TCAP Scores Likely to Drop as Educational Standards Rise

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Education is still at the top of the list for outgoing Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. Thursday, Bredesen along with other government officials launched an effort to make sure students are making the grade.

After 7 ½ years in office outgoing Tennessee Governor, Phil Bredesen, has settled upon a simple philosophy when it comes to following through on tough and sometimes controversial choices.

"The only way to do it is to do it!" said Bredesen.

But, Bredesen's bravado is contagious when it comes trumpeting the beginning of the bally-hooed "First to the Top" statewide education initiative. Some of Memphis and Shelby County's education heavy-hitters joined Bredesen and former Tennessee U.S. Senator, Dr. Bill Frist, in a kick-off coalition designed to raise parent and public awareness of the higher academic standards that'll be applied to K-12 classrooms in the Volunteer State.

"The First to the Top coalition is as of today more than 30 different business groups, community groups, education groups, non-profit groups that are coming together to support that simple issue of focusing on the individual child and allowing them to fulfill their potential," said Frist.

But, with the excitement of the evolutionary program came words of warning that the new educational standards may take a while to produce success. In order for the bar to be raised April TCAP score results, to be released soon, are expected to create a firestorm of consternation among children, parents and teachers.

"Whatever the scores are we need to get them out there. Let people be shocked about it. If that's what's going to happen and then every month and every year going forward, things will get better," said Bredesen.

"Do you backslide? Do you lower the standards? Do you go back to where we were? And the answer and this whole coalition behind me say, No! We don't!" said Frist.

Though the TCAP scores figure to suffer for a while as students adapt to the higher standards required, in the end, the initiative figures to make a statewide educational system, which just three years ago was given an "F" in a national publication, a chance to aggressively compete in the classrooms and in the global workforce.

"No longer will they just be competing against their peers in Tennessee, but they'll be able to compete with their peers in India and China and anywhere else across the globe," said MCA School Board member Tameka Hart.

"We need to go fast. We need to go far. We need to go now," said Kriner Cash