States

Tennessee Board Rescinds Plan to Tie Licenses to Test Data

By Stephen Sawchuk — March 28, 2014 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

As teachers’ unions in Tennessee fight to reduce the weight placed on students’ standardized-test scores in teacher evaluations, they are edging closer to a victory on a related matter: certification.

Last August, the state board of education approved new regulations linking the Tennessee “value added” system, or TVAAS, to the license-renewal process. The rules, which were to have taken effect in 2015, required teachers with individual estimates generated by TVAAS to meet a certain performance threshold in order to maintain a license.

Though the board expected all but 5 percent of such teachers to clear the hurdle, the policy drew immediate opposition from the Tennessee Education Association. The union, an affiliate of the National Education Association, held several rallies to voice opposition to the new rules; groups representing administrators also expressed concerns.

See Also

See related story, “Tenn. Teachers’ Union Takes Evaluation Fight Into the Courtroom.”

Convinced by arguments that more alterations were needed, the board rescinded the policy in January. (A final withdrawal of the rules is to occur in April.)

“There was concern about the variability that occurs with TVAAS,” said B. Fielding Rolston, the chairman of the state board. “It’s a statistical process. I think it is a good process and a solid process, but it does vary from year to year.”

The board has since drafted a new framework that would instead tie license renewal to a teacher’s composite evaluation score. In that respect, the value-added information—which counts for up to 35 percent of each teacher’s overall score—would still matter. And the language includes an appeals process for teachers, Mr. Rolston said.

But the new version isn’t a go yet, either. It was pulled from consideration for the April board meeting because of pending legislation, supported by the TEA, that would prevent the state from granting, revoking, or renewing an educator’s license based on standardized-test scores.

The bill recently cleared a Senate committee by a bipartisan vote. In the House, where the measure has 80 co-sponsors, it is awaiting committee action.

Coverage of policy efforts to improve the teaching profession is supported by a grant from the Joyce Foundation, at www.joycefdn.org/Programs/Education. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
A version of this article appeared in the April 02, 2014 edition of Education Week as State Board Rescinds Plan to Tie Licenses to Test Data

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

States Republican and Democratic Governors Both Are Touting This K-12 Priority
Workforce readiness and career and technical education were the most common education themes in governors' state of the state addresses.
6 min read
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019.
Heidi Griebel and Josie Wahl participate in carpentry class at Career and Technical Education Academy in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Jan. 7, 2019. CTE programs were a core theme of several governors' state addresses in 2024.
Loren Townsley/The Argus Leader via AP
States School Chaplain Bills Multiply, Stirring Debate on Faith-Based Counseling
Proponents say school chaplains could help address a mental health crisis. Opponents raise concerns about religious coercion.
6 min read
Image of a bible sitting on top of a school backpack.
Canva
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
6 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States Q&A How Districts Can Navigate Tricky Questions Raised by Parents' Rights Laws
Where does a parent's authority stop and a school's authority begin? A constitutional law scholar weighs in.
6 min read
Illustration of dice with arrows and court/law building icons: conceptual idea of laws and authority.
Andrii Yalanskyi/iStock/Getty