The achievement gap between poor and affluent children in Tennessee is widening, even as the gap between minority students and their peers narrows.
The Tennesseannewspaper reports that last year, 60% of the state’s top schools served mostly poor children. This year, the number is just over 40%.
Yesterday, Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman and Governor BillHaslam released the list of the state’s "Reward Schools", 169 schools that are the top 5% for academic performance and/or progress since last year. The list is based on results of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) for grades 3 - 8 and on end-of-course exams for high school subjects.
Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman pointed to 70 high-poverty schools that were among the state’s reward schools as a sign that low incomes don’t always mean low academic achievement.
