NASHVILLE – State lawmakers forced through a deal Thursday to hold Tennessee students, teachers and schools harmless on TNReady tests this year after problems with the state’s online assessment system.
The move came after a bipartisan coalition of House members played the highest-stake bargaining chip in Tennessee history.
They refused to pass the state’s $37.5 billion annual budget until their demands were met.
With Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate GOP leaders anxious to get the state’s annual spending plan passed, the ploy worked with the budget getting passed.
But not before the House and Senate first approved the separate bill that says the state’s TNReady student assessment tests will not be used to measure the performance of students, teachers and schools if they serve to lower their scores.