Tennessee student performance on the 2012 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) improved for the second year in a row, according to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and State Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman.

Students reached higher levels of proficiency in 23 of 24 TCAP achievement tests in grades three through eight.  Achievement also increased on most high school “End of Course” exams.

“The continued success of students is a testament to how much work Tennessee teachers have done in the classroom,” Haslam said during the event at West End Middle School in Nashville.  “We’re so proud of our students, teachers and parents for supporting statewide efforts to improve education, and it is exciting to see gains for a second year in a row.”

TCAP results show that after two years of steady increases, half of students in grades three through eight were reading at grade level or above during the 2011-12 school year.

Additionally, 47 percent of students scored proficient or advanced in math — about 55,000 more than were on grade level two years ago.  More than 60 percent of students were proficient or advanced in science — 38,000 more students than in 2010.

In high school, more than half of students scored proficient or advanced in English I, English II, Algebra I, biology and history for the first time since Tennessee raised its standards three years ago.

“The growth we’ve seen on statewide assessments over the past two years is an impressive start, and shows that we are on the right track,” Huffman said. “But we still have considerable work to do to improve student outcomes and narrow the educational gaps that exist in our schools.  For now, we celebrate this success, as it gives us the encouragement we need to press forward with the hard work ahead.”

You can learn more about the performance of your child's school here: www.tn.gov/education/reportcard/index.shtmlGovernor Says Tennessee Students Improving