Cleveland City Schools board approves three-year TISA plan after data review and public feedback

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education on a unanimous vote approved the district's TISA plan, a state-required strategy that lays out multi-year proficiency targets for third-grade reading, English language arts and math and the district's action steps to pursue them.

Board members approved the plan after a presentation from district academic leaders and a question-and-answer period that covered benchmarks, the role of instructional coaching and supports for English-learners and students with disabilities.

Why it matters: The TISA plan is the district's required submission to the Tennessee Department of Education that sets measurable targets the district must report on annually. Board members and staff said the plan focuses the district on specific instructional strategies they consider most effective — consistent use of approved instructional materials, intensive coaching for teachers with low growth ratings and common formative assessments to guide instruction.

Dr. Lang, the district's secondary academic lead, opened the presentation by describing the item as a voting requirement. "This is the Tennessee investment in student achievement plan. It is…