Today, the Nashville Area Chamber’s Education Report Card Committee released the 17th Annual Education Report Card for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) based on an evaluation of the 2008-2009 school year. The 23-member committee, convened by the Chamber in fall 2009 to evaluate the progress of Nashville’s public school system, issued 10 recommendations in the areas of school system performance, education funding and special student populations.
“With a new director of schools hired in January 2009, this was a critical year for Metro Schools,” said Dr. Christon Arthur, associate dean of Tennessee State University’s College of Education and Report Card Committee co-chair. “The Report Card Committee’s overall feeling of Metro Schools’ performance can best be described as cautious optimism. We have seen some progress, but it remains imperative that our school system and community continue working together to ensure our children succeed.”
According to the report, the committee’s optimism comes from observing a bold but collaborative district leadership, the possibility of making Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for a second consecutive year and the unique window of opportunity for dramatic education reform at the local and state level. The caution comes from student achievement that remains below the state average and from recognition that a complete turnaround of the system will take three to five years of annual, measurable progress.
Key recommendations include:
School System Performance:
• Develop a district-level expectation for parental involvement that supports and reinforces each child's learning outside of school, in partnership with city officials, business leaders and community nonprofits.
Education Funding:
• Report annually the amount of funding each Metro school receives, in total and by category of funds (teacher salaries, Title I, private support, etc).
Special Student Populations:
• Educate students in the most inclusive setting possible, with appropriate training and supports for general education teachers.
• Connect Supplemental Education Services provided through the federal Title I program to the city’s after-school initiatives, with the mayor taking a leadership role in promotion, coordination and quality assurance.
“Our teachers and administrators have worked hard to improve student achievement, but there remains a significant agenda for the District and for us as a community to address before we reach a point where, as our school board puts it, Metro Schools become ‘the first choice for families,’” said Cabot Pyle, director of charitable giving at The James Stephen Turner Family Foundation and Report Card Committee co-chair. “We hope that the committee’s candid assessment of how we are performing will give tangible next steps and ideas for what we can do to continue to improve.”
Convened each year by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Education Report Card Committee is comprised of a diverse group of concerned citizens who serve as the voice of the community in evaluating Metro Nashville Public Schools. Committee members include Chamber members, parents, educators and members of the nonprofit and faith community. To view the complete 2008-2009 report, visit
http://www.nashvillechamber.com/Homepage/NewsEvents/ChamberPublications/ReportCard.aspx.
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing 2,300 member companies. Belong, engage, lead, prosper embodies what the Chamber focuses on for its members. Together with its affiliates, the Nashville Chamber works to strengthen the region’s business climate and enhance Nashville’s position as a desirable place to live, work and visit. For more information, visit
www.nashvillechamber.com.
