In a recent government meeting, the board approved a contract with the Tennessee Education Cooperative to provide behavioral science services for students with disabilities for the 2024-2025 school year. This initiative aims to support schools in addressing the needs of students exhibiting extreme behavioral challenges.

Dr. Leanne Strickland presented the annual TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) report, detailing the district's strategies to improve student performance in third-grade English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics. The state has set an ambitious goal for 70% of third graders to be proficient in ELA by 2028. Currently, only 29.8% of students meet or exceed expectations, but the district aims to raise this figure to 56% by 2025.

In mathematics, the district's goal is to achieve 56% proficiency across grades 3-12, with a target of 40% for 2024, which was not met. However, improvements are anticipated due to enhanced training and support for teachers using a new curriculum.

The report also highlighted the district's success in preparing students for post-secondary opportunities, with 47.1% of graduates classified as \"ready graduates,\" surpassing the goal of 39.3%. This achievement is attributed to advancements in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and dual enrollment programs.

The board emphasized the importance of collaboration among educators to meet these goals, particularly through the newly launched literacy investment initiative, which focuses on improving literacy across all student populations. The plan will be available for public feedback before its submission to the state by November 1st.

Overall, the meeting underscored the district's commitment to enhancing educational outcomes for all students, particularly those facing challenges.