(a) The department shall establish, fund, and implement an innovative benchmark assessment pilot program to provide the Tennessee universal math screener, the Tennessee universal reading screener, and a series of state-adopted benchmark assessments to LEAs and public charter schools to allow teachers to more frequently measure student learning and address student learning loss. The results of the pilot program may be used to determine alternative ways to utilize real-time data to measure student proficiency and to inform instructional practices.
Learning loss: means the loss of academic knowledge or skills previously acquired or a pause in academic advancement, most commonly due to extended time away from school or in-person instruction. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1502
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Tennessee universal math screener: means the uniform tool that screens and monitors a student's progress toward proficiency in math that is provided to LEAs and public charter schools by the department as part of the innovative benchmark assessment pilot program. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1502
Tennessee universal reading screener: means the universal reading screener that is provided to LEAs and public charter schools by the department as part of the innovative benchmark assessment pilot program. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1502
Universal reading screener: means a uniform tool that screens and monitors a student's progress towards phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. See Tennessee Code 49-6-1502
(b) LEAs and public charter schools may use the state-adopted benchmark assessments, the Tennessee universal math screener, the Tennessee universal reading screener, or a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education to measure the academic proficiency of students and to identify priority students for after-school learning mini-camps, learning loss bridge camps, and summer learning camps.(c) The state-adopted benchmark assessments established under this pilot program must be administered as the post-tests required as part of after-school learning mini-camps, learning loss bridge camps, or summer learning camps.(d) Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, LEAs and public charter schools may authorize teachers in the non-tested grades pre-kindergarten through two (pre-K-2) to use the results of the Tennessee universal math screener, the Tennessee universal reading screener, or a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education, as described in subsection (b), as an alternative growth model for purposes of §§ 49-1-302(d)(2)(B)(ix) and 49-6-105(e) to generate individual growth scores for teachers pursuant to the evaluation guidelines developed by the department. The department shall not base the Tennessee universal math screener, the Tennessee universal reading screener, or a universal reading screener approved by the state board of education used to evaluate teachers pursuant to this subsection (d) on the pre-k/kindergarten portfolio growth model.
