Fewer MSCS third graders going through retention after studying retest

About 1 in 5 Memphis Shelby-County Colleges third graders who took a state retest in studying final month succeeded in incomes a better path to fourth grade — some 1,200 college students in all. 

Roughly 500 college students within the district did effectively sufficient on the retest to have the ability to go straight to fourth grade, with out summer time faculty or tutoring, in response to outcomes launched Wednesday by the Tennessee Division of Schooling. The opposite 700 improved sufficient that they will select both summer time faculty or tutoring to advance, moderately than having to attend each. 

That also leaves massive numbers of MSCS third graders — together with 1000’s extra throughout the state — who could should take part in each interventions to keep away from being held again below the state’s new retention legislation for struggling readers.

The retest outcomes give districts and the state a fuller image of the affect of the 2021 legislation, which took impact with this yr’s third graders. 

The outcomes launched Wednesday nonetheless don’t account for college kids who efficiently attraction their scores, and those who’re exempt from the legislation as a result of they’ve restricted English proficiency or studying disabilities, or have been retained earlier than. And the training division — which is at the moment present process modifications in management — has launched solely district-level outcomes, with out offering statewide figures or evaluation.

However in MSCS, the state’s largest district, the retest made a distinction for tons of of scholars who had been initially recognized as being in danger for retention, primarily based on their English language arts scores on the Tennessee Complete Evaluation Program. About three-quarters of MSCS third graders didn’t rating proficient on the preliminary take a look at administered within the spring, one of many worst charges within the state. 

Critics of the take a look at have mentioned it doesn’t particularly measure studying abilities, making it a poor criterion for figuring out whether or not third graders will be promoted.

Statewide, some 74,000 college students, or 60% of third graders, didn’t exhibit proficiency on the preliminary TCAP English language arts take a look at. 

However in contrast to most different Tennessee districts, MSCS obtained virtually all the scholars who didn’t move the primary take a look at to take the same retest in the course of the last weeks of college.

“We’re pleased with college students who participated within the retake for exploring this pathway,” interim state Schooling Commissioner Sam Pearcy mentioned in a press release in regards to the scores.

Clay County Colleges, a small district in north central Tennessee, reaped important advantages from the retest. Whereas solely half the third graders eligible for a retest participated, three-fifths of them did effectively sufficient to attain proficient and transfer routinely to fourth grade. 

For many faculty districts, although, enhancements from the retest had been extra modest. 

Listed here are key takeaways from a evaluate of the district-level outcomes: 

• Half of Tennessee districts had between 10% and 20% of their college students obtain proficiency on the retest. 
• A 3rd of Tennessee districts had between 10% and 20% of scholars enhance from the bottom efficiency stage — “beneath” proficiency — to the next-highest stage, “approaching” proficiency.
• Slightly below half of Tennessee districts had fewer than 10% of scholars enhance from “beneath” to “approaching.”
• Somewhat greater than half of Tennessee districts had a retest participation price of fifty% or extra. 

Outcomes for every district are within the chart beneath.

Thomas Wilburn and Nadia Bey contributed information evaluation. 

Laura Testino covers Memphis-Shelby County Colleges for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Attain Laura at LTestino@chalkbeat.org.