Following the Tennessee Department of Education’s release of 2022-23 Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) measures, Oak Ridge Schools is proud to announce it has been named a Level 5 District, the highest available rating given to a school district. The TVAAS measures students’ academic growth over time and focuses on growth rather than student proficiency on the state assessment. The announcement comes just over a month after the release of achievement data from the state that saw Oak Ridge Schools score in the top 10-15% statewide in 13 of 17 total subject areas and grade bands included in TCAP testing.
“I’m particularly proud of being named a Level 5 district because of its focus on growth, which to Oak Ridge Schools means meeting students where they are and helping them grow to reach their full potential,” said Dr. Bruce Borchers, Superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools. “One of the Core Values of our district is Equity, giving each and every student the opportunity to succeed. Most students do not come to us scoring off the charts on their first day of school, but our principals and educators have made it their mission to support their growth throughout their academic career in Oak Ridge Schools. This Level 5 designation is a direct result of their hard work and dedication.”
The recently released scores underscore ORS continued growth and progress, positioning the district as a leader in advancing academic excellence across the state. In addition to being named a “Best for All District” for the way ESSER federal funds were leveraged to invest in student outcomes, ORS has implemented a data-driven approach to continuous improvement and implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) throughout the district to fuel collaboration, evaluate progress and develop innovative strategies and solutions for improvement.
“We continue to raise the bar, not just for our students, but for our staff across the district,” Borchers continued. “Our systemic adoption of PLCs and the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework has led to the development of impactful classroom strategies by our teachers that are then shared across the district. I can’t say enough about the work of our teachers and campus administrators to find ways to continue to improve, and their openness to adopting new strategies.”
Full results across grade levels and subject areas are anticipated to be released on the TDOE’s TVAAS website.
