Knox County Schools Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk with an update about the system’s academic performance growth, budgeting and the district’s 18 reward schools.
It was part of a presentation today (Tuesday) on the district’s yearly report.
Knox County’s report shows a modest increase in third grade English and language arts test scores, a hot topic since the state introduced legislation upping the importance of the third grade TCAP test.
KCS is reporting a 9% increase in third grade English and language arts proficiency over three years. That means that there’s been a 9% increase in students who score well enough to move on to the fourth grade with no tutoring or test retakes.
Additionally, the school system reported a 6% increase in third and fourth grade math proficiency over three years.
The district also reported a 93% graduation rate, up from the almost 90% graduation rate of three years ago, when KCS introduced the 865 Academies initiative.
That graduation rate growth breaks down by type of student as well:
14.3% increase in graduation rates for students who are learning English
6.7% increase in graduation rates for special education students
12.9% increase in graduation rates for students who are experiencing homelessness
5.3% increase in graduation rates for economically disadvantaged students
School security, instruction materials and staffing took up a large chunk of the district’s budget. This is nothing new, since the system’s budget process is public, but it underscores KCS’s priorities in showcasing how it spends taxpayer money.
In the report, KCS reported spending $44 million in staffing, just over $15.3 million on instruction material and $3.2 million on school security.
“We will not waver in our efforts to improve outcomes for every student,” said Dr. Rysewyk. “We made tremendous progress on our four priorities in 2023-24, but we’ll continue to move the goalposts to set the example for the next generation in our classrooms. I’m proud of the tremendous work by our teachers, staff, and students to achieve these gains, and I look forward to continuing this momentum in the future.”
The county’s list of reward schools came out in November:
A.L. Lotts Elementary
Bearden Elementary
Blue Grass Elementary
Bonny Kate Elementary
Career Magnet Academy
Farragut Intermediate
Gap Creek Elementary
Gibbs Elementary
Hardin Valley Elementary
Karns Elementary
L&N STEM Academy
Mt. Olive Elementary
Northshore Elementary
Pleasant Ridge Elementary
Sequoyah Elementary
Shannondale Elementary
South Knox Elementary
West Valley Middle
