From Rutherford County:

Students in Rutherford County continue to perform among the highest in Tennessee, according to the annual Report Card released today by the Tennessee Department of Education.

The Report Card is released each fall and provides a comprehensive collection of data indicators for all public schools and districts in Tennessee. Those indicators include achievement data, graduation rates, ACT scores, demographics and comparison data. The results are available for parents at www.tn.gov/education/data/report_card/index.shtml.

"The annual Tennessee Report Card is a tool we can use at both the district and school levels to focus our efforts to ensure all students are achieving," Director of Schools Don Odom said. "The report certainly reflects many successes for Rutherford County and our administrators, teachers, students and parents should be proud. However, it's also important that we look at areas where we can improve because we want to do everything possible for all students to reach their potential."

For the fourth consecutive year, Rutherford County Schools has earned all A's for achievement in grades 3-8, and an A, two B's and a C for value-added gains. In addition, the report shows an increase in ACT scores and college readiness as measured by the College Board, which has been a key focus area for Rutherford County high schools.

This year's report marks the third year of data since the state implemented its new education accountability system and obtained a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The new system requires districts to make "gap closures" among subgroups of students based on ethnicity, economic status, disabilities and other demographic criteria.

Closing those gaps remains a challenge for the district, and schools are using detailed data analysis and Professional Learning Communities to address those areas of concern. Detailed gap closure information for Rutherford County Schools was released previously in August. Algebra I is another area in need of improvement noted by the report.

Highlights from Rutherford's results show:

• The district obtained all A's in grades 3-8 for achievement
• The district obtained an A for math, B's for science and social studies, and a C for reading for valued-added learning gains
• The district's graduation rate is 92.5% up from 91.9% the previous year
• The district has 100% highly qualified teachers for core courses
• The district has a 20.1 composite score on the ACT, up from 19.7 the previous year.
• The percentage of students eligible for the Hope Scholarship is 43.8% up from 41.1% the previous year.
• The combined enrollment of Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools (48,660) makes Rutherford County 5,129 students larger than Hamilton County (Chattanooga) based on 2013-2014 enrollment figures. Rutherford County as a whole has the fourth largest student population behind Shelby County, Davidson County and Knox County.

Director Odom will give a more detailed presentation about the Report Card to the Rutherford County Board of Education during the Nov. 6 Board of Education meeting. School Board meetings can be viewed on Comcast Channel 19 or live online atwww.rcschools.net.

From the State of Tennessee:

The 2014 state Report Card­­­­--posted Thursday on the Tennessee Department of Education website--offers users the ability to view detailed breakdowns of last year's student achievement growth and other important data points.

The 2014 Report Card features a variety of tabs including growth or value-added data, accountability, and education climate. A College and Career Readiness tab features this year's noteworthy ACT gains, as well as data on graduation rate, college and career readiness benchmarks, and the percentage of students who are eligible to receive the HOPE Scholarship.

"We believe it is important for parents, students, and community members to have access to data that shows how their schools are doing," said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. "The functionality of the state Report Card allows parents and the community to not only digest data on area schools, but also organize and compare specific information about students at the state, district, and school level."

The design of the 2014 Report Card mirrors last year's Report Card and offers users the ability to create personalized comparisons between schools and districts on a variety of measures, including achievement, ACT scores, graduation rate, student enrollment and ethnicity, and value-added composite scores.

As the state strives to advance outcomes for all Tennessee students, these results allow educators to identify areas that need the most improvement. Through its regional offices, the department provides resources, support, and expert analysis to help districts and schools with data-driven interventions.

To visit the 2014 Report Card, visit http://www.tn.gov/education/data/report_card/index.shtml. Previous state Report Cards can also be viewed under Report Card archives.