TCAP - Q&A

Q: What are the TCAPs?
A: TCAP stands for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. TCAPs measure a child’s knowledge in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. These tests are administered each Spring for children in grades 3 through 8.

Q: Why did Tennessee move to higher academic standards?
A: In 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – representing America’s top employers – gave Tennessee an "F" in the category of Truth in Advertising, comparing Tennessee proficiency (our state assessments) to National proficiency (NAEP). Simply put, Tennessee failed for lack of high standards in the classroom. Times have changed. Thirty-five years ago, just 28% of U.S. jobs required training or education after high school. Today, 80% of jobs require some kind of training beyond high school. That means focusing NOW to make sure students are ready to succeed in high school when they get there. It’s all about raising the bar so our students can go on to succeed in a career or college – and in life.
Raising the bar was absolutely necessary to keep Tennessee students on a level playing field with their peers nationally. The new achievement levels are a much more accurate picture of how students are performing. The State of Tennessee is being honest about what it actually takes to get students ready for the 21st Century.

Q: Why change Tennessee schools?
A: Work and college in today’s world require different skill sets than in the past. Tennessee updated its schools to help all students succeed after high school whether entering the workforce or continuing their education.

Q: My child scored significantly lower – is he or she learning less?
A: Because we have significantly raised the academic bar, the scores you see on the TCAP Achievement test are likely to be shocking. Many students who are used to scoring in the proficient and advanced ranges may now see scores that are identified as "basic" or even "below basic." This does not mean your child is learning less under the new standards. In fact, he or she is almost certainly learning more – we’ve just raised the academic bar…and it is absolutely the right thing to do to ensure our children have the opportunity to be academically successful, economically competitive, and personally fulfilled in today’s complex world.

Q: How come my child’s interim report card is good, but the TCAP scores are not?
A: A students report card measures progress throughout the year and is issued at each 9-week grading interval (total of 4 throughout a school year). TCAP tests are given once a year in the Spring in grades 3-8 and measure a student’s knowledge at that particular point in time.

Q: What can I do to help my child do better in school?
A: If your child’s test scores or grades are slipping, consider these three steps:
1. Don’t get discouraged. Test scores and grades sometimes dip when schools put in place higher standards. This doesn’t mean your child is going backward in knowledge. But it does mean he or she needs to work harder to meet the higher standards, which are more demanding. Reassure your child that she’s capable of doing the hard work that’s needed to succeed.
2. Ask for help. Call your child’s teacher or school and put together a plan for helping him improve. Parental involvement is critical to helping a child achieve more. Schedule a time to sit down with the teacher and talk through your options. Meeting higher standards probably means your child will need to work harder to reach the higher standards, which are more demanding and require a deeper cognitive understanding of the curriculum.
3. Know the facts. Understand why high standards are important to your child’s future. Life is no longer about competing with people in the same town. Tennessee students will be competing with their peers in countries like Japan, China, and India. Times have changed. Thirty-five years ago, just 28% of U.S. jobs required training or education after high school. Today, 80% of jobs require some kind of training beyond high school.

There are many activities and initiatives happening within the school, such as new formative assessments, professional learning communities (PLC) to support teachers, interventions and small group learning activities for students, and focused instructional work to meet the new standards.

Outside of school, there are a variety of parent/teacher/student organizations (PTA, PTO, PTST, etc.) that can serve as a valuable resource. Additionally, the business community, United Way, Project GRAD, Great Schools Partnership, Knox Area Urban League, etc. may be helpful – please work with your school principal or teacher to develop a shared plan of action to help your child succeed.