During the 2011-2012 school year, Tennessee became one of the first States to implement a comprehensive new teacher evaluation system based on multiple measures of teacher performance. In the Volunteer State, these multiple measures include student achievement data, value-added measures and multiple classroom observations. This paper and the…

NIET [National Institute for Excellence in Teaching] continually evaluates the impact of TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement on raising student achievement, improving instruction and increasing the ability of high-need schools to recruit, retain and support effective teachers. In addition to national results in student achievement…

Quality Rating System (QRS) initiatives define levels of quality based on research and then support providers with funding and technical assistance to increase their quality. Each program is assessed and given a number of "stars" to indicate to parents what level of quality the program has reached. In this article, the author describes…

Despite numerous studies on educators' upward mobility and a plethora of administrator selection criteria, little research has been done on the process of moving from teaching positions to the principalship. Administrators are not always chosen fairly; sometimes they are preselected before the final interview--even when an elaborate selection…

Examines school finance reform in Tennessee, based on a survey of 82 superintendents' views on 1991-92 budget cuts, tax reforms, the "Tennessee Small School Systems v. McWherter" lawsuit, and the effect of proposed Basic Education Program requirements on local districts' special education programs. State budget cuts affected all…

A model is presented which helps principals plan and evaluate instructional improvement. Described in relation to educational reform in Tennessee, the model assigns to principals the responsibility to implement the instructional changes required by a career ladder program. Research shows that continuing education, communication, and climate (the…

Covering the period of 1973-76, the Tennessee Exemplary Project in Career Education (TEPCE) was designed to develop a comprehensive career education program, in the Greeneville and Greene County, Tennessee, schools. Objectives for each level in the educational program were established for the awareness (K-5), exploration (6-8), preparation (9-12),…

The Knox County extended school year (ESY) program emphasized K-12 curriculum improvement. During the trial of the ESY scheduling and curriculum changes, there was an increase in English and social studies scores at the high school, an increase at all levels in the extent to which students perceived that individualization of instruction was taking…