Tennessee students make up ground in English testing

Tennessee students returned to pre-pandemic proficiency levels in English, according to statewide standardized testing data released Tuesday.

• Students outpaced national expectations for improvement, Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said in a media briefing.

Yes, but: Even with the improvements, just 36.4% of students in grades three through 12 are meeting grade-level expectations.

• The data continued to show an achievement gap, with economically disadvantaged students lagging behind.
• And the data shows students speaking English as a second language have been perhaps most negatively impacted by the pandemic in the subject of English arts, according to Schwinn.

Why it matters: The statewide testing data is one indicator of how students are performing in the classroom following the learning disruptions caused by the pandemic.

By the numbers: According to the data, three in 10 students are meeting expectations for math. That's up from about 25% in 2021.

What's next: School district testing results will be released in early July.