Annually, the CMCSS Student Code of Conduct is reviewed in accordance with state laws and local policy and procedure. In May 2024, the CMCSS School Board will approve the Student Code of Conduct for the 2024-2025 school year. To receive valuable input to continuously improve, CMCSS is seeking feedback from all stakeholders on the Student Code of Conduct and student discipline.
Please click here to provide feedback. The survey will be open through Wednesday, January 31.
January 5th, 2024
The state of Tennessee has had a student promotion and retention law in place since 2011. During the 2021 Special Session, the Tennessee legislature updated that law to ensure that all students have the support to read and perform on grade level no later than the 2022-23 school year. If a student does not pass the 3rd-grade section of the ELA TCAP (a student who receives an approaching or below score), they will be provided support to ensure they are ready for grade-level ELA lessons in fourth grade. If a student’s family does not wish to take advantage of these supports, the student will be retained to third grade to ensure that they receive an additional year of instruction and can participate fully during their fourth grade ELA classroom moving forward. For more information, click here for the Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) FAQ document.
For some 3rd-grade students in Tennessee, this updated law requires the student and their family to make some important decisions. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, 3rd-grade students who receive “approaching” or “below” on the English Language Arts (ELA) section of the TCAP assessment are able to get important learning supports from their school for free to ensure they are ready to move on to the 4th grade.
If a student’s family does not wish to take advantage of these supports, which are outlined in the graphic below, the student will be retained to 3rd grade the following school year and will not be promoted to 4th grade. Additionally, under the updated provisions of the law, your child must make adequate growth on the 4th grade ELA portion of the TCAP test before being promoted to fifth grade. However, the following students are exempt from 3rd-grade retention: English learners with less than two years of ELA instruction, students previously retained in grades K-3, students with a disability that impacts reading or students with a suspected disability that impacts reading.
The state has an appeal process for students who have been identified for retention in third grade and achieved a performance level of “approaching” on either the third-grade TCAP English Language Arts (ELA) portion or the TCAP retake assessment. A parent or legal guardian has 14 calendar days from the time of notification of a third-grade student who scored “approaching” on the ELA section of TCAP to submit an appeal. More information will be included here after the state releases final information on appeals.
The following criteria outline eligibility for an appeal approval:
Criteria will be added after being finalized by the state.
A link to the Tennessee Department of Education Third Grade Retention Parent Appeal Form will be available here after it is released by the state.
Please see below for a timeline from the Tennessee Department of Education:
Fall:
Winter:
Spring:
Please see below for resources from the Tennessee Department of Education:
As with all legislation, the laws, rules, regulations, and guidance are subject to change.
The Tennessee Department of Education recently released school, district, and state data. Under the Implementation of the federal mandate of the “Every Student Succeeds Act,” the state accountability plan evaluates schools in five specific areas: Achievement, Growth, Absenteeism, English Language Proficiency, and College and Career.
Additionally, under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act the state is required to identify schools with struggling performance in a federally identified subgroup. These subgroups include each individual racial/ethnic group, students with disabilities, economically-disadvantaged students, and English Learners. These rules have remained in place as school districts across the nation have struggled through the pandemic and standardized assessment concerns since March 2020.
Norman Smith has been identified as a Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) school for the student subgroup of Hispanic for student achievement.
Our school is working strategically with the district and the Tennessee Department of Education to improve students’ performance by focusing on TIER I instruction, providing research-based, highly-effective interventions for struggling students, and utilizing strategic and ongoing data feedback. As our most powerful partner in this work, we invite you to help by participating in our school improvement efforts, joining us at school events, and providing feedback. Additionally, please partner with us to ensure your child is on time and present at school each day.
Sincerely,
Amy Williams
Principal
The CMCSS Special Populations Department will continue its Family Engagement Series on Wednesday, February 7, with the session “What’s DIDD?” The District is joined by the TN Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and will share the programs offered at the state level. Services include early intervention, support for children with disabilities, services to transition to independence, and behavioral health support.
This free event is open to the public, and CMCSS families are encouraged to attend. The meeting will be held at the William O. Beach Civic Hall at Veterans Plaza (350 Pageant Lane, Suite 201) from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
If you have any questions, please contact Shannon Peacock, CMCSS Director of Special Populations, at [email protected].
The first session in the series, “Understanding IDEA and Section 504,” was held in November 2023.
The mission of Norman Smith Elementary School is to educate and empower the whole student to strive to reach their highest academic potential in a positive and rigorous learning environment.
Prioritized List of Goal Targets
1. All students are proficient and fluent readers.
2. All students have a foundational understanding of math concepts.
3. All students are able to speak about and write with accuracy on a given topic.
4. All students utilize strategies and tools to display emotional regulation and mindfulness.
