NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WMOT) -- State lawmakers want to change the way the final school grades of some Tennessee students are calculated.
Republican Rep. John Forgety is sponsoring a measure in the House that would allow schools to apply up to 25 percent of state achievement test scores to a child’s final grade.
However, the bill would also give schools the option of completely ignoring TNReady data when calculating final scores for grades three to five. For grades six through eight, the legislation would require final scores be calculated using at least 10 percent of the TNReady assessment.
Rep. Forgety says the measure intentionally ramps up the pressure on Middle School students.
“The students needed to have, pardon the expression, but a little skin in the game in the performance of the assessment data.”
The legislation also responds to problems the State Department of Education has had in administering the TNReady academic assessment tests. In 2016 online testing completely collapsed. In 2017 final scores were late in arriving and some were scored incorrectly.
Rep. Forgety says that under the new measure the state must deliver the scores on time.
“And if those data are not returned at least five instructional days prior to the end of the course, they don’t have to use them at all.”
Currently, 15 percent of a high school students final score is calculating using TNReady data. The proposed legislation wouldn’t change that.
The measure has passed the House Thursday. It goes next to the State Senate for consideration.