State announces Reward School designations for local schools
Schools in Anderson County have gotten Reward Schools honors from the state.
The recognition reflects the work and achievement of the 2024-25 school year and is based on each school’s federal accountability score.
The rating is derived from a complex calculation that includes numerical scores for student achievement, student growth, chronic absenteeism and the proficiency of English language learners — students whose first language is not English.
Anderson County Schools
Norris Elementary School, Norris Middle School and Clinton High School received Reward School recognition.
“This is a MAJOR accomplishment for our district, and we could not be more proud,” Anderson County Schools stated on Facebook.
“This designation reflects our continued commitment to student achievement and growth,” Clinton High School stated with its Facebook announcement. “As a designated STEM school, CHS remains dedicated to providing innovative learning, problem-solving, and real-world application, showing that academic excellence and future-ready skills go hand in hand. Congratulations, Dragons!”
Clinton City Schools
Clinton Elementary School and North Clinton Elementary School received the Reward School status.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education for our students’ growth and performance,” North Clinton Elementary School’s social media announcement stated.
“This award reflects the collective hard work, dedication, and success of our students and teachers. This recognition is well-deserved by all!”
Oak Ridge Schools
Three Oak Ridge Schools—Glenwood Elementary, Linden Elementary and Willow Brook Elementary—have been named Reward Schools by the Tennessee Department of Education for “exemplifying student success in achievement and growth,” according to a letter of recognition signed by Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds. Willow Brook and Glenwood earned the distinction for the third-consecutive year, while Linden Elementary received Reward School status again after being recognized for the 2022-23 school year.
“Reward School status is a tremendous honor and something we aim for every year,” Bruce Borchers, superintendent of Oak Ridge Schools, said in a news release.
“Schools are being evaluated more than ever, but at the core of each of these designations is a focus on doing what’s best for students.”
Robertsville concern
The state designated Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge as a Targeted Support and Improvement school.
Tennessee assigns this single-year designation based on the performance of specific subpopulation student groups whose scores were low enough to be flagged for improvement.
If there is a demonstrated improvement in those subgroups this year, Robertsville will no longer carry that designation.
“While I am disappointed with our TSI designation, our staff is using it as motivation to dig deeper into our instructional practices to ensure we’re meeting the needs of all students,” Brian Tinker, the school’s interim principal, said in a news release.
“We appreciate the opportunity to identify our areas of weakness so that we can intentionally increase our support in those areas and have a positive impact on the students [who] need it most.”
While growth and achievement represent the majority of the score, chronic absenteeism accounts for 10% of each school’s score and directly affects a school’s ability to earn Reward School status.
Students are considered chronically absent if they miss more than 10% of the days that they are enrolled, including absences that are excused by a doctor’s note.
Aside from the direct impact that chronic absenteeism has on a school’s accountability score calculation, it also has a negative impact on the chronically absent student’s ability to achieve grade-level expectations, the school system said.
Oak Ridge Schools’ news release cited this chronic absenteeism as a problem for Robertsville.
“Students who are not present at school are not receiving the instruction needed for successful outcomes,” the release stated.
For example, at Robertsville, 81% of chronically absent students in 2024-25 did not meet grade-level expectations in English language arts.
This reduces Robertsville’s score in the chronic absenteeism category, while also reducing the school’s score in the overall-achievement category.
“Our school is committed to reviewing the data and making the necessary adjustments to do everything possible to serve our students,” Tinker said in the release.
“In the same vein, I would be remiss if I did not also ask for the support of our students, families and community partners to make attendance a priority so that together we are making every effort available to provide all students with a best-in-class educational experience.”