Charting Progress toward Outcomes: Analyzing the Role of Professional Development in Early Implementation of Tennessee's Mathematics Standard

Abstract

Tennessee has set ambitious student achievement goals for itself that include increasing students' levels of achievement and decreasing achievement gaps. A strategic plan, Tennessee Succeeds, codified these goals in October 2015 and identified rigorous state academic standards as a powerful lever for improving teaching practice and student outcomes. In April 2016, a four-year-long collaborative revision process culminated in the adoption of the K-12 Tennessee Academic Standards for Math and English Language Arts, which were expected to be in use in classrooms at the start of school year 2017- 18. Since early 2016, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has been engaged in an implementation process relative to these revised academic standards at the direction of the Tennessee State Board of Education (TSBE). This process has included state-led professional development to support districts and schools in implementing the revised standards in their classrooms.