Governor Bill Haslam visited Northfield Elementery School here in Murfreesboro Thursday (7/7/11) to go over early results from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results. 

Across the Volunteer State, TCAP scores for the third through seventh grade showed a 7 per cent improvement with math, and up 3.7 per cent in reading. 

Governor Haslam speaks in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro City School Director Dr. Linda Gilbert was smiling ear to ear with the news that this system was one of only 18 that showed a greater than 20 per cent improvement in the combined math and reading scores. 

Locally, 48.5 per cent of these elementery students were either above the normal reading level or at the proficient level. Math was the weakest area with a surprising 59 per cent of the students at basic or below levels. With math, only 41 per cent of the youngsters were at proficient or advanced levels. 

Cocke County Schools were the leader of the pack with a growth of 28.5 per cent. And if you're trying to place that area, it's in east Tennessee with the Smoky Mountains and the county seat is Newport.