell Matthews 16th Annual Education Report Card Vice President, C.B. Ragland Company Member, Metropolitan Council (second year) YMCA of Middle Tennessee 2007-2008 School Year Co-Chair Joyce Searcy Dr. Catherine McTamaney Submitted February 2009 President & CEO, Bethlehem Centers Lecturer, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University of Nashville by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Ginger Hausser Pepper (second year) Education Report Card Committee Assistant Director, Center for Service Learning Alene Arnold & Civic Engagement, Tennessee State University Co-Chairs: Michael Hayes & Joyce Searcy Hillsboro Cluster parent (second year) (second year) Erin Richardson Dr. Christon Arthur Director of Legal Advocacy Project, Executive Summary & Recommendations Associate Dean, College of Education, The Arc of Davidson County Pgs. 3-5 Tennessee State University Parent of child in special education (second year) (second year) Committee Roster Roster Committee Table of Contents Table Report Findings Price Bell, Jr. Khaled Sakalla Pgs. 6-21 Properties and Operations Manager, Vice President of Academics, International Academy DZL Management Company of Design & Technology (second year) Keith Belton Appendix A 2008 Director of Corporate and Foundation Vicente Samaniego Nashville public opinion on education Relations, Fisk University Program Manager, Department of Family and Community May 2008 Medicine, Meharry Medical College Rev. Raymond Bowman Pgs. 22 -23 Pastor, Spruce Street Baptist Church Benjamin Smith President, Interdenominational Ministerial Executive Director, Youth Speaks Nashville Fellowship Appendix B Bobby Lee Smith Andrea Dillenburg President and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee MNPS demographic and achievement data Executive Director, Nashville Ballet Margaret Whitfield Pgs. 24-34 (second year) Retired MNPS teacher Jacobia Dowell (second year) Appendix C Operational Information Analyst, Healthways Anderson Williams (second year) MNPS Career/Thematic Academies Director of New Initiatives, Oasis Center 2008-2009 Buck Dozier (third year) Executive Director, Tennessee State Fair Pgs. 35 Pat Halper Community volunteer Appendix D (third year) Experts interviewed John Hilley Pgs. 36-37 Senior Adviser, NMG Advisers Marc Everett Hill Appendix E Ex officio, Chief Education Officer, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Status of 2007 Education Report Card Committee Recommendations Pgs. 38-42 Letter to the community Pg. 43 EDUCATION REPORT CARD 2009 2 Executive Summary As Tennessee’s second largest school system, for students by creating 10th-grade career centers, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) which will expand further into full career academies represents something of a paradox to those for grades 10-12 in 2009. As the remaining zoned who try to summarize the quality of student high schools prepare to start career centers next learning. MNPS is annually recognized by national school year, this rare instance of an internally publications as having some of the best schools in driven reform is at a critical juncture. In 2005, the country. There are thousands of teachers and eight principals, frustrated with the lack of student many administrators across our 136 public schools success in a traditional high school structure and who every day go above and beyond the call of duty backed by their school faculty, pushed the school to not only teach our city’s children, but ensure they district to apply for a federal planning grant. Today, succeed. There are areas of academic improvement halfway through the term of the planning grant in the district, as well as a continued increase in the -- and illustrating the lack of consistent leadership high school graduation rate, but the progress is not across the district -- all eight of those principals uniform, and the pace of that progress is not yet have been promoted, been reassigned or have sufficient. taken retirement. A child in Nashville can get an outstanding education Unsurprisingly, while many of our high schools in our public school system. But the data are clear: have continued to embrace the SLC concept, some we cannot yet guarantee an outstanding education schools have struggled. With important decisions for every child in every school. This past school on budget resources and principal assignments year, for the fifth time out of the last six years, looming, this high school redesign effort needs MNPS again missed the required No Child Left renewed commitment and clear leadership Behind (NCLB) benchmarks. The consequence was from the school board and director of schools, to have our school system move from “corrective and a committed administrative team at every action” into “restructuring” status under NCLB, participating school, if it is to deliver on its promise just one year away from a possible state takeover to our students and the Nashville community. of the school district. While the committee recognizes there are no magic The Education Report Card Committee is encouraged, fixes in education, there is a growing amount of however, that 2008 saw innovation and action in evidence pointing toward teacher quality as the two important areas that are also the focus of this single most important factor in raising student year’s report card: high school redesign and teacher achievement. MNPS negotiated with the teachers’ quality. union (the Metropolitan Nashville Education Association, or MNEA) to begin a modest incentive This past school year, seven Metro high schools pay plan to help recruit teachers in hard-to-staff expanded Smaller Learning Communities (SLCs) subjects. In addition, Mayor Karl Dean worked 3 EDUCATION REPORT CARD 2009 successfully to recruit two national nonprofits, remainder of the calendar year. In addition, while The New Teacher Project and Teach for America, the Tennessee Department of Education hasn’t yet to bring new talent into our city’s classrooms. started running our school system in name, the These organizations have built a track record of state became a “collaborative partner” during the success in other districts by being highly selective summer and took the unprecedented action of of candidates and making sure new teacher hires reorganizing the central office, reassigning school have adequate preparation and support during principals and directing budget decisions. the first years of their new teaching assignment. Nashville must find the will and means to take While there were some positive improvements for these best practices to scale by providing a system Metro Schools in 2008, the Education Report Card of support and mentorship to all new teachers and Committee believes that our students, educators helping veteran teachers with focused professional and city cannot repeat another year of waiting for development that improves classroom instruction. a common vision of the standards we want our public school graduates -- and our school system 2008 was a year of both transition and uncertainty -- to reach. While the uncertainty surrounding for Metro Schools. The beginning of the school year school system governance must be resolved to brought a new mayor who promised to pursue an provide clear accountability, each of the major ambitious education agenda as his top priority stakeholders should take immediate action to and expected voters to hold him accountable for produce a consensus vision for our school system. raising the high school graduation rate during his Our committee believes it is time for the mayor, term. Against a backdrop of annually failing to make school board, director of schools and the Tennessee Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as a school district Department of Education to re-examine the strategic under NCLB, Dr. Pedro Garcia resigned as director of plan developed by the district in 2007, engage the schools in January 2008. This left an interim director community and articulate a unified, citywide vision with the Herculean task of keeping the district’s for our schools and our students. Our city’s children 10,000 employees focused and productive for the can no longer wait. EDUCATION REPORT CARD 2009 4 Recommendations School System Performance 1. Determine how our students compare academically with students in large districts across the country. MNPS should participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress Trial Urban District Assessment to allow Nashville to compare the academic performance of our students to that of 11 other peer cities. 2. Budget significant additional resources to evaluate the effectiveness of key initiatives and programs. The board and administration need the data to maximize every dollar toward student achievement. To their great credit, each 3. Create a detailed, school-based strategy to ensure that every high school student attains at least the minimum ACT score necessary to qualify for year the school board and a HOPE lottery scholarship. administration carefully 4. Reincorporate education in the visual and performing arts, which is a proven consider the Report Card’s strategy for reaching academic standards and engaging students in learning. findings and recommendations. The school district’s response High School Redesign to last year’s Report Card 5. Ensure the success of the high school career academy model through a clear commitment

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