EAST TENNESSEE, Tenn. (Story Courtesy of WVLT) – The Professional Educators of Tennessee has requested the state to delay TCAP testing to give districts more instructional time.
This comes after recent winter storms forced multiple snow day closures across East Tennessee, leaving educators scrambling to cover required material before state testing begins in April.
School districts across the region are working to balance catch-up instruction with test preparation after weather-related closures impacted lesson plans across middle and East Tennessee.
Scott County Schools Superintendent Billy Hall said his district has used 12 of its 13 allocated snow days for the year.
The superintendent said finding balance when adjusting student lessons presents ongoing challenges.
“It’s always a thing of, did we get enough time with our students? Did we get to reach all the objectives that are placed upon us for the test?” Hall said.
Claiborne County Schools has now used 14 snow days, but were only allocated 13 days for the school year, according to a district spokesperson.
J.C. Bowman, director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said the winter storms created significant scheduling pressures for affected districts.
“You’ve got to remember, you have nine weeks of material that you’re trying to cram into seven weeks,” Bowman said.
Hall said additional instructional time before testing would benefit students, provided the state guarantees necessary data for the next school year.
“We’ve got to get the guarantees from the state that if we push that back, that we can get the data we need for the next school year. So like there’s a healthy balance,” Hall said.
Bowman said the request focuses on ensuring student readiness.
Bowman added he is waiting for a formal response from the state regarding the request.
