NASHVILLE, TN—Last week the celebration began in Tennessee, where formerly low-performing schools and school districts across the state received good news. On July 22, the Tennessee Department of Education announced that 79 schools and 5 districts made important progress during the 2008-2009 school year.
For 42 schools, the past year's progress moved them off the state's high priority list and put 38 of them in good standing, where some had not been since No Child Left Behind was signed into law in 2002. The schools that moved off the list all received at least two years of assistance from Exemplary Educators—turnaround specialists who are hired and trained by Edvantia, Inc. The remainder of the 79 schools will achieve good standing if they maintain their progress during the upcoming school year. These schools, as well, have been assisted by Exemplary Educators.
Last year, Tennessee's districts in need of improvement numbered five, and Wednesday's announcement revealed that four made good progress and one moved into good standing. Staff members from the Tennessee Department of Education worked with the districts, and these Department staff received targeted training from Edvantia.
Edvantia has been collaborating with the state department of education since 2001, designing and administering the Exemplary Educator program. The company has offices in Charleston, WV, and in Nashville, TN, where a large percentage of Edvantia's work focuses on the training and daily work of the Exemplary Educators.
Overall, more than half of the Tennessee's 130 high priority schools achieved adequate yearly progress in 2008-2009. Most of these schools had Exemplary Educators working with them, but some of these specially trained educators have been at their schools for just one year. Schools must make progress for at least two years in a row to return to good standing. Over the past eight years, Edvantia's Exemplary Educators have helped 176 schools achieve good standing.
The Exemplary Educators program received recognition at the national level in 2007, when the program was selected for a Top 50 Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard University.
Dr. Steven Moats, who directs the Exemplary Educators program for Edvantia, says, "We're very pleased with the continued good results of the work we're doing. Many factors go into creating the quality of technical assistance provided by our staff. Our reliance on research and best practices in education, and our own research and evaluation efforts so we can look at how well we’re doing—these help Exemplary Educators target the right problems and make the most of whatever time we can spend with schools. We focus on helping members of a school community develop a sense of urgency around areas of need, one of which is finding solutions for every child."
Edvantia President and CEO Dr. Doris Redfield credits the contributions of the Tennessee Department of Education. "We very much appreciate the continued support of the Department. Without their strong faith in the program, and the funding they provide, our results would not be possible."
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About Tennessee Exemplary Educators: Since 2001, more than 186 experienced educators have received intensive training designed and delivered by Edvantia. These professionals, called Tennessee Exemplary Educators, or EEs, have assisted approximately 300 high priority schools and 26 high priority districts. EEs use coaching techniques to build staff capacity in core areas associated with improved performance and student achievement. EEs have gotten results in Tennessee schools—at all grade levels and in all locations. Learn more about Exemplary Educators here.
About Edvantia: Edvantia is a nonprofit corporation, founded in 1966, that partners with education agencies, foundations, publishers, and service providers to apply expertise in research, evaluation, professional development, and technical assistance to help schools and students succeed. Specialty areas include district and school improvement, teacher quality, systems development and alignment, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), 21st century skills, and college access. Learn more at the Edvantia Web site or contact Dr. Tony Marchesi (see above).
