The State Department of Education recently released the new, redesigned state report card for 2017-18. The new report card is intended to help families better understand school performance and support student success. This tool was developed over the past year with educators, parents, and community organizations and includes several new features based on that feedback.
A school receives a rating on each indicator ranging from 0.0 to 4.0, like a GPA scale, with 4.0 being the highest.
The six indicators are academic achievement, whether students are performing on grade level or above based on state tests; student academic growth, whether students are making progress from year to year, regardless of whether they are on grade level yet; chronically out of school, students who miss at least 10 percent of school days; progress on English language proficiency, whether English learners are making progress in their understanding of the English language; ready graduate, the percentage of high school students who graduate and earn at least a 21 on the ACT or 1060 on the SAT.
Manchester Schools:
In academic achievement, the district scored 41.6 percent, which is above the state’s 39. 1 percent average.
City schools scored a level 5 in overall student academic growth.
About 11.5 percent of Manchester students were chronically out of school, an increase of 0.4 percent from 2016-17. The state average is 13.3 percent.
Manchester schools excelled in their progress on English language proficiency earning a 57.3 percent, which is above the state’s 50.4 percent average.
Coffee County Schools:
Academic achievement, 38.2 percent, 0.4 percent higher than last year.
Like Manchester, the county scored level five for overall student academic growth.
8.3 percent of Coffee County school system students were chronically absent, down from last year’s 11 percent.
The county scored 5.2 percent higher, 42.9 in Progress on English language proficiency.
Coffee County is just under the state average in the ready graduate category. Coffee County scored 34.2 percent, with the state average being 35.8 percent.
The Coffee County school system graduation rate is 90.8 percent. The rate last year was 91.1 percent.
Starting in 2019, a Tennessee state law will require the department to assign each school a letter grade.

At approximately 8:40 p.m. Wednesday night (December 12) a rock was thrown off the Trussell Road overpass in Monteagle, seriously injuring the driver of an 18-wheeler.
Deputies who arrived on the scene called in Monteagle Police Chief Virgil McNeece who, along with a CID investigative officer from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, collected evidence and found footprints at the overpass and developed a lead in the case.
McNeece says they first interviewed a juvenile and were able to match his boots to one of the footprints found at the scene. The juvenile admitted to being at the overpass when the incident occurred but placed the blame for throwing the rock on Phillip Thrasher, 20.
Both Thrasher and the juvenile were arrested and charged with reckless endangerment. According to McNeece, the District Attorney is considering bumping up the charges to include aggravated assault with a weapon. Thrasher is being held in the Marion County Jail and the juvenile is at a juvenile detention center. (Grundy County Herald)

The College St Elementary School Music Department presents Cougar Christmas Coffee House on Monday December 17 at 6:30pm, doors open at 6pm at the school in Manchester.
Teacher Greg Ray invites everyone to ring in the season with hot chocolate, coffee, baked goods and great music.
The program will feature recording artist CJ Solar. They are asking for a donation of $5 for adults and $1 for children. Any other donation will be great appreciated. The school and Mr. Ray hope to see you there.