NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -
The Tennessee Board of Education on Thursday released district breakdowns of TCAP test results.
The Metro Nashville Public School system made growth in all areas, with significant gains in math and science.
As a district, they met seven of nine performance goals in the new state accountability system.
The overall state results were released in June and show Tennessee students improved in math and science, but only half were proficient in reading.
The district said seventh grade math was an area of intense focus this year, with special intervention time and targeted professional development.
All the hard work paid off as students in that subject made double-digit gains.
"When you work hard and focus on what you need to improve in, you are going to see those gains," said Dr. Lora Hall, with Metro Schools.
Among the district-wide results, students made gains in math by 6.5 percent, reading by 3 percent, science by 5.6 percent and social studies by 3.2 percent.
This was the first year TCAP scores made up a part of students' final grades and teachers' evaluations.
"How much of a motivator in terms of performance? It's hard to say, but it did have probably some impact," said Paul Changas, with Metro Schools.
Metro is now in what is called an intermediate status under the new state accountability system. That means, for the first time in years, the district isn't in a warning or target group.
That said, district leaders believe there is still a ways to go.
Overall, only 38 percent of Metro students are classified as proficient in math and 42 percent are proficient in reading.
"We can't be satisfied with where we are. We have to look at continuing to accelerate the rate of achievement as we go forward," said Schools Director Dr. Jesse Register.
This is the first year the state is not participating in the No Child Left Behind program, and Register said the benchmarks set by the state are more difficult because they are realistic.
Register also said the hardest thing to do now is close the achievement gaps between different ethnicity groups and income levels, and that is something the new state accountability system stresses.
To view the complete results, visit: http://www.tn.gov/education/tcap2012.shtml.
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