NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Fourteen Metro schools received the "Distinction of Reward Schools" by the State Department of Education on Monday.
The award came as a result of TCAP scores.
Lockeland Elementary Design Center, Hume-Fogg High Academic Magnet, Nashville School of the Arts and Percy Priest Elementary all were given the award based on test performance.
Bellshire Elementary Design Center, Cotton Elementary, DuPont Elementary, McGavock Elementary and New Vision Academy earned the honor based on achievement progress, while Glendale Spanish Immersion Elementary, Head Middle School, Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School, Meigs Middle and Rose Park Middle were given the distinction based on both performance and progress.
McGavock Elementary School Principal Lance Foreman told Nashville's News 2 the award means a lot to teachers and students. He also credited a new emphasis on teaching for the school's success.
"We didn't receive any more funding or money, we didn't have any new programs at the school," he said. "Instead of our lessons being about me, you know writing this lesson plan and saying, ‘These 20 kids have to fit into my lesson plan and if you don't, sorry.' We've shifted it from that to, ‘How can I create a lesson plan to meet all of my kids' needs?'"
Students at McGavock also create goals with their teacher and list why they want to achieve the goals and how.
The goals are then posted to a wall where everyone can see them and help each other.
Second grade teacher Kirk Gilmore told Nashville's News 2 the change took some time for teachers to adapt.
"We can't just flip a switch and do it, so it's taken us two to three years, and by our scores last year, you know, you can't say it was a fluke."
Principal Foreman added that he expects the improvements to continue as students return to school each year.
