Targeted School Improvement
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Each year the Tennessee Department of Education examines schools' performance across several different indicators to provide an overall look at how schools are serving the needs of all students. The department of education included the following indicators in its analysis of school accountability:
• Student achievement
• Student growth
• English learner proficiency exam (ELPA)
• Chronic absenteeism
• Ready graduate (high school only)
• Graduation rate (high school only)
More information on each of these indicators and the data used to define them can be found in the 2023-2024 Federal Accountability Protocol. Under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the department is required to use the school accountability results to identify those schools with the lowest performance across student groups (e.g., individual racial/ethnic student groups, students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged, and English learners). These schools will receive additional supports from the department.
We are writing to inform you that Liberty Bell Middle School is identified for Targeted School Improvement as required by ESSA and the U.S. Department of Education during the 2024-25 school year. This federal designation will be retained until a new designation list is released.
Our school is working hard with the district and the Tennessee Department of Education to increase student performance by focusing on strategies that will improve growth and attendance for our Hispanic subgroup. Focus strategies include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Frequent communication among all stakeholders
• Small group, high frequency tutoring
• Grade level and content area data tracking and instructional response planning
• Attendance incentives, tracking, and communication with students
We encourage you to help by participating in the development and implementation of our school improvement plan and attending a Spring parent meeting at our school.
Sincerely,
Kelsey Walker
Principal Liberty Bell Middle School