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There is no year-to-year comparison with the standardized test results for elementary and middle school students in Tennessee released Wednesday. But education officials are not trying to make them seem better than they appear.
Math was slightly better than English, but in both subjects, just over a third of students are considered on track. With the prior test, known as TCAP, roughly half were making the grade.
More: See the statewide results for the inaugural year of 3-8 TNReady
Still, Commissioner Candice McQueen says she doesn't want teachers to be discouraged by the scores.
"They are not a student's destiny," she said in a prepared statement. "The power of these results is that they give us better and more honest information at a certain moment in time as we continue to chart a path forward for each student."
TNReady is more difficult than the old TCAP assessment, but roughly on par with standardized tests in other states. The English portion also includes much more writing and no calculators are allowed on the math portions. McQueen says she hopes teachers will start making their regular testing more like the standardized exams so students are more prepared for the format.
State education officials say they hope to get test scores out earlier next year, blaming the delay on first-year hiccups. Their goal is to have results to teachers before the start of the following school year begins so they can rework lesson plans if needed.
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