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Director of Jefferson Dr. Tommy Arnold was pleased overall with the system’s performance on the latest round of state-wide testing performed at the end of the last school year.

Arnold said the district has had a month to analyze the data with administrators and staff and is proud of the team effort that goes into Jefferson County education.

“We are proud of the amazing effort and work put in everyday from teachers, support staff, students, parents and community stakeholders. The district understands that each employee of Jefferson County Schools is vital to our continued growth and success,” he said. “The team effort begins at the bus stop in the morning, continues to car rider lines, past the cafeteria line, and into the classroom. Everyone should be proud to be part of the achievement growth for our students.”

Arnold said the district scored above state average on the TNReady Language Arts tests in grades 4 through 8. Only third graders – who scored 38.8% were below state average which was 40.5% proficient.

“Our third grade students experienced COVID-19 disruptions during their kindergarten year and additional disruptions during their first grade year. We applaud the third grade teachers, students and parents for closing major gaps and reaching a proficiency level nearly double the cohort’s second grade TCAP score. The district has placed a significant amount of resources and time into reading instruction over the past three years. We celebrate the teachers and their students’ success,” Arnold said.

Julie Allen, Piedmont Elementary principal, said she feels blessed to be part of the Jefferson County Schools team.

“The collaboration and dedication of our teachers, students and parents throughout the school year have exceeded expectations,” she said.

Arnold said the District recognizes that more work must be done.

“While the scores are the highest averages with our current standards and assessments, we realize that many students continue to need specific attention and support moving forward,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring additional students reach higher levels of proficiency next year.”

In math, the District tested above state average in third, fourth and 8th grades but trailed state averages in fifth, sixth and seventh.

Ben Willings, principal at Rush Strong School, said he is impressed and excited by the outstanding student outcomes in math in Jefferson County.

“The district has prioritized a comprehensive curriculum in grades K – 8 for the past two years,” he said. “So much credit goes to a strong plan that was then implemented by our teachers which impacted our students.”

In middle school, Jefferson County students significantly outpaced the state average by at least 10 percentage points in sixth, seventh and eighth grade on the TNReady Social Studies test.

“We are very pleased to see these scores as close to the state average as they are. As students continue to build literacy and math skills, we expect our science scores to increase as well. We see these efforts paying off in middle school grades where scores outpace the state average across each grade level,” he said. “The teachers and students should be really proud of their effort and outcomes. We are happy to see success across so many areas in our middle schools.”

On the TNReady Science testing, Jefferson County elementary students trailed state averages in third through fifth grades but exceeded them in middle school.

“We are very pleased to see these scores as close to the state average as they are. As students continue to build literacy and math skills, we expect our science scores to increase as well. We see these efforts paying off in middle school grades where scores outpace the state average across each grade level,” Arnold said. “The teachers and students should be really proud of their effort and outcomes. We are happy to see success across so many areas in our middle schools.”

In high school, Jefferson County students outperformed the state average in Algebra I, Geometry, English I and Biology and trailed state average in Algebra II and English II.

“We have seen our teachers and staff rise to the challenge of meeting our students’ needs in many different ways since the pandemic, but our continued success on state assessments is a testament to our collective work: Everyone is on the same page, rowing in the same direction and focused on our students,” said Michelle Walker, assistant director of schools. “This translates to opportunities for Jefferson County students as they leave our district on the pathway to the ‘3 E’s’ — employment, enlistment, or enrollment.”

From Staff Reports

Director of Jefferson Dr. Tommy Arnold was pleased overall with the system’s performance on the latest round of state-wide testing performed at the end of the last school year.

Arnold said the district has had a month to analyze the data with administrators and staff and is proud of the team effort that goes into Jefferson County education.

“We are proud of the amazing effort and work put in everyday from teachers, support staff, students, parents and community stakeholders. The district understands that each employee of Jefferson County Schools is vital to our continued growth and success,” he said. “The team effort begins at the bus stop in the morning, continues to car rider lines, past the cafeteria line, and into the classroom. Everyone should be proud to be part of the achievement growth for our students.”

Arnold said the district scored above state average on the TNReady Language Arts tests in grades 4 through 8. Only third graders – who scored 38.8% were below state average which was 40.5% proficient.

“Our third grade students experienced COVID-19 disruptions during their kindergarten year and additional disruptions during their first grade year. We applaud the third grade teachers, students and parents for closing major gaps and reaching a proficiency level nearly double the cohort’s second grade TCAP score. The district has placed a significant amount of resources and time into reading instruction over the past three years. We celebrate the teachers and their students’ success,” Arnold said.

Julie Allen, Piedmont Elementary principal, said she feels blessed to be part of the Jefferson County Schools team.

“The collaboration and dedication of our teachers, students and parents throughout the school year have exceeded expectations,” she said.

Arnold said the District recognizes that more work must be done.

“While the scores are the highest averages with our current standards and assessments, we realize that many students continue to need specific attention and support moving forward,” he said. “We are committed to ensuring additional students reach higher levels of proficiency next year.”

In math, the District tested above state average in third, fourth and 8th grades but trailed state averages in fifth, sixth and seventh.

Ben Willings, principal at Rush Strong School, said he is impressed and excited by the outstanding student outcomes in math in Jefferson County.

“The district has prioritized a comprehensive curriculum in grades K – 8 for the past two years,” he said. “So much credit goes to a strong plan that was then implemented by our teachers which impacted our students.”

In middle school, Jefferson County students significantly outpaced the state average by at least 10 percentage points in sixth, seventh and eighth grade on the TNReady Social Studies test.

“We are very pleased to see these scores as close to the state average as they are. As students continue to build literacy and math skills, we expect our science scores to increase as well. We see these efforts paying off in middle school grades where scores outpace the state average across each grade level,” he said. “The teachers and students should be really proud of their effort and outcomes. We are happy to see success across so many areas in our middle schools.”

On the TNReady Science testing, Jefferson County elementary students trailed state averages in third through fifth grades but exceeded them in middle school.

“We are very pleased to see these scores as close to the state average as they are. As students continue to build literacy and math skills, we expect our science scores to increase as well. We see these efforts paying off in middle school grades where scores outpace the state average across each grade level,” Arnold said. “The teachers and students should be really proud of their effort and outcomes. We are happy to see success across so many areas in our middle schools.”

In high school, Jefferson County students outperformed the state average in Algebra I, Geometry, English I and Biology and trailed state average in Algebra II and English II.

“We have seen our teachers and staff rise to the challenge of meeting our students’ needs in many different ways since the pandemic, but our continued success on state assessments is a testament to our collective work: Everyone is on the same page, rowing in the same direction and focused on our students,” said Michelle Walker, assistant director of schools. “This translates to opportunities for Jefferson County students as they leave our district on the pathway to the ‘3 E’s’ — employment, enlistment, or enrollment.”