Overton County Schools TCAP scores finished similar to last year’s scores, but Interim Director Kim Dillon said she is overall pleased.
Dillon said Livingston Academy saw jumps in Algebra scores. Some 63 percent of LA students who took AP exams passed.
“Those students acquired a total of 280 college classes, so that’s 280 credits from passing those exams,” Dillon said. “And then our AP History class, they achieved a 74 percent pass rate, and that’s surpassing the global average. So we were very, very tickled with those students and those teachers as well.”
Dillon said overall, scores across the district have been trending up. Dillon said there were increases in third through fifth grade English/Language Arts and Science scores.
In addition, Dillon said sixth through eighth grade students improved in Math and Social Studies this year. Dillon said students in the ninth through 12th grades scored higher in Math, Science, and Social Studies.
Dillon said the main concern is the scores among special student groups. This includes economically disadvantaged students and those with special needs.
“Our student groups are not seeing the growth we want, so were going to have to continue to work on that,” Dillon said. “But our achievement is consistently increasing, maybe not at the rate we want it to, but it’s getting better.”
Dillon said the EL student group, which is learning the English language, increased proficiency in every subject matter. As for the other groups, Dillon said the school system will work toward a solution to the problem.
Dillon said the difficult part is not diagnosing the issue, but creating a positive solution. Dillon said it is even more difficult since teachers have to learn a new group of students each school year.
“Teachers are having to figure out where the students are and how hard you can push them,” Dillon said. “I think that’s kind of a learning curve for every teacher, but that’s across the board. That’s not just in Overton County.”
Dillon said the school system is married to state approved curriculum, so there is little room for changes. She said hard work from teachers and students makes her believes scores will continue to trend in the right direction.
TCAP results were released to school districts on Tuesday. Individual student scores are expected to be released late next week.
