To earn the Exemplary distinction, districts must achieve a final accountability score of 3.1 or higher
The Putnam County School System is proud to announce that it has been designated as an “Exemplary” District for the 2024-25 school year – the highest designation a school district can receive in the state of Tennessee.
PCSS was one of 14 districts to be recognized as “exemplary” by the Tennessee Department of Education. It is also the first time PCSS has earned this prestigious distinction.
“We are incredibly proud of our students, teachers, staff, and administrators for the hard work that made this achievement possible,” said PCSS Superintendent Corby King. “This designation reflects our district’s commitment to student success and the dedication of our entire school community.”
TDOE has also recognized nine Putnam County Schools with the prestigious “Reward School” designation for the 2024–2025 school year — the highest number the district has ever received in a single year.
Algood Elementary, Algood Middle, Burks Elementary, Cane Creek Elementary, Capshaw Elementary, Cornerstone Elementary, Northeast Elementary, Park View School, and Prescott South Elementary were named Reward Schools for the 2024-2025 school year by demonstrating high levels of performance or improvement in performance by meeting their annual measurable objectives across performance indicators and student groups.
“Being named a reward school by the Department of Education recognizes those schools’ daily hard work and dedication to student growth and achievement,” said King. “All PCSS schools are committed to providing a high-quality education for all students every day, and these schools are among the best across the state of Tennessee.”
To earn the Exemplary distinction, districts must achieve a final accountability score of 3.1 or higher.
This score is calculated using multiple performance indicators, including:
- Student academic growth
- Graduation rate
- Absenteeism
- English language proficiency
- Academic success rates across student groups
The Exemplary designation recognizes districts that demonstrate exceptional performance or significant improvement across these measures.
Each year, schools and districts are eligible for designations based on their overall performance across indicators that are essential to student success, including how they prepared students to be proficient (achievement), accelerated student learning (growth), encouraged students to attend school regularly (chronically out of school), prepared students postsecondary success (graduation rate and Ready Graduate), and supported English learners acquiring language skills.
Schools are recognized as Reward Schools when they demonstrate high levels of performance and/or improvement in performance by meeting objectives across performance indicators and student groups. The Reward School distinction places significant emphasis on performance and improvement across all indicators from the prior school year.
Across the state, 459 schools, spanning 147 districts, received the Reward School designation from the TDOE for having an overall federal accountability score of 3.1 or higher out of 4.0.
The principals at all nine PCSS Reward Schools are pleased and proud to have earned the distinction.
“As principal, I could not be more proud of our incredible faculty and staff,” said AES Principal Patience Cannon. “Over the years, our teachers have worked tirelessly to strengthen instruction, support every learner, and create a culture where academic achievement is expected, and growth is possible for all. Their commitment to working together, making adjustments when needed, and going above and beyond for students is the reason our school continues to reach new levels of success. Today’s honor belongs to them, and I am deeply grateful for everything they do for our students and our school community.”
Image by gpointstudio on Freepik.
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