001Good evening everyone. Just have two quick announcements. Both events take place on August 28th, this Thursday. Uh the first event is uh we have an open house at Tom Joy Elementary School and that will begin at 5:00 pm. The other event is our annual district 1 community meeting and that will take place at Cathedral of Praise at 5:30 p.m. until and we are excited that we were able to celebrate our young people at the My Brother's Keeper um annual summit this past Saturday. Uh we were able to spend uh pretty much the entire day with our young men and their families uh just to encourage them to um do the things they need to do to be successful in school. And uh we brought together community partners uh as well as um other agencies to
002be able to provide them with the tools, the skills, and resources that they need to be successful in our community. And so, please look out for more information from us about the My Brothers Keeper initiative uh to engage our young men uh in positive activities that are taking place in our city. >> Thank you. District 2. Thank you. Last week, we heard from the Overton cluster here in the board meeting and uh John Overton High School is having an open house this evening, which I just wanted to publicly say I appreciate Dr. gardener organizing because it's for everybody within that cluster to come and visit the school and see the greatness that is happening inside the high school um and learn of course about the evolve system about the school in general about how the
003days are going what classes are available all that kind of good information um and that's for the most part it thank you district three district five district Thank you. So, just a couple of quick announcements. Um, very very excited to announce that um we will be celebrating the new turf at Antioch High School on September 5th at 6:30 p.m. And uh we'd love to see all of our Bear family come out and uh help celebrate the uh beautiful new field that is uh at Antioch High School. And additionally, our first District 6 community meeting will be a virtual meeting. It will be on September 23rd at 6:30 p.m. That information will go out. It will be posted on my socials and will go out via newsletter very soon to all of my constituents. So again,
004that'll be September 23rd. It will be a virtual meeting in September. Thank you. >> District seven, >> pass. District 8 and District Nine pass. All right. And then rounding up uh not just with District 4, but just in general across the district. Again, want to thank the work of uh My Brothers Keepers Nashville for hosting um the summit for young boys across our community. Um it was hosted this past weekend at um MLK. Um and was grateful that uh was uh I was able to lead a fireside chat with moms uh who were raising young boys in our community. It was a very a very good session um where we were able to come together and have fruitful conversations and and build community. The second thing is I want to thank um I want to
005um congratulate um uh uh the the start the announcements earlier this week. I was able to attend on the early college partnerships and I think Dr. Battle will mention more about that uh with uh Pearl Cone High School as well as Maplewood High School and the partnerships with Ascension and Vanderbilt as well as Nashville State. Um and then lastly, we were also able to attend the pencil breakfast uh this week. Um, and really want to thank our CEO Christian Bugs and her team uh for hosting a phenomenal event um for the community to come out and support um our partnership uh with Pencil and MNPS. Uh that is all for announcements. Any anyone else? Okay. Uh that will conclude announcements. Thank you. And now we will show the video um of our um of name
006the video I believe. No, >> no, I think you changed it. I believe it's the old one, right? >> This is where I belong. Yes. Sorry. So, yes, part two of our musical talented students. We will play um This is where I belong. So we will cue that up and we will get to enjoy that [Music] [Applause] [Music] where I want to be [Music] where I am growing. Surrounded by belief to reach my destiny and all my gifts are showing. Purpose keeps me going. I'll show up every day. Look, I'm on my way for more than I'll belong. Each lesson opens a door. I'll know much more than before. I can't wait to soar. This is where I belong. I'll be so much more. This is where I belong. [Music] We're stronger side by side.
007Our stories make us better. [Music] He signs it and helps us see how bright we all can be. Growing up together with one that last forever will show up every day. Look, we're on our way for more than a grade. This is where we belong. Each lesson opens a door. We'll know much more than before. We can't wait to start. This is where we belong. will show up every day. Look, we're on our way for more than a brave. This is where we belong. Each lesson opens a door. We'll know much more than before. We can't wait to start. This is where we belong. It's where we belong. It's where we belong. Let's take the leap, you and me. Build our dreams, cuz this is where we belong. This is our day. Won't be afraid.
008We'll be brave, cuz this is where we belong. Let's take the leap, you and me. Build our dreams cuz this is where we belong. This is our day. Won't be afraid. We'll be brave cuz this is where we belong. It's where we belong. It's where we belong. We'll show up every day. Look, we're on our way for more than a break. This is where we belong. Each lesson opens a door. We'll know much more than before. We can't wait to This is where we belong. Let's show every day. You and me on our way. Still our dream. Cuz this is where we belong. Jesus before we'll be the star. This is where we belong. It's where we belong. It's where we belong. This is where we belong. This is where we belong. It's where we
009belong. It's where we belong. It's where we belong. This is where we belong. [Music] [Applause] Thank you. [Applause] [Music] So, I just want to take a moment um if that's okay to shout out Carter Hammond um the little boy in the video who did all of the musical instruments uh throughout the entire production. He's 11 years old, y'all. 11 years old. Um, and he did all the different instruments that you heard in there. So, big shout out to him and his family. Thank you. Are you ready? It's really cute. Yeah. All right then. We call the meeting to order. Uh we have a quorum with all nine members present. Um we will have the pledge of allegiance. We will have Shaunie Glampian lead us in the pledge of allegiance. Let's see if I remembered. It's
010been a couple years here. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. To the republic for which it stands, for one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I still got it. Miss Glampian is a graduate of my program, Emerge Tennessee. Now, we'll move on to boards and recognitions. [Music] Thank you so much, Chair Player, and good evening, board members. Um, we've got quite a few music stars and music partners to recognize tonight, so I'm going to go ahead and jump right in. As you know, our students wrote and recorded an Emmy award-winning anthem for the district, Every Student Own, in 2024. And that was just the beginning of our songwriting summits. We went even bigger this summer when our students recorded three new songs. And a couple
011of weeks ago, we released I Believe I Belong, an album featuring five inspiring songs that came straight out of MNS. You heard one of those songs, this is where I belong, where we belong, before the meeting started. I believe I belong has a theme that will that will that we call our ABCs, affirmation, belonging, and community. So, let's watch the music video for the song I Belong, which captures this important work. I am Dr. Adrienne Battle, superintendent of the incredibly talented and Emmy awardwinning Nashville Public Schools. We believe in our young people and their dreams. And in every step they take, they know I belong. Yo, MS, here we go again. Lifting voices, proud of where we been. This time you hear us a different song so you can see that everyone belongs. >> Everyone
012needs a place to go. where there's acceptance and community. A place that truly feels like home. Where there is love and opportun in these walls is where I start to pursue the passions. deep inside my heart where I'm safe to make mistakes and there's no judgment but someone to guide me to a better place. That's why every day I'm here working hard despite the >> That's where I belong. And I know I'm ready in every >> in everywhere. >> That's where I belong. Where I belong. Where I belong. >> Where I belong. >> That's where I belong. I found my voice in many rooms through conversations. Learn things I never knew. Creating space for me to grow through affirmation. Now I have the will to go. >> And in these walls >> in these walls
013>> is where I start. Pursue the passion deep inside my heart >> where I am safe. >> I am safe >> To make mistakes >> and there's no judgment but someone will guide me to that. [Music] >> Oh this where I belong. Yeah. This where I belong. Oh yeah. Where I belong. [Music] >> Where I belong. Yeah. Yeah. >> Where I belong. >> Yeah. I belong. >> I do. >> I belong. >> I do. >> Yes, I do. >> I belong. That's right. I belong. Heat. Heat. [Music] There's no place I'd ra [Music] >> every space, every day, every second, every minute, every hour. I belong. >> I Yeah, >> I belong. I belong. Oh, yes. I belong. >> Yeah. is amazing. They are they sound so good on these recordings and whenever they perform
014live as some of them did for our principles and for their pencil back to school breakfast just last week and they represent 81,000 other students across the district who demonstrate and develop their talents in our classrooms every day. So tonight, I'm excited to recognize all of the students who have participated in our songwriting summits over the past two summers and who have produced such beautiful music to capture what our schools are all about and also the music educators who work with them and got the very best out of them. At this time, I'd like to welcome up and ask Franklin Willis, the dire the district's director of vision performing arts to come to the podium and call the names of each of these stars. students and teachers, as you hear your name call, please come
015up in this area um in the front of the board table up here and then we'll get a big group photo at the end. >> Hello. Thank you, Dr. Battle. The students who created and recorded I believe I belong listed by song and some of them are not here. They had soccer practice, theater practice, all the things. So, the ones that are here, we would love for you to come up as your name is called. Aria Mcuan, Karen Bryan, Darren Salader, Jordan Harris, Journey Butler, Kingston Karief, Kingston Smith, Leslie Hammonds, Luca Mclofflin, Savannah Bell, Zoe Sobeeki, and Forca Studiante Balor. We have Andres, Angel Lopez, Diaz, Enrique, Gabrielle Flores, Jason Rios, Jetsel Cardona, Lucy Carton, Michelle Cheurio for I believe and I belong. Anthony Midz, Orion Mcuan, Ava Pope, Camille Marie, Karen Bryan, DJ Sadler,
016Gabrielle Flores, Katie Abbott, Kamari Tomes, Kingston, Karief, Leslie Hammonds, Max Pedigo, Noah Phelps, Savannah Bell, and for our studio stars, our younger singers, this is where we belong, Amanda Herrera, Arian Brooks, Bella Wong, Carter Hammonds, Deona Ridley, Desmond Mcnite, Diamond Jackson, Diana Duke, Edward Willis, Eliza Hannah, Elsie Copley, Ethan Weisman, Gavin Robersonson, Hazel Flowers, Journey Butler, Kate Dizzen, Liv Mclofflin, Luca Mclofflin, Lydia Long, Naomi Vargas, Natalie Garcia, Payton Lam, Rowan Robertson, Riley Mike, and Travis Lee. Give a round of applause to these students. And introducing our songwriting summit staff, Bryson Finny, D Hammonds, Nate Bean, and Jameson Fox. Please join us. And before they take this picture, um I'm just going to call audible here. Y'all, this is pretty incredible. Um our students and our educators spending their summer lifting their voices, telling the story
017of Nashville Public Schools in such a talented way. I feel like standing to my feet and giving y'all another round of applause. And I'm going to ask everybody to join me. [Applause] next to you. >> Look at my big >> one more so much. Thank you. [Applause] >> Congratulations. [Music] >> Good job. Thank you. All [Laughter] right. So, thank you again to Franklin, to the entire vision performing arts team, to Bryson D, Nate, and Jameson for their incredible work, and to all of the students who made I believe I belong. And if you didn't know already, these songs are all available on Spotify, on Apple Music, and other streaming services. And you can find all the videos on MNS YouTube page. So, I hope you'll listen to the songs and share them widely. Again, congratulations
018to everyone who played a part in the release of the EP um that represents the students and staff here of Nashville Public Schools. Now, one of the things that make the songwriting summit so special is that they take place in a topnotch professional recording studio right here in Music City. East Iris Studios, which is not far from here in Berry Hill, has kindly allowed us to use their beautiful facility and join forces with their incredible staff of experienced recording industry professionals. Every student known and the new songs on I Believe I Belong were all recorded right there. And tonight, I'm proud to announce that the MNS Visual Performing Arts Department has entered a three-year partnership with East Iris Studios to continue hosting our songwriting summers through the summer of 2028. Through this collaboration, MNS students
019and teachers will continue to have a rare and powerful opportunity, direct access to world-class recording studios and leading music industry professionals. Participants in the songwriting summit will experience the full creative process from songwriting and collaboration to professional recording while building essential skills in artistry, teamwork, and self-expression. This partnership ensures that the same professional environment and creative energy that shaped the I believe I belong project will now be accessible to even more MNS students and educators through the songwriting summit. Together, MNS and East Ris Studios are committed to elevating student voice and showcasing the incredible talent within our schools, ensuring that every student has access to the tools and experiences that quite frankly make Nashville's music scene worldrenowned. So, tonight I want to especially thank a few folks who are joining us. Um, Kelly King, Len
020Joy, Michelle Freley, who are here with us from East Iris Studios. I'll invite Kelly to come up to the podium and share a few words with us. Thank you so much for being here. >> Thank you. Um Franklin, you know how much we treasure the relationship we're building with you. But Dr. Battle, it's especially an honor with you. Thank you so much for the support and and allowing us to participate. Um for those who don't know, we are uh East Iris Studios. We're owned by Universal Music Group. So on behalf of UMG, this is obviously a very important endeavor for us and we find it to be an incredibly special partnership to work with y'all. On behalf of myself and the staff, Len and Michelle of course end up in a fire drill at the
021studio right now because that's what we do. But I am here um and the experience has been nothing less than absolutely incredible. These children are just, as you just saw, so special. It brings tears to my eyes and I'm I'm very blessed to be a part of it. as a Nashville native myself, born and raised here, Len as well. Um, thank you. There's there's a few of us left. Um, >> but as as one of those, my my mother, God rest her soul. She was um a Metro Nashville public school teacher in the special ed department at Maxwell Elementary School. So, means a lot to me and I'm sure she is smiling down right now at this moment to see her baby girl speaking like this at a place like this that I know she
022spent so much time. So, it means uh an extra lot. Also, a lot of our staff are also were graduates of Metro Public Nashville school system. So, we're um we're very close and near and dear to this. But, I have to say you are in really good hands. The partnership that we have formed is extremely important to us and we will take really good care of the process and making sure that children receive the absolute best care while they're in our facilities. and we invite everyone who at any point would want to come and witness the amazing work that they have done and that they've put together musically. It's really stellar. I also just this year got um invited to be a part of the Grammy committee and I'm going to do my best to
023get some submissions on the books as well. You never know, right? So, so we are very grateful. Thank you for letting me take a little bit of y'all's time and for allowing us to participate in this. And if there are any questions or any um discussions that are needed to have them I'm I'm open and we're just down the road from you. We're neighbors. We'll go get some Baja burrito. >> Kelly, before you run again, thank you so much for the incredible partnership. We are so excited. This is really changing the game and landscape. When we say every student known, this partnership allows us to make sure all of our students have a space um to shine. We would love to grab a picture with you if you don't mind. >> Yeah. And I do
024also just want to say music is so important in the schools. And so thank you for making the effort to allow for these children to explore that because I think it's it's massively, you know, um a vital role in how they're educated and how much they grow. So knowing that y'all are putting such a focus on music is also huge and key. So yeah, let's let's grab a photo. Okay. >> Thank you, Dr. Thank you. >> You are Thank you. >> So again, thank you to Kelly, Len, Michelle, and the rest of the team at East Iris for their partnership and support of our incredible students. So last but not least, we have one more music partnership to recognize. We are thrilled to celebrate the continuation of a transformative partnership with Notes for Education, which
025has once again generously awarded $100,000 to support music education initiatives across the district. I know. I love it. So, this incredible gift will directly impact students and teachers with a specific focus on coral music programs, our annual elementary music festival, and professional development opportunities for all music teachers, ensuring students have access to high quality music education. In fact, in just a few minutes, Notes for Education will be meeting with some of our music educators to celebrate some of the opportunities they'll be creating together. So, thank you so much to Notes for Education for your generous support and congratulations to all the teachers who will benefit. Um, again, thank you so much for being here, Debbie. This is Debbie Neil, um, executive director of Notes for Education. Um, and also Abigail um, Dorman is here. Um,
026if you all don't mind, if we we'd love to get a picture and capture this moment. Um, and we are so grateful for your continued partnership and investment in Nashville Public Schools. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. >> All right. Thanks again to notes for education for your support and partnership. Um I'm sure we've got some really excited educators waiting to connect with you. Um and I know there's just so much on the horizon. so much greatness to come with our music education programming. Um so again, thanks to everyone who was a part of awards and recognition. Um it's always an honor to take a moment to uplift and celebrate um all the greatness happening. So with that, Borcha, I'll turn it back over to you. >> Thank you. Um I skipped over
027an important step. Um I need a motion to adopt the agenda as listed. >> So moved. >> Second. All in favor say I. >> I. >> All right. Any oppose? All right. Thank you. Okay. Now, we'll go to the director's report. All right. Thank you again, Chair Player and board members. That was an important part of the meeting, >> but not better than what's coming. So, this past Friday was a tremendous day of celebration for Nashville Public Schools. I've already shared about the outstanding performance by our elementary rock stars at the Pencil back to school breakfast. Later that morning, we stood alongside several of our board members um and district board representatives um with National State Community College with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ascension St. Thomas to announce two new health sciences early college
028programs at Pearl Cone and Maplewood high schools. These schools will now join Whites Creek High School, Cane Ridge, and Glen Cliff as zoned high schools with embedded early college pathways with one more to be announced soon. Enrollment is open now and classes will begin in January. These health science programs will help prepare the next generation of doctors, nurses, medical researchers, and healthcare leaders right here in Nashville. Students will have the opportunity to take college courses while in high school, earning credits and an associates degree in fields where demand for talent continues to grow. For our students, this means more access, more opportunity, and a clearer pathway to high demand high wage careers in healthcare. But tonight, we'll also hear about our broader early college strategy, which has expanded significantly over the past five years. This
029comprehensive approach is giving more students than ever the chance to participate in advanced academics while earning valuable college credits and degrees. We will also have a pleasure of hearing from our Whites Creek cluster leadership team which is an early college cluster. They will share their cluster journey map, showing how the pathway from elementary through high school builds towards opportunities for students to graduate not only with a high school diploma, but also with an associates degree. At this time, I'd like to invite our chief of strategy, Sarah Chan, to the podium to walk us through the early college strategy. >> Good evening, board, and thank you, Dr. Battle. Um, I would like to start by just grounding ourselves a little bit in how the state of Tennessee thinks about early college and how it fits into
030an overall strategy of post-secondary readiness in the state of Tennessee. So, you may have heard us talk before about this. Tennessee has a new measure of accountability that we call the Tennessee Ready Graduate Status. So, students who graduate from our schools or any school in Tennessee can become both a graduate of a Tennessee school, but also a Tennessee ready graduate. Um, and for your uh for your reference, I've provided the four different ways that you can become a ready graduate in the state of Tennessee. So, we'll just go through them one by one. Um, first of all, a student can earn an ACT composite score of 21 or higher. It's one of the four ways uh to become a ready graduate. Uh, they can complete successfully four episodes, which are early post-secary opportunities. Early post-secondary
031opportunities refer to the range of advanced coursework options that we have available in our schools. You can see that listed out at the bottom. AP, Cambridge, uh I I won't read them all for you, but those are all the different types of early college or early postcary programs a student can participate in. Um, additionally, a student can become an early ready graduate by completing two EPS episodes and passing an industry credential. Uh, so that's typically something that would be embedded in our academy models. Um, and last of all, you can complete two episodes and earn a qualifying score on the ASVAB, which is the military entrance exam. So any of those four ways are how a student can become a Tennessee ready graduate. But today I haven't done this in a couple of months, y'all.
032Uh we're going to talk specifically today about um the opportunities are available in the Whites Creek High School cluster. So we offer four of these different episode opportunities as part of the culminating experience of being a Whites Creek Early High School uh Whites Creek High School student. I'm sorry. Chief Chen, can you unpack EPSO? >> Yes, thank you. >> Um, so sorry. An EPSO refers to an early post-secondary opportunity. That's what it stands for. EPSOs just simply remain all of the different advanced academic options that might be available in a school and that are recognized by the state of Tennessee. But of course, for many of these, you can see they're not only recognized by the state of Tennessee, they're recognized nationally or in several cases also internationally. Um, when you're think about Cambridge, IB,
033some of those programs that might be familiar to you all. Um but in the case of uh Whites Creek High School, we've got four different EPO opportunities off offered at that school. AP, dual enrollment, local dual credit, and industry certifications. But of course, today, as Dr. Battle previewed, we're going to be talking specifically about the exciting opportunities available through dual enrollment, which culminates in an early college experience. So, let's talk a little bit about what early college at MNPS is, not just at Whites Creek High School, but of course at all of our programs, all of our schools that offer this program. So, an early college, first of all, is a structured program where a high school student can earn both a high school diploma and college credits up to and including an associates degree
034while they are still in high school. So, the program is built on the culmination of a dual enrollment experience. So dual enrollment refers to courses that receive credit both at the high school and at the institute of higher learning that student might be en a student would be enrolled at as well. Um these courses are taught both at their high school and at the partner institution depending on the model. So in some of our for some of these courses our students are actually able to travel to the partner university and others they don't even have to leave their campus to be able to take advantage of these programs. And of course, through our Better Together partnership, um MNPS and Nashville State Community College now lead together six early college programs with a seventh on the
035way that we're going to be excited to announce in the very near future. So, the MFPS early college program is unique even among early colleges in uh certainly in Tennessee, but we believe also in the United States. So, to our knowledge, and I've done some research on this at this point, no other district in Tennessee has anywhere near as many early college pathways as we do. And why does that matter? Why is that so important for our kids? Um, it's because early college reduces the barriers to achieving higher education because it eliminates tuition costs to families. And even the way MNPS does this is unique among districts that offer early college programs. So, at MNPS, we have made the commitment that we pick up the tab for any cost that state grants don't cover for
036students who want to participate in our dual enrollment or early college programs, including the cost of books, summer tuition, and other fees that in typical early college models that we see across the state are passed on to families. So, again, why does this matter for our kids? What does this change about our students life experiences? our students are able to transfer those associate degrees and not just their associate degrees but exam but dual enrollment courses that they've taken they can transfer those to other colleges and institutions um in in Tennessee actually they are guaranteed to be able to take those to Tennessee transfer pathway universities which include many uh public and private colleges across the state of Tennessee which means that both through the dual enrollment programs they have or if they're transferring whole associates
037degrees um they can be set up to be able to complete their bachelor in as few as just two years at those partner universities. And of course, that should be no surprise that national research does consistently indicate that students who complete early college programs are more than twice as likely to complete college degrees as similarly situated students. So the enormity of what this does for our students and their families in terms of being able to both complete their associates degree, that's impressive enough on its own and important enough on its own, but to then also be able to turn around and use that for an accelerated bachelor's degree completion is enormous in terms of the opportunities and the experience that this offers our families. So how did we do it? How do we get there?
038I want to talk to you through a little bit through the history of the early college model at MNPS and why this is so important and significant for us as a district. So in 2018 um that is actually when MNPS middle college transferred to becoming an early college model. So middle the just to explain the distinction a little bit a middle college simply refers to locations where students can complete uh dual enrollment coursework but not necessarily have access to a degree earning program. So in 2018, that's when MNPS first committed to the idea that we are transitioning from a middle college approach to an early college approach with the expectation that our students ought to have the option to complete their associates degree while in high school. In 2020, we formally launched the MNPS and
039Nashville State Community College better together partnership, which is the partnership by which we have been able to continue to expand this program to other high schools across the district. So in 2021, that is when we first launched the embedded early college model at Whites Creek High School, which of course you're going to be hearing a lot more tonight uh from those schools that have made that possible. But I do want to call out here another thing that makes MNPS's approach to early college truly unique. We don't just have early college at our early college program that is on Nashville State's campus. We now have embedded and expanded those programs to be in our zoned high schools. So our zoned high schools at the schools they already get transportation to that they're already enrolled in can
040participate in all the things that a zoned high school offers as well as an early college experience. And Whites Creek is where we are able to first pilot that model in 2021. So in fall of 2024 that is when we first launched our Glen Cliff and Cane Ridge experiences. So that was the first wave I know I see some celebrations on the board. That was the first wave of expansion of the zoned embedded early college model. And then in spring of 2025, uh for those of you who weren't able to be there to celebrate with us, that is when Whites Creek High School graduated its first cohort of 23 simultaneous high school diploma and associates degree holders. Um so that occurred in spring of 2025 and then of course this fall we've been able to
041continue the expansion with the launch of the Pearl Cone and Maplewood College expansions. That is where we are uh continuing I know I agree continuing to innovate on the model of an early college program that is now not just an early college model in a zoned high school but one that is specialized with a specific career trajectory in in mind. So those two programs are the first ever expansion of our health care first launch truly actually of our health care early college models and then um I don't want to get too far ahead of us but we are announcing an additional site very soon that continues in that um inspiration of innovation in college specification spa uh career trajectory specification space. So why is this possible? Why is it that MNPS now even in our
042zone high schools can graduate students who are both associates degree holders as well as high school diplomas when they are just 18? One of the key levers that we use to make this possible is our expansion of AVID. So I think as many of you know all of our zone high school schools do offer AVID. And AVID, so I'll name what that stands for first. AVID is the advancement via individual determination program. It is a system and a framework for defining what it takes for a school to truly have every component of its structures, its policies, its hiring, its staffing, its culture aligned with the vision that every student should be set up for success in their college, the college and career pathways of their choice. Um, it does that by providing research-based strategies that
043help cultivate our students experience so that they are ready for the rigorous coursework that they're exposed to when they're participating in something like an early college model. Uh, we call that our white core strategies. uh writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. Those skills that kids need to be deliberately cultivating to be successful in this program. And most importantly, AVID contributes to creating a culture of high expectations and student ownership in our schools, which means that our students are empowered to access programming like early college and dual enrollment experiences. So, of course, AVID is essential to Whites Creek High School's embedded early college model. So AVID began at Whites Creek High School in 2020. Uh Whites Creek embeds an AVID elective class where students have the option to participate in an elective class where they're specifically
044being uh coached through and supported to acquire the skills that they need to be successful in the rigor these rigorous uh academic experiences. So kids in those courses participate in tutorials. Um they're given college and career exposure opportunities, things that deliberately set them up for success uh through the in the early college program. Um, and one thing to just connect the dots for you all on this, through our University MPS scholarships, every single one of the students who received a University MPS scholarship at Whites Creek High School was an AVID senior. So, I think that just really connects how we are keeping we are being sure that these programs are integrated with each other in supporting our students to be successful in their post-secary careers. Um, and additionally, 15 of the 23 students who this
045year were in that first cohort of students who graduated with both their associates degrees and their high school diplomas were AVID seniors as well. Um, and Whites Creek High School will begin begin uh the AVID National Demonstration School coaching process this fall. Um, so I don't know so many things to celebrate. Uh but again I think it truly speaks to the depth of practice in this program, the commitment to this work that makes the early college program and so many of the other uh EPSO strategies that Whites Creek is embodying possible for this school. And with that, I would like to invite up our incredible Whites Creek High School cluster team to share how this is embedded through their whole uh their whole cluster approach as a as a system. >> Good evening, Dr. Battle
046and board members. It is truly my honor to introduce the Whites Creek Early College Cluster, one of the very first clusters to step forward as we begin this important work through MNPS Reimagine. From the start, these schools recognize the power of designing a clear um intentional journey from the students that stretches from preK all the way through high school graduation and receiving their associates degree at Nashville State Community College. The Whites Creek cluster has been a trailblazer becoming one of the first clusters in MNS to ensure an AVID through line just as you heard from Chief Chin. This began in elementary then it was um introduced to middle school and then to high school. this cluster, these principles, they understood early on that this strategy would provide their students um with the academic habits, support
047structures and confidence needed to excel not only in their daily coursework, but also as they continue to through their trajectory of elementary, middle, and high as they begin to engage in the early college program. What makes this cluster's work so powerful is its intentional focus on college career exposure, exploration, and engagement at every level, elementary, middle, and high. Serving their community for over a century, the Whites Creek Early College Cluster continues to model what it looks like to prepare not just high school graduates, but college graduates, future leaders, and legacy builders for our city. This evening, you'll hear directly from the principles who lead this visionary work every single day. They will talk about AVID. They will talk about the early college program. They will talk about how it's embedded not just at the high
048school, but how they set up the structures and supports as early as prek, preK to middle to high. They will walk you through the Whites Creek Early College Cluster Road, bringing to life what their journey looks like, not only in their schools, but through partnerships. And most importantly, it's all for our students. So, please join me in welcoming our principal principles from the Whites Creek, my cluster that I've worked with first when we started this work. I'm so proud of them. Um, the Whites Creek Early College Cluster Principles. Come on up, team. Thank you, Chief Perry, for that wonderful introduction. Good evening to Dr. Battle members of the board and guests. We are excited to take you on a journey through the Whites Creek Cluster with a focus on early college. We are home to
049seven incredible schools serving students from preK through 12th grade. Our cluster is a true gem within MMPS. What sets the Whites Creek Cluster apart, you may ask? It is our unmatched blend of tradition and innovation. We house one of the district's four early learning model sites, three unique magnet schools, spanning STEM, design, and technology, early college, and the incredible opportunity for students to graduate high school, not only with the high school diploma, but also with an associates degree. The Whites Creek Cluster is more than a collection of schools. It is a community where every child is inspired to thrive. Simply put, we are the best cluster in MNS. At this we are at this time we will introduce ourselves. I am Dr. Riann Wilson, proud principal of Ivanetta H. Davis Early Learning Center. I am
050Jester Thorp Page, proud principal of Cumberland Elementary School, college career through college career community magnet school. Good evening everyone. I'm the very proud principal of Alex Green Design Technology Magnet School. Very excited to be here. My name is Amanda Keley, principal of Jolton Elementary School. Good evening. I am the proud principal of Hannes Middle School. I'm Dr. Tanya Dennis. Hello. My name is Dr. Robin Beard Tilman. I am the proud principal of the renowned Richard H. Jenkins Early College Middle Magnet School. And good evening. I am Lissa Brooks. I am the executive principal of the Whites Creek High School. and we proudly represent district 1 where Robert Taylor serves as our school board member. So come on so come on join us. We invite you to take this journey with us and experience firsthand why
051our schools are the only option and best choice for your children to learn, grow, and thrive. [Music] Okay, but before we get started, I have to tell you the driving points of the Whites Creek Cluster. With over 25 years of dedicated service to our community, the Whites Creek Cluster schools are also known as the Early College Cluster. We offer seamless prek through 12th grade educational experience rooted in tradition and driven by innovation. Our college and career works begins in elementary school with exposure. It continues to middle school with exploration and it culminates in high school with engagement. Our scholars are supported with AVID at all three tiers with the goal of graduating both with an associates degree in a high school diploma. We don't merely educate students. We prepare scholars, leaders, and legacy builders. Experience
052the Whites Creek Early Learning Cluster where excellence is our expectation and student success is our mission. So let's revisit again and join this journey with us. Our first stop in our road map at the elementary tier is exposure. Our second stop is middle school exploration. And last but definitely not least, our high school. The last stop is engagement. Okay. So now we will take a deep dive into the guaranteed experience at the elementary level. Our focus is college and career exposure. And the goal is to introduce, inspire, and inform students so that college and career readiness can be built at an foundational level. Every fifth grade student in our cluster will complete a year-long PBL project where they will research a profession. I know at Jolton Elementary, we're going to pair every fifth grader with
053a mentor, a career mentor. So that could be a parent, a community member. Um, so that's going to be awesome. Um this will culminate um in a college and career fair where fifth graders will get to present these projects and prek through fourth grade will get to participate in that as well. Um these PBL projects are going to be aligned to that cluster pathway that culminates at Whites Creek High School, further enhancing that pipeline from elementary to middle to high school. And our students will also take a field trip to Whites Creek High School to attend the college and career fair held in late February. Dr. Angela Burns will now go over the elementary connected highlights. All right. Now, I need you all to put your seat belts on because we're about to take a
054road trip through exposure where the elementary tier exists. So, let's talk about our elementary students in terms of academic connections. Students are utilizing our AVID and WICOR strategies to set personal and academic goals as a means to lay the groundwork for college. We pride ourselves on career focused project-based learning experiences across all elementary schools in our cluster because we realize there's an importance of students being exposed to real world issues and the b and breathing the space for students to think and problem solve. But we don't leave out technology because we know that we live in a world that is digital and we want students to make sure that they are fluent to better prepare them for the j journey in college ahead. Now let's talk about the partners. I am proud to say that
055my partners at Alex Green I don't have to ask for much because they just come on in and support. We are launching this year our Eagle Academy after school program and I've already have volunteers ready to go. I am very proud and let me not leave out that my colleague at Cumberland where she focuses her magnet specifically on the college experience and journey. When I think about our mentors, I think about the various fields that they provide providing that handson rich elementary experience to foster and prepare a curiosity and inquiry in real world experiences. Also, as we wrap around with our community achieves and social workers, faith foster connections to help students build relationships with partners who support the social support project-based learning and champion students participate and fully engage in annual career affairs. But
056now, it's time to celebrate and listen to our students. You see, in the mighty Whites Creek Cluster, we embrace positive school support connections. We hear our students because we know that they're influencers. We want them to own their school and be proud of where they're coming from. We want also our advocacy center as part as a a means to guide and develop our students mindset to understand their strengths as well as their needs as they p prepare for their college journey. And let's not forget, we're going to celebrate every chance we get because we are very proud of our students in the Whites Creek cluster. We remain committed and recognizing and celebrating every milestone along the way. Now, are you ready to continue? I will turn over this journey to the proud principal, Dr. Dennis,
057with our middle school stop on the personalized experience. Well, well, well. Let's talk about the magic in the middle. So, so excited. At the middle school tier, students will continue to build upon their foundational career experience by completing a career interest inventory each academic year. The inventory is designed to help students refine their aspirations, goals, and next steps. For example, not only at Hannes, but there is also a college and career readiness curriculum andor academy. This is conducted through the related arts rotation to expound on their knowledge. Students learn to create an elevator speech, write a business plan, and much more. Nike and Google are a few of the exemplars utilized to guide these experiences. Students will also continue to build off the AVID strategies set as a foundation at the elementary tier. Post-secondary opportunities
058will include college field trips aligned with university MNS and as a culmination of these experiences, it will ensure that students are well prepared for future opportunities as they transition into high school. With that, I will turn it over to my colleague, Dr. Beard Tilman. As we continue our journey to the middle school tier, the magic in the middle, we know that this is a critical stage for our students and we must continue to support them as they explore college and career experiences in the whites cluster. We personalize student experiences by getting to know each student, making academic connections, developing partnership connections, and also having positive school supports in place. So, our academic connections build on the AVID strategies that students have already been exposed to at the elementary tier and we develop them at an
059even deeper level as we show them how it fits into their college and career trajectory. We give them opportunities to complete meaningful projects that allow them to use their academic skills and content to learn not only grade level skills but to teach them how to collaborate and work well with others. We know that's very important post-secary, right? Further, we start preparing our students early for college entrance exams by offering pre-ACCT preparation sessions and opportunities for students to actually take the test at the middle school level. Some of our partner connections include us connecting our students with mentors and partners that allow them to move through such a vulnerable stage with a level of confidence that will prepare them for college and real world experiences. These mentors teach our students everything from etiquette to leadership skills
060as we prepare them for post-secary success. These work. We also I was like, why is it fuzzy? We also have in-house supports such as community achieves that teach our students to not only recognize barriers, but to work to empower themselves to remove those barriers and advocate for themselves. Again, preparing them for post-secary college and career success. As far as positive school supports, we realize that our young adults need to have a voice in their education and feel a personal connection so that they can be successful in their educational journey. We encourage our students to be a part of school-based leadership organizations such as student council and advise them on how these skills are translated into real world experiences during college or in their careers. At the middle school tier, we realize that though we're preparing
061our students to be young adults and have post-secary success, we still have to recognize and celebrate our students for their hard work and their efforts. This keeps them encouraged as they navigate through the middle school tier and move on to continued success at the high school tier. And I'll bring it to Miss Brooks. Thank you, Principal Tilman. So, we get to our final stop, high school at Whites Creek High School. We're so excited that our students get a chance to bring everything together and apply their learning. As you've heard already, uh, AVID has been a great leverage that we use to build the bridge for student success. This lays the foundation. We started in our preK and our elementary tier. They continue to build on it in middle school, and we go even deeper in
062high school, setting up where our students are going to be successful, making sure that they have all of the things that they need. Continuing on with our partner connections, we want to make sure that we continue to provide all the supports that we need and our and our students get. So, we continue on with our community achieves partnerships that we have in our elementary and our middle school. So, I know Chief Chen has already kind of talked a lot about what happens on the high school tier, but when I heard her talk about the successes we had, I just kind of feel like we didn't we didn't we didn't celebrate enough. I'm here to let you know that at Whites Creek High School last year, we had 23 college graduates that graduated last year. Okay,
063that does not just happen. It happens because of the intentionality and the supports that we put in place at Whites Creek High School. We continue to make sure as an early college cluster that that is always what our focus is, that we are always preparing students to be successful, not only where they are, but for whatever they will do once they leave us. and making sure that every student is known, they get that personalization that you heard about all throughout this cluster from uh the students. Not only do they an opportunity to be an early college student, but we also have our career pathways. Um I think principal Keley talked about the fact that the pathways that the students focus on in the elementary tier align to what happens on the high school tier. In
064the high school at Whites Creek High School, we have alternative energy, health science, information technology, criminal justice, entrepreneurship, and our newest one, audio and visual technology. Our students still get an opportunity to engage in all of the things as they continue to prepare for their post-secary and that early college degree. I have to tell you about one of our biggest highlights we talked about a little bit is our validictorian from last year. Our validictorian uh was a a great student. Not only was she a part of that 23 who graduated two days, she graduated two days uh before her high school diploma with her college degree, her associates degree, um but she was a unique young lady who loved school and being able to have this program at a zone high school was really what
065was best for her. She still got an opportunity to be a cheerleader. She had an opportunity to be a part of the criminal justice pathway. And because she earned her associates degree, she now also continued on with the MNPS University uh to go to Vanderbilt on a full ride scholarship. Not only did she get a full ride scholarship to Vanderbilt, but because she already had her associates degree, because she had that full ride, those extra two years that she would have been using and and trying to make sure she get her degree, they're going to now apply that money to try to get her master's degree. So when you absolutely So I I tell you I can stand up here all day and talk about the great things that are happening at Whites Creek High
066School and they h in the white excuse me in the Whites Creek cluster and they happen because of what we do here and we do it not only for the students but for the parents. Having you um associates degree, having those college credits at no cost to you because of your students hard work and aptitude is a great thing. And we want to make sure we highlight and celebrate how we leverage and the district also helps support making sure that these dreams come true. So you heard Chief Chen talking earlier about what it means to be a ready graduate. Continuing on and making sure that our students are getting all the things that they need are always what's in the forefront of us. Those early post-secondary opportunities apply to all of the dual enrollment classes
067our students are taking. They have the opportunity to have their industry certifications and we have a lot of supports that happen in the Whites Creek cluster. So, we definitely just want to say thank you so much for taking this journey with us through the Whites Creek Early College Cluster. So, I think uh our Whites Creek principles have a little something for their board member. Other board members don't get jealous. But as we close, thank you so much um for your support. Thank you to our principles and school leaders from Whites Creek um early college cluster for sharing such an inspiring vision. What they have shown us today is more than just a road map. It is a promise to our students and families, including myself, because I live in this cluster, that from the very
068first day in prek until the moment they cross the graduation stage at Whites Creek High School and Nashville State Community College, they will be known, they will be supported, and they will be prepared for success. This intentional design, exposure in elementary, exploration in middle school, and engagement in high school ensures it ensures that every student has access to opportunities that spark their curiosity, build their confidence, and equip them with the skills to thrive in college, career, and life. This cluster's legacy of service combined with his commitment to innovation exemplifies what it means to prepare not only graduates but future leaders and legacy builders for our community. So on behalf of the district, I just want to thank you guys so much. Thank you to our principal, to your school teams for leading this important work
069with vision and purpose. Your efforts truly embody our mission of keeping every student known and ensuring excellence is not just an expectation but a reality. With that, I'll turn it back over to Dr. Battle. >> Hey, and thank you so much um to the amazing leaders of the White Creek Cluster. We appreciate your vision. We appreciate your collaboration, your your family unit, right, of just again from that very first day, your students have what they need to thrive. Um so very very special um cluster and space. Um chair, I'll turn it back over to you to entertain any questions um that might be brewing. >> All right. Is there any questions or comments? Okay. Sure, Miss Mazize. >> So um thank you. So see y'all think you know where this is going, but you don't.
070Anyway, so I am so proud. You have no idea how proud I am to see this presentation. As an alum, I am very, very proud. You know, you know the saying, once a cobra, always a cobra. And I absolutely adore y'all. And thank you. Your energy just shines through. And I can't imagine any parent who is watching this presentation not be excited about having their children in the Whites Creek cluster. So, thank you to each of you for all you do. I do appreciate it. But don't come up in here again with all this and and forget about the alum. I'm just saying. >> See, I knew you were going to go there, member Taylor. >> So, I am truly speechless. Um, you know, I've worked with all of you all, some of you all
071directly in your schools and over the years. Um, you know, I just I remember us talking about, you know, how we could make the Whites Creek cluster a whole and everybody working together and um, so always want to, uh, give a shout out to Dr. Battle. Um, I know that over the years we've worked together and these are some of the things that we talked about and so doing some of these things that we're looking at early college and so forth and uh having Whites Creek being first in the district to do that. I'm so thankful to see this moment to be a part of it and I appreciate each and every one of you all for the work that you're doing to make this happen. And you all know if you need anything from
072me, call me. And if y'all want me to show up at something, what what you got to do? Put on my calendar. Right. All right. Um, but no, thank you all so much for this. And uh, and just let me know if you ever need anything. Oh, the last thing I want to say is I was talking my wife is Weiss Creek alone. And so, go Cobras. Once Cobra, always a Cobra. Um, I try to claim that every now and then, but then you got folks like Cheryl that, >> you know. Anyway, she was telling some folks about um early college and an opportunity to receive scholarships uh through uh the uh university MNS program and they were so jealous and I'm glad. I am thankful that we are at the point where we are
073providing programming and services that parents and families have been asking for and we're making other schools and other families uh want to participate in what we have going on in Metro Schools. So, um just thank you all again. I appreciate everybody that's been a part of this. Um and I'm looking forward to all of the wonderful things that we're able to do and more students participating in these programs and uh and just continuing to do this. And you know, maybe we'll let some of the other uh districts get some of this love, too. So, >> I feel like the gauntlet has been dropped. >> I feel like there's a competition that's about to rise up, but I'm going to let you have it for a second, uh, questions, comments. Member block or block. I was
074wondering if y'all might be able to talk a little bit about how students um how you figure out which students sort of go through which pathways, which programs. I know all students are getting AVID. Um but when you think about in particular the early college program, um how are students identified? What opportunities are people sort of given along the way and what else can they do if they're not doing early college? Absolutely. So when we talk about the students that decide it is definitely around parent choice and voice and student voice and choice they get an opportunity but we start in our freshman year making sure that they're prepared. So our biggest thing is especially through our AVID lens we are making sure that we set the foundation and we let all of our students
075know that you are able to be a part of this and this is the path that we're setting. So they get an opportunity to choose in their 10th grade year um whether they would decide to continue on in that program. Now, of course, if they choose not to, they're still going to continue to get the same rigor. We're still are providing uh the other what they call EPSOS in our AP classes with their industry certifications um to continue to prepare for their career if they want to go in the career path or the military path as well. But really, it is about the voice and choice. Um, and also because they are prepared, we've been able to expand the number of students that will be in our early college program because they meet the qualifications
076with their GPA to be able to show them, you know, how we'll start easy. Let's take a couple classes and just continue to keep pushing them and show it's not so easy. Just go ahead and finish it on out. So, it's really how we try to uh navigate who goes into the early college program. >> How many students do you have this year? You said expand. >> Oh, yes. So, we we usually had a cohort of about 40. My junior number has expanded rapidly. Um, so I've already reached out to Chief Chen and my my other EDS to figure out how I can help get more students in. So, I think my junior number is up to about 50 55. If I can squeeze a couple more students in before before >> that was really
077just an opportunity for you to plug it 55. Um because because people have heard about the great things that have happened and so my my enrollment has boosted significantly. Uh like I said, especially because they know in that junior year they get a their real focus for those college courses and they're trying to get in on on the ground floor. So, it has been a boom and uh we're very excited about what's to come. >> Can I um just um acknowledge that just the intentionality of um the consistency as early as prek, right? Um so, we're fortunate that we have ELC um in in this cluster that then feeds into our elementary schools, right? our middle schools and when you think about the middle school early college um as well all the MSAP opportunities like
078that number is going to continue to grow because we're starting early setting that foundation u making sure that as many students as possible um have what they need in their toolbox to access both the early college program and um we won't forget our national right um careermies that um exist within Whites Creek um as well. So again, kudos to everyone that that only happens when you have this collective efficacy around what we want to be true for every student within the cluster. So my hat goes off um to every single one of you. And while I've got the mic, I'm also going to acknowledge Dr. Brian Mills um who is here um previous principal of of Weiss Creek High School, currently um supporting the cluster as the executive director. um as well he jumped in
079on the deep end um with us in that initial pilot um of the early college um model. So I appreciate again every principal here um his um early leadership and been an early adopter um in this space but being unwavering in his commitment to um seeing this all the way through for the white tree cluster. >> Can can I ask one more? Sorry, I actually have two more questions, but this I know I mean I'm sorry I'm like totally um but that the 50 you said 55 students. What percentage of your juniors is that? >> And I and that in that junior cohort so we're sitting at about 20%. >> Yeah. >> So it's a little over 20% of it sounded like it was something like 20 to 25% of your students which is incredibly
080impressive. So I just wanted to say congrats. >> Thank you. I did. I have another one, but this is um a question for Chief Chen probably or Dr. Battle. So, I was interested as we were looking at Thank you so much. I was as we were looking at the list of all of the different uh early postsecary opportunities and we're talking here in particular about um early college. But in order to be a ready graduate, which is a qualification that the state measures us on um and and something that I think, you know, in the category of know where you are but don't stay there, we would want to have be higher and we've been working on that over a number of years. But one of the things I think is so interesting that I
081hadn't actually noticed. So this is a little bit of a statement and a little bit of a question. four EPS episodes. So, you know, lots of different students can take four different classes, but only in you can only just take two and get an industry credential or two and an ASVAB. That doesn't apply for like Cambridge tests, IB tests, dual enrollment that that you could take two and then earn the credit. It's I'm just interested as to why if there's any theory as to why some of the other categories that are more uh college focused don't also have two EPS episodes and the passing of a AP test for example. >> So I want to clarify. So so EPSOS refers to all of these different options that are up here. It's not specific to dual
082enrollment. Okay. So, for example, you could take four AP classes and take the AP test and then you would be a ready graduate. Or you could do Sorry, please. >> But but also you could take two AP classes and take the exams for those class and pass those exams >> which isn't all that different probably from an industry credential in my mind and not qualify as a ready graduate. >> No, you actually would. Would you? So, so one of the pathways >> if you only had two >> Mhm. is two early postsecary opportunities and passing an industry certification exam. Um, so that is also an option. So when you're looking at this, this is a state model, right? >> And it allows for the variation of what's offered across um school districts. So for example,
083>> if if my daughter is currently taking two AP classes >> and then she takes test, she takes those AP tests as well and that's it. She doesn't take any other episodes. She does not qualify as a ready graduate. But she, if she got a five on both those AP tests, would have, you know, whatever, six credits in college and would not be considered a ready graduate. I just think it's interesting that there are only certain things that qualify when something like that should probably >> Well, >> it's it's a state question. I'm just annoyed by it. I think >> only that that counts towards it. She just has some more. she has to >> she would have to take four, right? >> Or or you want to what you want to uh recount >>
084or an industry certification, but if she doesn't want to take an industry certification, she just wants to take AP classes. >> Well, if she's a Nashville public school student, she's um likely going to sit for industry certification as well. >> Yes. So, our pathways, I mean, this is we really set our students up for success. one taking away the financial barrier um for our students um but all of our career the majority of our career academy pathways culminate with an opportunity for industry certification. So you have the opportunity both in your coursework to uh obtain an early postsecondary opportunity through one of the programs there including industry certification once you complete your career academy pathway. And the beauty around this and you've heard this mentioned several times um um by our leaders who spoke. We're
085preparing students for college and career. So, our students have a plethora of opportunities for career exposure and a level of rigor as well as college preparation and a level of rigor um as well. So, something we should be proud of um that we do both. There's it's not an or it's a and for us. >> Yes, that all I mean I agree on all that. This is just a >> I have a little BMU bonnet that I think I'm going to talk to some folks about. But but but good on us for doing what we should be doing and preparing kids for both college and career so they can make a choice. >> Member Tyler, I also want to point out before I ask my question is that if they're making fives on two of
086their APs are probably going to get a 21 or higher on their ACT, which would then qualify them. So yeah, which is I mean that yeah, just another thought just that don't forget that topic. But you're right. I understand where you're getting at. Um my question is so I my district is home to the original early college and um the one that is actually situated on National State's campus and it is fabulous and I love going there every year and seeing the things that they're doing. Um one of the things that has been a big draw about that is that they're on campus when they're ready to take their classes. So, I just would love for you guys to talk a little bit about how students access the college coursework if they're not on the
087campus. >> Get in here. >> That's a great point and I didn't want to belabor when I was up here, but at Whites Creek High School, we actually have a dedicated college and career space on our campus for our students to go to. And so what we've outfitted it with uh monitors and projectors so that if a if a teacher is actually come from Nashville State, they have a classrooms already set up so our students are in there or they have the opportunity to do it virtual. So yes, even though they don't get a chance to be on campus every day, we have set up our own college campus sort of feel that happens right on Whites Creek campus. So they get opportunity to leave from the main building, go over, it's a little bit
088of a different uh situation that happens over there. It's not as um you know with all the classes and all but they get an opportunity to relax a little bit. Our partners in Mahairi have uh helped us to um equip that space and make sure that space is set up for and conducive to learning uh with a lot of uh different technology and a lot of different seating options so that students can kind of get the idea of what it's like to kind of be in a UC uh university center or or uh in a college classroom vibe. And if I can um and Tim, correct me if I'm wrong, there's kind of three pathways here for the instructor. So, it's either a professor from National State Community College um on campus or it's a
089virtual course taught by a National State Community College or we're so fortunate we have amazing educators. Um we have some that um have the the um prerequisite training and certifications and degrees where they serve as kind of a adjunct professor. Is that the right term? um for National State and they're able to also teach the course on campus as well. >> Yeah. >> Oh, cool. But they're actually hired by Whites Creek. Yes. But they have the credentials to be an adjunct. Oh, cool. Okay. I like that's really neat. >> I saw you getting happy about answering that question. Um member Young, >> thank you. And I promise it's quick. Um, so I got curious on the industry certification part and I pulled up from the Department of Ed's website the list and one of them
090and maybe I don't quite understand this because this seems counterintuitive is CPR. So can we get a lot of students certified in CPR? >> Yeah. And I mean, >> so my team was going to answer this and they kicked it back to me when you asked that follow-up question. >> So, okay. Um, so it is um an approved um industry certification. We do have lots of students who take advantage of that, right? Um, and it's it's it's not something we discourage students from particularly if it's aligned to their career um pathway. what we are um trying to evolve to for um our district is that we want CPR as an example to be an and for our students right so we're looking at our H3 pathways so we're trying to make sure that their industry
091certifications align to help me out high wage high demand and >> high skill um and so we want we're yes we offer that one and we want it to be an and um other careerbased um certifications, but we do acknowledge it and the state acknowledges it as well. >> Yeah. I guess my sort of devious thinking was >> everybody. >> So, help me out here. We're >> I'm just not even going to finish. Well, I don't necessarily want to verbalize this. So, so yes, however, we wanna I I guess so yes is the answer. However, we know the talents of our students and so we want to make sure that the academic press and rigor and preparation is at a level where they they have a guaranteed pathway. So, we started in that space um
092because a lot of this is very complex when you're thinking about scheduling, when you're thinking about student um schedules, aligning it to the career academy pathway. Um, so we had a lot of that happening um, originally and now we're just kind of going back and doing some analysis around what does the industry really require of students to have if they um, graduate through this career academy pathway. Because when we get this right, the most frequent feedback we receive from our business um, business partners is that our students are coming to them with industry certifications that they couldn't have imagined they would have had when they started in their career field. And so we're trying to just do our part to set them up for the best um success once they get there. But yes is
093the answer to your question. >> Yes. Okay. And which makes and I guess and a lot a lot of these on this like long list are ones that make sense like your EMT license. If you get that, okay, makes sense. Or like some of these cyber ones. And I just saw that and was shock. And not that I'm I'm not putting down knowing CPR. Um, I just that was struck and I'll just leave it at that. >> Thank you. >> Any other questions or comments? >> Okay. Since we've really gotten into the ready graduate conversation, do we have a goal of our percentage of students that would be considered a Tennessee ready graduate? And do we have a current percentage of the students that are? Uh we have a district goal, but each um part
094of the work we do um over our summer planning is we have each school also set a goal. Um and so we've had significant um improvements um across um our school teams um with them being able to achieve a much higher um success rate um in meeting the early the ready graduate um requirements. It takes a lot of articulation and planning. Um, and again, this is why this reimagine work is so important because if your ELC's, your elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools all doing different things, the likelihood of students actually fulfilling that pathway and obtaining what they need from the um, EPSO perspective and being a ready graduate is diminished. Um and so with this kind of continuity, it almost guarantees um that students in the future will be a ready graduate once
095they um graduate from high school. >> Anecdotally, I'd heard from a lot of principles that they've had an increase in >> Oh, they're really excited about >> ready graduate students. So, >> thanks. >> But we don't have the current data yet. >> Okay. >> Vice Chair um Bogin, >> I I just need a clarification real quick. Can you remind me what is the difference between a local duo credit and a dual dual enrollment? >> So you probably are looking at local dual credit and state um dual credit. State dual credit is actually going away. Um um so when and so shout out to Pier um because we did some work with our peer partnership with Vanderbilt. We knew this before the state actually surfaces um that students um had a were having much more success
096at both sitting for and passing the exam with local um dual credit as opposed to statewide dual credit. Um and so that was just the difference. It was just who was offering it and at what level. Statewide dual credit was important early on particularly um as we saw the disruptions caused by the pandemic. it allowed for schools to offer um courses that they might not have been able to want afford or staff or have enough enrollment with because you could bring um students together from many state I mean excuse me many schools and districts with local dual credit um you just kind of the the local the LEA controls more about what those offerings are who you partner with and when those courses um happen happen. So over the series of these journey maps, you
097will likely not see any emphasis on SDC. Um they've just not updated this screenshot um for that to be taken away, but that is going away as um a state option. >> So the just for clarification, the state dual credit, was that that online program that >> Yes, it was online. >> People could take Okay, for the courses that weren't okay, just >> and we just weren't statewide, we weren't seeing um a lot of success. Um we through our peer partnership with Vanderbilt, we had been studying specifically how Nashville public school students were doing u with statewide dual credit and by leaps and bounds students were being much more successful at local dual credit um and the other options that are there. And I'll go ahead and point this out. The only one we currently
098do not offer on this list is KIPP, >> but we do have one cluster that you will hear from in the weeks to come who are exploring adding KIPP to their portfolio. >> Okay. Thank you, >> member Mazize. >> Yes, thank you. Just one final um comment. Um the importance of everything that you're doing at Whites Creek High School means the world. So, uh I've been a business partner in themies of Nashville for about 16 years now. And what I can tell you is before I became a schoolboard member, I was a business partner. And it matters that the students come to the business partners ready. It uh it can increase their earning capacity. It lowers the amount of time that it takes to get these students on board and make and get them into
099that next level. Uh it is extremely important and the industry certifications that is uh additional funds that most business partners don't have to think about. They don't have to get them ready because they come ready. So it matters that you're doing the work that you're doing and I am so grateful and thankful for you to thank thank you for continuing to support our students in the way that you are and getting them ready for their industry uh for that next leap into uh their industry because you are basically creating an opportunity for these young people to become major earners by the time they walk out of high school. And so that means the world. Thank you again so much. Keep up the great work. Vice Chair and Bob Kenny. >> Um, board member Maize um,
100just made me think about it. Remind me the validictorian from Whites Creek had what? Industry certifications as she graduated. [Music] So, as a part of the criminal justice pathway, she had passed OSHA. Okay. So she had already had her OSHA and then with her two uh episodes then of course she was a ready graduate but she of course went on to have many more. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> One quick question. Um as a early college graduate um what is approximately the number of college credit hours um they obtain to get their associates degree? She said on the wrong side of the road. >> So sorry. In order to earn a degree, they have to have 66 hours. >> All right. So, high school graduates with already 66 college hours under their
101belt. >> Y and industry certifications certification >> based upon their career academy model. >> Thank you. >> That's impressive. >> Okay. Um, any other comments? All right. I was like, I'm glad I wore my red, white, and blue today. Um, and also I want to say when we first um uh first did this, I told my mom about the early college program and she was like shocked. She like, "What do you mean? You mean you can graduate from high school with your associates degree?" I'm like, "Yeah, mom." And she was just like really like so she was like dumbfounded. Then she started spreading the gospel of this. So every time she went to the barber shop or she'll go to the doctor's office, she was like did you know like talking about their she asked
102about their kids and friends like did you know they can go to metro schools and get their associates degree before they graduate. So, one thing if you can impress my 75-year-old mother who is going there spreading the gospel, telling people to enroll um into early college, um it's a great job because she's been going around. Um anybody who talks about college with her would tell that's the first thing out of her mouth. So, it's a good job. Thank you for being one of the the first, not one of the first, the first to do it. We're so proud of you. The work that you've done, the work that you continue to do and setting the standard, it doesn't go unnoticed. And we just want to thank you from the bottom of heart. all the hard
103work and assisting that you've done and has paid off and you are definitely a shining star uh with our with our cluster in our school district. So, thank you and I know it's a school night so and you guys have the earliest start. All right, we will move on to uh public participation and no one has signed up for public participation. So we will move on to committee report. Uh member Lrod will give her a committee report on the governance committee. >> Thank you. This afternoon we met through the governance committee. We had just a few changes to uh five of our charter policies due to making sure that we use the terminology charter commission instead of just discussing the Tennessee Education Department. And we also had a change in language of making sure that
104we discussed with TWSSA not just saying zones but using the correct terminology of district in reference to our own districts that we have in our school system. Lastly, we also discussed the calendar which I will make the motion for uh during our consent agenda um to amend it for the 2025 2026 school year due to the upcoming special election for district 7. Um and that's what we discussed. Thank you, member Elrod. Uh, we will now move on to the consent agenda. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as listed? >> Motion to approve. >> It's been motioned by member Maize. Is there a second? >> Second by member Fain. All in favor? Uh, say I. >> I. >> Any oppose? It's unanimous. We will go on to um the second part of
105our agenda, the school calendar for uh for the special um for the special election. Um >> special election. >> Yeah. Um we will uh I'll recognize member Lrod. >> Thank you. So, I move to amend the 2025 2026 district calendar by designating October 7th and December 2nd as a stockpile professional development day. October 10th and January 6th will then be scheduled as instructional days with the understanding that October 10th will be converted to a discretionary stockpile inclement weather day in accordance with the Tennessee Department of Education's guidelines. All right. There's >> there's there a motion in second. Um any discussion? Remember um Tyler? >> Yeah. Can we just clarify the PD day that will be taking place January 5th because now there's only one day before kids come back. That is half of a day
106that's professional and then three hours where teachers will be able to work in their classroom to make sure it's ready. >> That's what Dr. Battle told me. I'm sorry. >> Yes, please. >> Thank you. I'm so sorry. Chair I just took over there. Um yes, ma'am. That is my understanding. Uh Chief Perry, >> uh nor you know what? Um I'm talking uh so yes, that is my understanding from our previous discussion is that December no excuse me, >> January the 5th will still continue to be the current PD schedule as scheduled as already decided. >> Yes. So 3 hours PD, but then 3 hours open time for them to be in their classroom. Just wanted to make sure that was on the record for all the teachers to know that they're not getting their prep
107time taken away, but that they still will have time in their classrooms to prepare before students return. That is my understanding. Great. >> All right. Any other any other questions or comments? All right. All in favor uh raise your hand. Um that's unanimous. 90. Thank you very much. Um we'll move into board reports. Um only thing I have to report is um I would just like to give the public um notice that due to fall break holidays and winter break, there will not be board meetings on the following dates. October 15, noops, October 14th, November 11th, November 25th, and December 23rd. So there will not be board meetings on October 14th, November 11th, November 5th, and December 23rd. We will have upcoming meetings on September 9th, September 23rd, October 28th, and December 9th. So we
108will have meetings on September 9th, September 23rd, October 28th, December 9th, and we will have a board retreat on September 19th. Um, so I want to make the public aware of that. Yeah, just as a reminder, we will be swearing in our new student board member on September 9th. >> And we'll welcome our new board members, our new board member. You have one on that one. Um, uh, be no further business, we are adjourned. This has been a service of the Metro Nashville Network. If you would like to see this presentation again or for more information on this and other programs, visit nashville.gov.