Eagle Eye! Special Edition

Dear Jefferson families,

We are excited to share with you that Jefferson Middle School has earned an “A” grade according to the Tennessee Department of Education’s new A-F Letter Grade Rating System. This rating did not come easy and is the direct result of the hard work and resilience of our students and staff, and the commitment to excellence from our families and community.

Additional information about how the letter grade is calculated is outlined below; however, we want to highlight that our school achieved a Level 5, the highest possible score, in each of the three scored areas.

Lastly, we want to note that these letter grades will be recalculated and released annually based on the most recent state test results. This year’s letter grade is based on the 2022-23 state testing results. we have included a much more detailed breakdown below.

We want to thank you for your continued support of Jefferson Middle School and its students. None of this would be possible without the Jefferson staff and parents' shared commitment to see these students excel as we know they can.

Thank you.

Please continue to have a wonderful holiday season! We look forward to seeing your students back on January 3rd!

Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu

Ben Fowler, Vice Principal, bjfowler@ortn.edu

Jacob Quilliams, Dean of Students jrquilliams@ortn.edu

The Calculation

For middle schools, the letter grade is calculated based on three indicators—Achievement, Academic Growth and Growth25—each of which is assigned a numeric score between 1 and 5, with 5 being the highest possible score. Achievement is measured by the state Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test and Growth is measured by Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) test results. Additionally, Growth is represented in two ways—Growth achieved by the overall student population, and Growth25, the academic growth achieved by the lowest 25% of performers. Each of these areas is weighted to determine its contribution towards the overall letter grade, and in the middle school model, Growth is weighted equally to overall student achievement.

State Wide Scale

Looking Ahead

While we are thrilled with this year’s “A’ grade, we know that the work is never finished as we continue to strive to get better every day. Over the last several years we have been intentional about making data-informed decisions to guide our work while providing individualized support and instruction whenever possible. As a result, we’ve seen a net increase in our student proficiency since 2019 and have outperformed the state in every TCAP scored category. We look forward to continuing to implement impactful learning strategies in the classroom and will remain diligent in doing what’s best for our students.

Background

In 2016, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation requiring TDOE to establish a letter-grade (A-F) evaluation system for public schools. The legislature has stated that it was their intent to increase transparency for families and stakeholders. Due to challenges related to state testing and COVID-19, the new accountability system was delayed for several years. The letter grades will be recalculated and released on an annual basis and may vary from year to year. The letter grade will always be calculated using the most recent testing data. This year’s letter grade is calculated using the 2022-23 academic year testing data.

Additional Information

To learn more about the new School Letter Grade Rating System in the state of Tennessee, please visit tn.gov/education/schoollettergrades.