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TISA accountability report: district reports modest third-grade gains, ongoing math concern and ACT progress
Summary
Johnson County presented its annual TISA accountability report. District officials said third-grade reading proficiency reached about 29.7%, just below a 30% goal; math proficiency fell to 20.5% last year with a 22.5% target this year; college-readiness (ACT composite) met 26.8% of students, a 4.4-point increase from the prior year.
District leaders presented the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) accountability report, summarizing performance goals, current outcomes and how the district uses TISA funds.
Officials said third-grade reading proficiency was 29.7% for the latest reporting period, up from prior years and just shy of the district’s 30% goal; the district aims to reach 34% in a future year. Leaders credited summer school, tutoring, high-quality instructional materials purchased with TISA funds, and district coaching for supporting third-grade literacy. They emphasized that Connections Academy does not report third grade and therefore is not included in the third-grade literacy calculation.
District math outcomes prompted more concern: the board was told the district’s math performance fell to 20.5% last year (a 2.1-point decrease) after reaching 22.6% earlier. The district’s stated math goal for the year is 22.5% with a longer-term target of 26.5% for 2027–28. Officials said they are focusing additional resources on math instruction, including core-office support, professional development and intervention strategies.
On postsecondary readiness, district officials reported 26.8% of students met the ACT composite college-readiness benchmark, a 4.4-percentage-point increase from the prior year. The district uses TISA dollars for ACT supports, IXL, and before- and after-school tutoring; officials also administer preACT and preACT 8/9 tests and run teacher-driven ACT-preparation activities.
Presenters clarified funding structure: TISA base funding is a per-student allocation (the presentation gave per-student figures and weighting that includes state and local shares). The district noted some items commonly asked about — pre-K, required summer school, one-time grants and federal money — are not covered by TISA. The board was reminded that correct student coding (special education, ELL, CTE, ACT components) affects TISA allocations and that Connections Academy students are included in some district-level TISA calculations but not in the third-grade literacy cohort.
Board members asked about technical details and next steps; officials said they will present more in-depth breakdowns at the board retreat and in future reporting.
