NASHVILLE — Valor began five years ago with the mission to empower our diverse community to live inspired and purposeful lives. Providing our scholars and families with a top-notch academic experience is central to delivering on that mission. With the release of TNReady (the state’s achievement test) and TVAAS (academic growth) data yesterday, we are excited to announce that for the fourth year in a row, Valor scholars performed exceptionally well in both academic achievement and academic growth.
Valor inverted the achievement gap again on student achievement in 2018 for the fourth year in a row, as the network’s economically disadvantaged students outperformed non-economically disadvantaged students across the state. To break it down:
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55 percent of economically disadvantaged students at Valor are on-track (ELA, Math, Science composite)
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Compared to 50 percent of non-economically disadvantaged students in Tennessee being on-track and only 26 percent of economically disadvantaged students in Tennessee are on-track
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Even more compelling, when you add in other sub-groups that are historically low-performing (special education, English learners, students of color and economically disadvantaged – known as the Supergroup) Valor’s percentage of on-track jumps to 60 percent (meaning the Supergroup inverts the achievement gap as well)
“It is very exciting to see scholars from the whole range of preparation levels excel at Valor – students who come in behind grade level, and students who come in ahead are all growing large amounts,” said Todd Dickson, Founder and CEO of Valor Collegiate Academies. “This is a very challenging achievement and speaks to the talents of the principals and teachers at both Valor schools. Having diverse schools is very important to the foundation of a strong democracy and Valor is showing it is possible to serve a wide range of scholars and families well.”
“We are especially proud of our economically disadvantaged scholars, who inverted the achievement gap, outperforming non-ed scholars across the State,” Dickson said. “They are proving that your zip code does not have to determine your destiny.”
Other highlights from TVAAS and TNReady:
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This year, Flagship was ranked #1 in composite growth (ELA, Math, Science) of all 1,365 middle and elementary schools in the state of Tennessee
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Less than 1% of elementary and middle schools (6 schools) in the state are in the top 5% for achievement AND growth; as a network, Valor is among that 1%!
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Flagship and Voyager are #1 and #2 in composite achievement of open enrollment middle schools in Nashville!
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Our non-economically disadvantaged scholars outperformed non-economically disadvantaged scholars in composite achievement in Williamson County!
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Our Black scholars outperformed White scholars in Nashville and the state, as did our Hispanic scholars.
“We are proud that Valor, with approximately 55% of our scholars qualifying for Free and Reduced lunch, competes academically with the very best schools in the state of Tennessee,” Dickson said. “The combination of a strong academic program and a strong SEL program, executed in a diverse community, is really powerful and has a big impact on our kid’s life trajectories.”