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Norman Smith Elementary today received honors from The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) for dramatically improving student achievement.
Jamie Woodson, SCORE President and CEO, presented the school’s leadership with a $10,000 check and a banner on Friday, November 22 to recognize Norman Smith Elementary for winning the elementary school category of the 2013 SCORE Prize.
The presentation was made during an event in the library of the school and was attended by Norman Smith Elementary Principal Beth Unfried, Tennessee State Senator Mark Green, State Representative Joe Pitts, State Representative Curtis Johnson and students.
“The SCORE Prize recognizes public schools and school systems that exemplify how to improve academic performance even as we raise academic expectations in our state,” Woodson said. “We applaud them, their educators, their students, their parents, and their communities for leading the way.”
Norman Smith Elementary in the Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools District serves about 600 students. It was one of three school finalists in its category for the SCORE Prize, and the winner was announced Oct. 28 during an event in Nashville.
All Tennessee public schools and districts are eligible for the SCORE Prize, which uses a two-step process to identify finalists and winners. In the first stage, finalists were identified through a weighted criteria selection process that took into account growth from the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) and improvement on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). College-readiness data, such as ACT and college attendance rates, were considered for high schools and districts.
The second stage of SCORE Prize selection consisted of site visits to the finalists to document the policies and practices that have enabled them to make significant gains in student achievement. The selection process was guided by a committee of educators and community partners.
Although about three-fourths of its students are economically disadvantaged, Norman Smith Elementary has narrowed the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program achievement gap between lower-income and higher-income students by 22 points in math and by 16 points in reading between 2011 and 2013. The school’s TCAP proficiency rates exceed the state averages by 8 points in reading, nearly 12 points in math, and more than 14 points in science.
Principal, Beth Unfried, talked about the award. “It is very exciting, it’s validating for all of the hard work and dedication that this staff and these students and our parents, you know we’ve all worked really, really hard and we will continue to do that. We’ll continue to do our very best for our children. It’s a wonderful honor, very well deserved to everyone at Norman Smith Elementary School,” said Unfried.