State names four Reward schools in Oak Ridge

Officials with the Tennessee Department of Education announced earlier this week the list of the 2022 Reward and Priority schools, which are two key designations under the state's school accountability system.

Four Oak Ridge schools have been named Reward schools: Linden Elementary, Glenwood Elementary, Willow Brook Elementary, and Jefferson Middle schools. According to a news release from the school system, Reward status is the top distinction a school can earn in Tennessee. Reward schools are those that are improving overall student academic achievement and student growth for all students and for student groups, and they are identified annually.

“The Oak Ridge school district focuses on growth and improvement, even in times of instability, and because our students are much more than the sum of their test scores, we will continue to focus on the Oak Ridge Schools’ Portrait of a Graduate, which can be found on our district website at www.ortn.edu/pog, School Superintendent Bruce Borchers stated in the release. "The Portrait of a Graduate was developed collaboratively with the community and focuses on achieving college and career readiness for every student by developing a shared vision among all key stakeholders regarding the key competencies that students need to be successful in work, citizenship, and life.”

The Tennessee Education Department website stated, "Across the state, 427 schools spanning 92 districts received designation as a Reward school, and 16 districts received designation as an Exemplary district."

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: State names four Reward schools in Oak Ridge