LACIE SILVA – Editor
It is report card time for schools across the state and the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released its 2022-23 School Letter Grades on Thursday, Dec. 21.
In 2016, the introduction of T.C.A. 49-1-228 mandated the Tennessee Department of Education to create a letter grade rating system for schools, aiming to provide parents with valuable insights into public school performance. However, delays caused by testing administration challenges and the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in this being the first year of assigning letter grades to schools in Tennessee.
The grading system, unveiled before the State Board of Education on November 2, evaluates schools based on four key indicators—student achievement, academic growth, growth of high-need students, and college and career readiness (exclusive to high schools). These grades, ranging from A to F, intend to deliver a comprehensive overview of each school’s alignment with the state’s learning expectations. Additionally, the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) is employed to assess the impact of schools and teachers on the academic progress of students, adding a nuanced layer to the evaluation process.
Marion County School District (MCSD) is a public school district consisting of 9* schools, including three high schools, two middle schools, and four elementary schools. Around 3,934 students are enrolled in grades Pre-K and Kindergarten through 12 with a 16 to 1 student-teacher ratio.
All data is according to that which has been released by the Tennessee Department of Education available at tdepublicschools.ondemand.sas.com/grades.
The total score and letter grade for each school are as follows:
Jasper Elementary School (JES) 2.2, D
Monteagle Elementary School (MES) 3.8, B
South Pittsburg Elementary School (SPE) 2.6, C
Whitwell Elementary School (WES) 3.5, B
Jasper Middle School (JMS) 1.9, D
Whitwell Middle School (WMS) 3.4, C
Marion County High School (MCH) 3.4, C
South Pittsburg High School (SPH) 2.5, C
Whitwell High School (WHS) 4, B
The average level of the MCSD elementary schools in system wide growth is Level 3, for middle schools averages Level 2, and across the high schools Level 2.3 – district wide the average level across all schools averages Level 2.5.
For a more in depth look visit the TDOE website and search each school name in the search bar. Listed below is the breakdown of each school and the measurements by which each school is graded.
Jasper Elementary School (JES)
- Achievement Level 3, Score 1.5
- Measure success rate: 31%
- Measure by subject (grades 3-5): ELA 31.9%, Math 32.9%, Science 25.6%
- Growth Level 1, Score 0.4
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 1
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 1, Literacy 3, Science ‘insufficient N count,’ Social Studies ‘insufficient N count,’
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 2.2 – Letter Grade D
Monteagle Elementary School (MES)
- Achievement Level 3, Score 1.5
- Measure success rate: 33.2%
- Measure by subject: grades 3-5 ELA 27%, Math 23.8%, Science 25.4%, grades 6-8 ELA 40.6%, Math 30.4%, Science 53.6%, Social Studies 47.8%
- Growth Level 5, Score 2
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 5
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 4, Literacy 4, Science 4, Social Studies 3
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 3.8 – Letter Grade B
South Pittsburg Elementary School (SPE)
- Achievement Level 2.2, Score 1.1
- Measure success rate: 29.6%
- Measure by subject: grades 3-5 ELA 29.3%, Math 27.7%, Science 28.3%, grades 6-8 ELA 30.6%, Math 30.6%, Science 36.1%, Social Studies 37.5%
- Growth Level 3, Score 1.2
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 3
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 2, Literacy 3, Science 3, Social Studies 4
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 2.6 – Letter Grade C
Whitwell Elementary School (WES)
- Achievement Level 4, Score 2
- Measure success rate: 47.4%
- Measure by subject: grades 3-5 ELA 44.7%, Math 53.4%, Science 41%
- Growth Level 3, Score 1.2
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 3
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 3, Literacy 5, Science ‘insufficient N count,’ Social Studies ‘insufficient N count,’
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 5 – Letter Grade B
Jasper Middle School (JMS)
- Achievement Level 2.5, Score 1.2
- Measure success rate: 29.5%
- Measure by subject: grades 3-5 ELA 23.5%, Math 12.2%, Science 24.5%, grades 6-8 ELA 26.8%, Math 27.6%, Science 40.4%, Social Studies 48%
- Growth Level 1, Score 0.4
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 1
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 1, Literacy 1, Science 1, Social Studies 4
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 1.9 – Letter Grade D
Whitwell Middle School (WMS)
- Achievement Level 3.8, Score 1.9
- Measure success rate: 36.4%
- Measure by subject: grades 3-5 ELA 38.3%, Math 16.9%, Science 50%, grades 6-8 ELA 28.8%, Math 37.9%, Science 49.6%, Social Studies 44.4%
- Growth Level 3, Score 1.2
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 3
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 3, Literacy 2, Science 5, Social Studies 2
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- Total score 3.4 – Letter Grade C
Marion County High School (MCH)
- Achievement Level 2, Score 1
- Measure success rate: 20.8%
- Measure by subject: grades 9-12 ELA 31.4%, Math 8.6%, Science 25.8%, Social Studies 29.7%
- Growth Level 1, Score 0.3
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 1
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 1, Literacy 3, Science 1, Social Studies 3
- Growth for Highest need students Level 3, Score 0.3
- College and Career Readiness Level 5, Score 0.5
- Measure 88.8%
- Measure by subject: ACT 21+ Score 34.5%, Postsecondary Attainment Score 88.8%, Industry Certifications 11.2%, ASVAB Score 31%
- Total score 2.1 – Letter Grade D
South Pittsburg High School (SPH)
- Achievement Level 3, Score 1.5
- Measure success rate: 25.5%
- Measure by subject: grades 6-8 ELA 27.3%, Math 16.5%, Science 45.5%, Social Studies 37.2%, grades 9-12 ELA 36.5%, Math 16.2%, Science 24.6%, Social Studies 24.2%
- Growth Level 1, Score 0.3
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 1
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 1, Literacy 3, Science 2, Social Studies 1
- Growth for Highest need students Level 2, Score 0.2
- College and Career Readiness Level 5, Score 0.5
- Measure 73.3%
- Measure by subject: ACT 21+ Score 29.3%, Postsecondary Attainment Score 66.7%, Industry Certifications <5%, ASVAB Score 26.7%
- Total score 2.5 – Letter Grade C
Whitwell High School (WHS)
- Achievement Level 3, Score 1.5
- Measure success rate: 30.7%
- Measure by subject: grades 9-12 ELA 39.8%, Math 18.8%, Science 42.1%, Social Studies 36.8%
- Growth Level 5, Score 1.5
- Measure Schoolwide TVAAS 5
- Measure by subject: Numeracy 3, Literacy 5, Science 5, Social Studies 5
- Growth for Highest need students Level 5, Score 0.5
- College and Career Readiness Level 5, Score 0.5
- Measure 87.8%
- Measure by subject: ACT 21+ Score 25.6%, Postsecondary Attainment Score 87.8%, Industry Certifications 30.5%, ASVAB Score 41.5%
- Total score 4 – Letter Grade B
*Richard Hardy Memorial School, although residing with a South Pittsburg address, is considered a Richard City district school according to the TDOE website and as such all information regarding RHMS has been excluded for the purposes of this article.
The Marion Tribune – January 4, 2024
