Amends TCA Title 49.

This bill:<br /> <br /> (1) Requires the department of education to provide training through the principal-administrator academy that enables principals and supervisors in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 education to assist teachers in improving student literacy at all grade levels and in all coursework. Under present law, the academy is an organizational framework for a wide array of educational and training programs for school leaders, conducted at several sites in the three grand divisions by the department;<br /> <br /> (2) Requires that the reports due from the Tennessee commission on education recovery and innovation by January 1, 2022, and by June 30, 2022, include findings concerning student learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, and requires the commission to make recommendations in its reports for addressing the student learning loss and course access and providing opportunities for additional coursework. The commission was created in 2020 to examine the short-and long-term systemic effects that the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters of 2020 have had on the state's educational systems, and present law requires the commission to report certain information to the general assembly;<br /> <br /> (3) Extends the present law provision whereby, for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 school years, student growth evaluation composites generated by assessments administered in the 2019-2020 school year are excluded from the student growth measure of a teacher's evaluation unless including the composites results in a higher evaluation score for the teacher to also apply to the 2022-2023 school year and assessments administered in the 2020-2021 school year;<br /> <br /> (4) Prohibits the use of student performance and student growth data from TCAP tests administered in the 2020-2021 school year to identify a school as a priority school or to assign a school to the achievement school district. TCAP tests include TNReady assessments, English learner assessments, alternate TCAP assessments, and end-of-course examinations;<br /> <br /> (5) Provides that scores on TCAP tests administered in the 2020-2021 school year will not comprise a percentage of a student's final grade for either the fall or spring semesters in the subject areas of mathematics, English language arts, science, and social studies, unless including TCAP test scores results in a higher final grade for the student; and<br /> <br /> (6) Requires the review committee for the BEP to examine the effects of the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic on teacher and other educational staff pay and make recommendations concerning salary increases for teachers and other educational staff. The committee will include its recommendations in its annual report.<br />