SchoolWorks Salutes the Founding Team of Emerald Academy
New state academic achievement data confirms that Emerald Academy of Knoxville, TN is making significant progress in improving student learning outcomes. SchoolWorks supported Emerald Academy by helping to develop the charter application for the school, which was approved by Knoxville County Schools in 2014. Emerald Academy then opened its doors in 2015.
Key academic results for Emerald Academy over the past year include:
- The school’s TNReady achievement score improved by an entire letter grade.
- Third grade scholars who attended Emerald Academy since kindergarten had higher TNReady outcomes than newer scholars who had previously attended traditional public schools. This was also true for eighth grade scholars who entered Emerald Academy as sixth graders. In short, the longer scholars are at the school, the more significant improvement in the academic outcomes.
- Emerald Academy third graders outperformed the KCS district average as well as the average for the state of Tennessee for elementary schools in English Language Arts (ELA).
- Additionally, Emerald Academy third graders performed in the top third of all KCS elementary schools in reading, outperforming 32 of the district’s 49 elementary schools.
- Emerald Academy had a lower rate of chronic absenteeism than the district in 2018-19. 12.7 percent of Emerald Academy scholars were chronically absent, compared to 15.8 percent of KCS students.
The entire team at SchoolWorks congratulates the educators and students of Emerald Academy on attaining these milestones.
"I am tremendously encouraged by our progress to date. We knew when we started this process that it would be a marathon and not a sprint. I’m pleased with the gains we’ve made, and I believe that we will see even more growth during the 2019-2020 school year."
- Steve Diggs, president of Emerald Charter Schools