The Tennessee Department of Education announced Thursday that students across the state performed better on the 2013 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) than the previous year, marking three consecutive years of continued improvement.

For the first time since the state implemented more rigorous standards in 2009, more than half of students in grades 3-8 are on grade level in every TCAP Achievement subject, reaching higher levels of proficiency in 2013 on 22 of 24 tested subjects than in 2012. Nearly 91,000 additional students across all grade levels are at or above grade level in math, as compared to 2010. High school students also increased in proficiency, showing gains on six out of seven End of Course exams.

“I am grateful to our students and teachers for rising to the challenge of higher standards and to parents who are investing in their children’s education,” Haslam said.  “It is encouraging that we continue to make gains in education, and we are reminded that we have a lot of work ahead of us in building a strong Tennessee workforce for the future.”

TCAP results also showed strong growth in STEM subjects over 2012 scores, with proficiency percentages up by 8.7 points in Algebra II, 6.4 points in biology, and 5 points in Algebra I.

“All of these gains mean that our students are much better prepared for the science and engineering-based jobs of tomorrow, putting our state in a better position for economic growth,” Gov. Haslam said.

Additionally, more than 50 percent of students in grades 3-8 scored proficient in math, 73,000 more students than three years ago, and almost 63 percent scored proficient in science, an increase of over 50,000 students since 2010.

In addition to the increase in overall scores, this year’s TCAP results also revealed a shrinking achievement gap between economically disadvantaged students and their peers.

“Economically disadvantaged students across the state grew at a faster rate than their more affluent peers, which defies national trends,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “We are encouraged and excited by these results, but there is still more work to be done in closing achievement gaps in Tennessee.”

In 2010, TCAP Achievement tests and End of Course exams were aligned with more strategic and rigorous standards as a result of the Tennessee Diploma Project. Despite higher standards, students have demonstrated growth on the assessments for three consecutive years, putting Tennessee on track to become the fastest-improving state educational system in the nation.

Source: 

Kelli Gauthier, State of Tennessee
For complete results, visit: www.tn.gov/education/tcap_results13.shtml