TCAP scores are ready after all, state says

A heavily scrutinized delay on releasing end-of-year state test scores was reversed Friday afternoon, but the results still might not affect final grades of students in more than 100 school systems.

The Tennessee Department of Education released scores from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Friday after “external experts” signed off on the validity and accuracy of the results seven days earlier than the state had anticipated.

Nevertheless, waivers will still be honored for districts that had asked because of the delay to be exempt from a state requirement that TCAP scores account for 15-25 percent of students’ final grades, a spokeswoman confirmed.

As of Friday, 104 school districts had been granted exemptions from the four-year-old law designed to make TCAP testing more meaningful to students.

Those districts, however, can relinquish their waivers now that results are available and some may choose to do so in the coming days.

The release of the scores comes after the Department of Education was roundly criticized when it alerted Tennessee’s 140 local school districts at the last minute Tuesday that TCAP scores wouldn’t be ready in time to go on final report cards for many of them.

Waivers from the state — an option because of a new law passed this year — had been offered as a remedy. But at a time when the increased volume of standardized testing in classrooms is under fire, the postponement fueled those who have led that fight.

Because of moves to eliminate portions of TCAP tests not aligned with Common Core standards, state officials had said they needed 10 more days to thoroughly review the assessment to make sure it was comparable to previous years’ exams.

This process, known as “post-equating,” was finished on time for high school exams, but not for the TCAP, which is taken by students in grades 3-8.

“While we had anticipated it might take longer for their review, the review is complete and we want to put them in your hands as quickly as possible,” Erin O’Hara, assistant commissioner for data and research, wrote to schools directors Friday.

“As I have tried to convey, our objective has been and will be to ensure accuracy of results precisely because we know how important the results are to your staff and students,” she added. “We know that the delay of several days caused some significant operational and planning challenges for you, and while the opportunity to receive a waiver from the state helped, it did not fully mitigate the challenges you faced. I am sorry that the delay put you in this position.”

The expedited release of TCAP data might have been too late for at least one district, and it did little to deflect criticism.

The school board for Williamson County, where classes concluded this week for the summer, voted Friday to appropriate $113,000 to pay more than 600 teachers to come back in June and input scores so that final grades can include TCAP results.

“The board took action based on the information they had at the time,” Williamson County Schools spokeswoman Carol Birdsong said. “We don’t have a choice.”

State Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, who along with other state Democrats has pounced on the issue by taking aim at state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, wasn’t satisfied with the explanation.

“Nothing they’ve said so far would explain their inability to accomplish this post-equating prior to the deadline and their inexplicable decision not to tell anybody about this apparent problem until the very day they were supposed to reveal the TCAP scores,” he said. “Clearly, we’re not getting the full story.”

Nashville-area school districts that received TCAP waivers are Metro Nashville, Cheatham County, Dickson County, Rutherford County, Sumner County, Murfreesboro City Schools and the Lebanon Special School District.

Metro Nashville Public Schools spokeswoman Meredith Libbey said Director of Schools Jesse Register plans to meet with other officials Tuesday to discuss whether to move ahead with the waiver.

“We haven’t made a decision yet,” Libbey said.

Maria Giordano contributed.

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.