How good is your school? Find out on the Internet
A new website, called “Just for the Kids – Tennessee,” which compares schools with similar student demographics to show which schools are having the greatest success in teaching was unveiled recently by Gov. Don Sundquist.
“This is an exciting day for education in Tennessee,” said Sundquist. “We can now compare apples to apples in evaluating our schools to see what is working and what isn’t and what needs to be changed. This will be a valuable tool in improving education in communities across the state.”
The website is not unique to Tennessee. It was originally started by the Texas-based Just for the Kids non-profit organization, a nationally recognized leader in education reform. However, the state is one of the first states to become an affiliate of the Just for the Kids network, owing to a grant from the Susan and Michael Dell Foundation.
“The Just for the Kids data and best practice model will be a powerful tool for Tennessee parents and educators to improve student achievement. The state has been a leader in using testing data for accountability, and with this new website that data can drive school change,” said Tom Luce, the founder of Just for the Kids.
Chairing the new project will be Marty Dickens, president of Bell South Tennessee and director and treasurer of Tennessee Tomorrow, the group that will maintain the website, promote it within the state and raise funds to keep it online.