A recent report says fewer than two-thirds of the teachers in the state-run Achievement School District last year were considered "highly qualified."
According to the Tennessee State Report Card, just under 65 percent of ASD teachers last year were considered ‘highly qualified.’
You can view the Tennessee State Report Card here
About 97 percent of teachers met that standard statewide. To meet that highest level, a teacher must have a bachelor's degree, a license and a demonstrated ability to teach the subject he or she is teaching.
Vanderbilt University professor Gary Henry says the ASD's percentage is a "red flag" but it doesn't necessarily mean the teachers aren't effective. The state created the ASD five years ago using federal grant funding to transform schools performing in the bottom 5 percent.
