February 20, 2024
By BARTON HENLEY
Rutherford County Schools
Rutherford County Schools has been named an Advancing District, and nearly a third of all Rutherford schools have earned “Reward” status.
These designations were announced today by the Tennessee Department of Education as part of the annual accountability report.
“We are very proud of our schools that were designated as ‘Reward Status,’” Director of Schools Dr. Jimmy Sullivan said. “Reward designation looks at the entire picture for school performance including achievement, growth, chronic absenteeism, English language acquisition (for English language learners), graduation rate and ready-graduate percentage. To achieve reward status is a compliment to the work of the entire school community.”
Twenty is the most number of Rutherford schools to earn the designation in one year.
The following Rutherford County Schools have earned reward status for 2023:
- Blackman High School
- Blackman Middle School
- Cedar Grove Elementary School
- Central Magnet School
- Christiana Middle School
- Eagleville School
- Holloway High School
- Lascassas Elementary School
- McFadden School of Excellence
- Plainview Elementary School
- Rockvale High School
- Rutherford County Virtual School
- Siegel Middle School
- Smyrna Primary School
- Stewartsboro Elementary School
- Stewarts Creek Elementary School
- Thurman Francis Arts Academy
- Walter Hill Elementary School
- Whitworth-Buchanan Middle School
- Wilson Elementary School
Schools are recognized as a Reward school when they demonstrate high levels of performance and/or improvement in performance by meeting their annual measurable objectives across performance indicators and student groups, and the Reward school distinction places significant emphasis on improvement from the prior school year, according to TDOE. From the 2020-21 TCAP administration, a significant number of schools saw improvement and increased participation in this year’s assessments to qualify for the distinction.
In fall of 2023, TDOE announced Rutherford County Schools, as a district, had earned a Level 5 designation, which is the highest score possible. In addition, 26 individual Rutherford schools had also earned Level 5 rank.