Latest news with #MNPS
Axios
5 days ago
- General
- Axios
Nashville school system shows growth on year-end tests
Metro Nashville Public Schools showed across-the-board improvement on its year-end standardized test scores. Driving the news: The district touted results released this week as its best under the new TCAP testing standards. By the numbers: According to the new results, 31.9% of students met or exceeded expectations on math, up from 29.3% last year. In English, 31.2% met or exceeded expectations compared to 29.6% a year ago. The district also showed gains in social studies (4.3 points up) and science (1.4 points up). High school students improved on their end-of-course exams in every subject. Reality check: While MNPS is showing growth, the data means about 68% of students did not meet expectations on the TCAP math and English tests.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
TCAP scores 2025: Tennessee students make strides in math, science
Tennessee students posted year-over-year gains in math and science scores on the 2025 state standardized test, and also saw improvements for some grades in English language arts and social studies. The Tennessee Education Department of Education highlighted several data points in a July 8 news release, comparing last year's scores with this year. Here's what it included: Most tested grades increased proficiency in English language arts. English I and English II scores saw around a 4 percentage point bump. Math proficiency increased across all grade levels. Sixth graders gained more than 5 percentage points. Statewide science proficiency grew by nearly 2 percentage points. As a whole, elementary and middle school students gained nearly 4 percentage points in social studies scores. In the release, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds said she is encouraged by the progress students have made. She also praised the dedication of teachers, schools and districts. "This year's TCAP results reflect Tennessee's strong commitment to investing in our students' futures and the steady progress we're making statewide," Reynolds said. Spreadsheets with state- and district-level data were posted by the Tennessee Department of Education on July 8. However, the state report card is not yet updated with 2025 data. It typically provides further insights and analysis that compares TCAP data to previous years. TCAP scores fall under four categories: "below," "approaching," "meeting" and "exceeding" expectations. Metro Nashville Public Schools saw more students than ever who scored as "meeting" or "exceeding" expectations as a whole this year, according to a July 8 district news release. Additionally, the number of students who scored as "below" decreased across all tested areas, while the number of students who scored as "exceeding" increased across all tested subjects in district-run schools. The district also marked its highest scores in English language arts, math and social studies since state testing standards changed during the 2016-17 school year and in science since standards changed during the 2018-19 school year. When it comes to recovery from disruptions caused by the pandemic, MNPS said students have made significant progress, posting double-digit gains in English language arts, math, science and social studies. In the release, MNPS Director Adrienne Battle said this year's gains are a sign that the district's strategies and academic supports are paying off. "These results are the product of unwavering focus, hard work, and belief — in our students, in our teachers, and in what's possible," Battle said. More: How Tennessee kids fared on 2025 third grade reading test It's not yet clear when the Tennessee School Report Card, which includes visuals and analysis of state, district and school testing data, will update with the 2025 TCAP results. It can be found at The TCAP Family Portal will have individual student data later this month, according to state education department. It can be found at Downloadable TCAP assessment data for 2025 and previous years is available on the Tennessee Department of Education website at Scroll down to the "State Assessments" heading, then click "Assessment Files." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee TCAP scores 2025: Students make strides in math, science
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nashville mayor proposes 13% bump for schools budget. Here's what it would do
Mayor Freddie O'Connell has proposed a 13% budget increase for Metro Nashville Public Schools for the upcoming fiscal year. District leaders gathered to talk through the proposal before the Metro Nashville Council budget committee on May 22. Tensions ran high at times during the two-hour hearing. The conversation revolved around staff raises and continuing programs initially funded by federal pandemic relief money, among other things. MNPS Director Adrienne Battle, Chief Financial Officer Jorge Robles and Board of Education Chair Freda Player were on hand to discuss the proposed $1.3 billion operating budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Several members of the MNPS board and representatives from Metropolitan Nashville Education Association were also present, looking on from the public gallery in the council chambers. Here are five key takeaways from the discussion. The mayor's proposed budget includes plans for a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, also known as COLA, to employee salaries. That totals out to around $18.6 million. The budget also designates $9.2 million for step increases to salaries. If the budget is approved, Robles said, both teachers and non-teachers would see around a 5% raise between the COLA and step increases. During the pandemic, public school districts nationwide received a large influx of federal funding known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER. A total of $425 million flowed into MNPS through the relief fund. Some of that was used for one-time expenses as pandemic disruptions shuttered schools and forced them to switch to virtual learning. However, MNPS also used the money to place nurses in every school — something district and city leaders seek to continue as the final federal dollars are spent. Around $15 million is earmarked in the Metro Public Health Department budget to continue staffing nurses in schools. The proposed MNPS budget also includes $65.5 million to sustain other items initially funded by ESSER, representing the largest total cost outlined in the proposal. The funding includes added mental health resources for students, college and career readiness programs, summer school options, tutoring and more. Here's a look at other larger costs in the proposed budget: $44.8 million total for employee compensation (includes step raises, COLA and other costs) $20.4 million for school-based supports for children with special needs, English learners and others $14.6 million for textbooks Battle also highlighted the district's ongoing push to use employees known as classroom associates as substitute teachers. The classroom associates are full- and part-time employees assigned to specific schools who are also fully trained on safety protocols and have access to professional development training. Battle said the model has been "highly successful" and has provided stability for teachers and students alike. "The number one piece of feedback that we received from our schools is: 'This is great. We love it. It's effective,'" Battle said. MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted said the district now has more than 500 classroom associates. The district also has a pool of traditional substitutes who can be assigned on a day-to-day basis. Braisted said traditional substitutes who worked more than 50% of the 2024-25 school year will be offered automatic renewals. Those who fell short of that requirement will be asked to reapply to substitute in the upcoming school year. Councilmember Courtney Johnston kicked off a lengthy exchange with MNPS leaders by leveling criticism at the district for not submitting a line-by-line budget ahead of the hearing. "This is, by percentage, the largest amount of money that we allocate every year," Johnston said. "This is not a budget, so it's really hard to come with educated questions around specific things." Battle said the district submitted documentation as requested and that it also publishes a budget book each year for the public to see. She explained that MNPS operates differently than other city departments because it's governed by an elected school board that has to approve the district's budget before it can be released. She said that cycle repeats each year. Player also chimed in to explain that the district often waits for state approval for certain allocations, and that district leaders were working up until last week to add those items to the proposed budget. "This is not new," Battle said. Johnston also blasted the district for using pandemic relief funds to create programs that now must be accounted for in the operating budget, saying it left taxpayers to "pick up the tab." Battle said the programs reflect heightened needs for students driven by the pandemic. "It costs more when you're providing those unique services," Battle said. "They deserve it. They deserve to have their needs met in that way. So that is what you're seeing in some of the trade-off there." Johnston also said the MNPS budget has increased "exponentially" since 2019. Councilmember Burkley Allen later commented that the overall budget for Nashville has increased by 70% since 2019, while the MNPS budget has increased by around 60% in that same period. Councilmembers will conduct several more budget and finance hearings and work sessions in the weeks to come before finalizing the city budget. The full council will vote on the budget within the month of June. The school board will then vote on the finalized budget ahead of the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. Rachel Wegner covers education and children's issues for The Tennessean. Got a story you think she should hear? Reach her via email at RAwegner@ You can also find her on Twitter or Bluesky under the handle RachelAnnWegner. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville schools: Inside the mayor's 13% budget increase proposal
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Juvenile records show Nashville teen on probation at time of Antioch High School shooting
Juvenile court records of the teen who fatally shot a student before fatally shooting himself Jan. 22 at Antioch High School was on probation at the time of the shooting for pulling a box cutter on a student. Two weeks before Solomon Henderson fatally shot 16-year-old Josselin Corea Escalante, a Jan. 8 ruling said Henderson required treatment or rehabilitation and was ordered to judicial diversion, a court-ordered program for juvenile offenders, after a 2024 incident when he brought a box cutter to school. The records release comes after Tennessee lawmakers passed legislation this year allowing for such documents to be released. Henderson was charged with carrying a box cutter on school property in October 2024 as well as reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. The file notes that Henderson was ordered to stay away from a student, whose name was redacted in the report. It also said Henderson would be home schooled and supervised by his mother. More: Antioch school shooting: Nashville suspect, 17, posted alt-right paraphernalia, photos from past school shootings Records show the box cutter incident happened on or around Oct. 24, 2024, and the victim in the case was a female student.. When questioned by school administration, the female student said the two were walking to lunch when she said "hey" to Henderson. When he didn't hear her, the report said the female said "hey" again and her turned to her and pulled the box cutter from his jacket pocket and exposed the blade before walking to a table and sitting down. The report said Henderson said he would "cut anyone" that walks up on him. Henderson told school officials the unnamed student came up with her friends saying they were going to "jump him." A second incident reported in Henderson's file showed the teen was charged in November 2023 with one count each of aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and sexual exploitation of a minor for downloading child pornography. More: Nashville police: Antioch High School student fired 10 shots in 17 seconds The teen admitting to downloading sexual images and videos of minor children and posting them to various Discord server accounts, records show. Henderson was released to his parents and was ordered to not use social media and not have access to the internet, cell phones or computers, according to filings. Chaos unfolded at Antioch High School at 11:09 a.m. Jan. 22 as Henderson, armed with a pistol, opened fire in the school's cafeteria, fatally wounding Escalante before using the weapon on himself. MNPD Chief John Drake said it was not clear if the shooting was targeted, or if there was a motive behind it. He said at the time that an investigation was underway, and there were a variety of leads. In the wake of the shooting, Adrienne Battle, the MNPS director, said multiple safety measures were in place at Antioch High, including school resource officers, a secured vestibule at the entrance and cameras with weapon-detection software. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville teen brought weapon to Antioch High before shooting
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
More MNPS students are graduating, but are they future ready? Data says 'No'
Just how good was Metro Nashville Public Schools' graduation rate last year? Well, it depends on who you ask. For Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, the 85.7% rate—the highest since the district has been keeping track of how many students end their careers with a diploma — was so good he felt the need to mention it several times during his State of Metro Address on May 1. And there's the MNPS administration — masters as they are at cherry picking data to support a narrative focusing on 'improvements' and 'level 5 status' and 'every child being known.' But if you ask anyone who's paying attention — who knows, perhaps, how to navigate the dashboard for the Tennessee Department of Education's State Report Card — they know that, while MNPS's graduation rate certainly isn't bad, it isn't exactly good either. If nothing else, it's misleading. Understand: Tennessee doesn't just track graduation rates. The Department of Education also tracks a statistic called 'ready graduate,' which 'reflects the percentage of graduating students who demonstrated readiness for postsecondary education and/or a career after high school.' The graduation rate cited by O'Connell during his address is from the 2023-24 school year, but because the State Report Card's data lags a year, the 'ready graduate' rates from 2023-24 are not yet available. But we do have data from the year before. And even if we assume a slight bump in 'ready graduate' rates to account for the 4.5-percentage point increase in graduation rate over the same period, the numbers would still be abysmal. That's because the "ready graduate" rate for the 2022-23 school year is 34.2%, meaning barely a third of graduating students were adequately prepared for the future. For Black, Hispanic and Native American students, the rate drops to 23.8%. For the economically disadvantaged, it's 20.6%. 'I want all of us to have more of the things we need,' O'Connell said during the address, including 'schools we're proud of.' As a Nashvillian who cares about all children in the city, including those who are not my own, I can appreciate O'Connell's sentiment. I also understand that the kind of progress MNPS needs to make can't happen overnight, and that O'Connell's 2025-26 proposed budget includes an increase in MNPS funding meant to directly address issues like student achievement. But to paint MNPS as an overall success for graduating 85.7% of students in the interim, or to even tout the district's record-high graduation rate without acknowledging how few of those students are on track to become economically independent adults, is to engage in the dissemination of propaganda and willful manipulation. That wasn't the approach O'Connell took when he addressed the hike in Nashville property values (an average increase of 45%), which will naturally result in higher property taxes. For the blessed residents who own their homes in this booming market, he still managed to addressed the pro and the con, speaking directly to homeowners' greatest concerns. Opinion: Tennessee student athletes deserve better, but state takeover isn't the answer Yet the same cannot be said for the people for whom Nashville, and MNPS, are less effective. These are the people who need the schools to work for them — and, perhaps more importantly, need to know when they're not. After all, the trouble with the Tuskegee Experiment wasn't just that doctors denied treatment to the men suffering with syphilis. It was that those doctors led those poor Black men to believe they were, in fact, being treated. During his address, O'Connell mentioned that Nashville has been called a beacon by other cities because thousands of us came together to pass the transit bill last November. It's a moment O'Connell is clearly proud of, and one that will likely define his legacy for years to come. But for the sake of students across the city, my prayer is that Nashville will one day become a beacon because our city chose to buck the status quo that large, urban school districts will disproportionately fail the Black, Brown, and poor among them. I pray that thousands of us can come together to ensure the educational and vocational futures of the students who don't attend Nashville's excellent academic magnet schools, who don't have access to after-school tutors, and who don't have white collar parents with college degrees who can easily assist their children with their homework in the evenings. But that's only possible if we demand, collectively, that all 85.7% of our graduating high schoolers be prepared to attend college or pursue a post-secondary certification that will position them for well-paying careers and financial stability. And that's only possible when we know that, right now, only a third of them are. Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country music, sports, race and society. Email her at adwilliams@ or follow her on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @AndreaWillWrite and BlueSky at @ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: MNPS graduation rates hide truth of student unpreparedness | Opinion
