Everything other than the primary MSCS product in able graduates is discussed in County Commission. The former includes deliberating new election cycles for the incompetent MSCS school board, which I am for to disrupt the status quo, even with the weak arguments.  

Again, MSCS Middle School academic performance is a living breathing heart stopping nightmare. Middle School TCAP English Language Arts (ELA) and Math proficiency or above rates trail scores occurring throughout the State, outside of MSCS, by approximately 50% or 20 points.

At the same time, there is no community conversation around improving MSCS academic peformance. County Commission Chair Michael Whaley and Education Chair Britney Thornton never schedule MSCS academic performance or goal discussions, while spending $400M+ per year in taxpayer money on MSCS. In the wake of the incompetent MSCS Board, the Shelby County Commission should be leading the public conversation on MSCS academic improvement.

A previous blog discussed, the lack of MSCS annual academic goals. Come to find out, MSCS does have annual goals that were located with the help of an informed local educational source. But since those goals are never discussed, informed community school improvement conversations are non-existent. Let’s look at the MSCS academic goals for 3-12 and corresponding 2025 actual performance.

On December 3, 2024, the MSCS Board approved their Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) report for 2024. The report outlined MSCS TCAP academic goals through 2028 while then within the same motion, the MSCS Board also adopted expected English Language Arts (ELA) grades 3-12 outcomes of 51% and Math 47% by 2030.

The table above reveals MSCS annual goals through 2028. The table then extends the 2028 goals to accommodate the additional years of 2029 and 2030. From 2024 to 2025, MSCS missed their internal ELA goal by 3.7 points. MSCS also failed to keep pace with the rest of the State, excluding MSCS in ELA gains, only increasing by 0.9 points compared to 2.0 points for the rest of the State. MSCS trailed the rest of the State by 18.2 points or by 45%.

As far as 3-12 Math, from 2024 to 2025, MSCS missed their internal goal by 3.1 points. MSCS exceeded the rest of the State gains, excluding MSCS, by 0.1 point, while trailing by 20 points.

Given the incompetent MSCS Board, the Shelby County Commission needs to own the communitywide conversation around MSCS academic improvement, while launching a Middle School initiative. After all, improved Middle School performance also helps 9-12 performance.

At a minimum, such discussions will alert taxpayers on MSCS happenings while focusing on MSCS’s primary product in student academic proficiency. Let’s hope new Shelby County Commission leadership takes up this vital civic charge.

Check the Facts

https://go.boarddocs.com/tn/scsk12/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DBG66V135EA3

https://go.boarddocs.com/tn/scsk12/Board.nsf/files/DBG66Y135EA5/$file/Board%20Briefing%20Document_TISA%20Accountability%20R_WILLIAM%20WHITE%20(1).pdf

https://go.boarddocs.com/tn/scsk12/Board.nsf/files/DBG673135EA7/$file/TISA_Accountability_Report_MSCS2425_FINAL.pdf