Student Assessment

Knox County uses a wide variety of instruments to measure students’ academic growth. A major component of the assessment is the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). This program  consists of an achievement test mandated for all students in grades three through eight.  In addition, a writing assessment is administered to students in grades five,  eight, and eleven. The State’s assessment program also consists of criterion-referenced high school end-of-course tests. Students are required to show proficiency on three of these tests (Algebra I, English II, and Biology) in order to receive a regular Tennessee high school diploma.

In addition to the state-mandated assessments, Knox County also utilizes other assessments. An achievement test is administered to all second graders and some first graders. The ACT Explore and PLAN tests are given to all eighth and tenth graders, respectively, to help determine career plans and proper high school placement.

Knox County also has developed several local assessments. Elementary math and reading students are evaluated using district-wide unit tests. Eighth-graders are given a mid-year reading assessment and a life science evaluation. At the high school level, district-wide end-of-course tests have been developed for many courses.

Test Dates