Tennessee Civil Rights Organization Says “No” to Assessment Pause
(Aug. 8, 2018)—The Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition recognizes the challenges
associated with the administration of TNReady are a source of concern, and have created
issues of trust between the State Department of Education and districts and communities. But
hitting pause on testing is not the answer and sends a dangerous signal that the path forward is
unclear, that the information we have will not suffice. District leaders have a unique platform to
craft a vision and provide stability and direction. We need them at the table offering solutions
more than ever.
Tennessee has made progress on a range of measures over the last ten years, but stubborn
gaps in achievement and outcomes persist for students of color, and those living in poverty.
That’s why when the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition was formed in 2016 we identified
accountability, including rigorous standards and aligned assessments, as a shared priority and
focus of our advocacy at the state and local level. Our Coalition believes that the path forward
lies in maintaining a focus on setting high expectations, monitoring student and school
performance, and prompting decisive action when they fall and stay behind.
The quality of the TNReady assessment, which is aligned to our state standards, is not in
question. Parents across Tennessee regularly report support for annual testing, and a plurality
believe that we should keep TNReady, but that it must be fixed. Additionally, the majority of
Tennessee’s teachers reported this spring that the state’s assessment is consistent with their
own teaching goals and objectives, practices, and school’s educational goals.
The TNReady tests in grades 3-8 in both MNPS and Shelby County Schools were conducted
this spring with paper and pencil, avoiding the challenges with online implementation that some
students experienced at the high school level. These test results provide information that can
and must be used to identify where students and schools need support, which strategies are
working, and where we must align resources and interventions.
Our state has worked hard to ensure that our standards, instructional practices, and
assessments are aligned for student success. We urge all of our education leaders and
policymakers to press forward, tackling our testing challenges head-on, and rebuilding trust by
staying the course and getting it right for every student in Tennessee.
Statement from the following Steering Committee members of the Tennessee Educational
Equity Coalition:




Claudia Caballero
Hank Clay
Executive Director
CEO

Centro Hispano de East Tennessee
Communities in Schools of Tennessee
Nashville
Nashville

 Tosha Downey 

Director of Advocacy

Memphis Education Fund
Memphis

Terri Freeman
President
National Civil Rights Museum

Memphis

Candy Johnson
Independent Consultant
C. Johnson Consulting
Chattanooga

Kenyatta Lovett 

Executive Director
Complete Tennessee
Nashville

Mary Cypress Metz
Vice President of Programs
State Collaborative on Reforming Education
Nashville

Phyllis Nichols
President and CEO
Knoxville Area Urban League
Knoxville

Cardell Orrin
Director
Stand For Children
Memphis

Gladys Pineda-Loher
Director of International Community Outreach
Chattanooga State Community College
Chattanooga

Gini Pupo-Walker
Sr. Director of Education Policy & Programs

Conexión Américas

Nashville

Gloria Sweet-Love
State President


TN State Conference NAACP
Jackson


Derek Voiles
Tennessee 2017 Teacher of the Year
Hamblen County Schools
Morristown