Hamilton County public school students showed the expected amount of academic growth when compared to their peers in other districts, according to new state data.
The district received a systemwide score of three — on a scale of one to five — through the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System, which evaluates student performance year over year to measure growth.
A score of one means the district’s students made less academic growth than expected. A score of three means they had the expected level of growth, and a score of five means the students achieved more growth than expected.
“We want to make sure that our students are meeting expected growth that’s in line with the growth of students across the state that year,” Shannon Moody, chief strategy officer for Hamilton County Schools, said by phone. “We’re still very proud of that level 3. That means that we are absolutely maintaining that growth and showing adequate growth for our students.”
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Twenty-two of the 80 schools in Hamilton County earned a score of five, and over half received a score of three or above.
The district’s results reflect consistent progress and its commitment to consistent, data-driven instruction, as well as the resilience of its students, educators and support staff, the school system said in a news release.
Scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program released in June show the district’s proficiency rates largely held steady during the 2023-24 school year after increasing for the previous two years. Proficiency looks at the number of students who met state standards, while growth examines how much students learned compared to where they started.
For all grades, in the areas of literacy and science, the district received a composite score of five. It earned a three in social studies and a one in numeracy, the state’s descriptor for both lower and upper grade math.
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The district implemented a new math curriculum at the start of the 2023-24 school year. District students have made less growth than expected in the subject for the past two years.
Level 5 Schools
Apison Elementary
Brown Middle
Chattanooga Charter School of Excellence High
Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper
Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts
Daisy Elementary
East Hamilton High
East Lake Elementary
East Side Elementary
Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
Hardy Elementary
Hixson High
Loftis Middle
McConnell Elementary
Ooltewah Elementary
Ooltewah Middle
STEM School Chattanooga
Thrasher Elementary
Tyner Academy
Wolftever Creek Elementary
Source: Tennessee Department of Education
“It’s not terribly surprising to us the first year we implement a new curriculum that it’s not as strong as it will be in the future,” Moody said. “That’s, I think, just a learning curve of trying to get new material and current teachers and kids and everyone to adjust to a shift.”
It’s something the district is keeping a close eye on, she said, because it wants to ensure students are making at least the expected growth.
The district’s belief is that a high-quality curriculum will help get students to a level where they’re gaining faster than their peers, Moody said. She pointed to the district’s top literacy score as an example, noting that the school system has used a new literacy curriculum for several years now and is consistently seeing growth.
Contact Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.