TCAP results show half of Tennessee students not meeting grade standards

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - TCAP scores show more than 50% of students in Tennessee aren’t meeting the standard for their grade level.

Based on standardized test scores from the 2021-22 school year, the subjects that students seem to be struggling with the most are English Language Arts and math. More than 60% of students are falling behind in ELA and 70% are falling behind in math.

There are some signs of improvement from years past.

ELA test scores are now above pre-pandemic levels with 36% of students testing at grade level. This is a 1% increase from the 2019-2020 school year. Math TCAP scores from the 2021-2022 school year are still being 2019′s scores by 7%.

“I think that’s to be expected after a pandemic,” Amber Blystone, the parent of a fourth grader, said. “The kids had a pause in their school year and it’s taking time for them to catch up.”

There was a big jump from the math and ELA test scores from the 2020-2021 school year.

In 2021, 26% of students met expectations for math. Fast forward to 2022 where 30% of students tested at or above their grade level. The ELA TCAP scores went from 30% in 2021 to 36% in 2022.

“It’s promising to see that there’s an increase in ELA and reading. What it shows us is the state’s efforts to actually put in place literacy reform,” Nashville PROPEL executive director Sonya Thomas said. “It’s working, but I’m very anxious to see if these reforms fare in a large urban school district such as ours.

Nashville PROPEL is an organization focused on holding education leaders accountable.

“I do this work because I never want another parent to feel the way that I felt when I found out my son was not getting the education that he needed and deserved,” Thomas said.

Thomas’ son just finished ninth grade. She said over the past two school years, her son has been working to improve his TCAP scores.

“When he was in seventh grade, I found out he was reading on a second grade reading level and I have fought for children ever since I came to that realization, and I will get up every morning to make sure these children get the education they deserve,” Thomas said. “What we would like to see is we have 50% of our children, our third graders, reading on grade level by the end of the school year next year.”

State leaders credit in-school learning, online tutoring and summer camps as a few resources that helped students improve their standardized test scores between the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.

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