The Knoxville City Schools Proficiency Project: A Summary Analysis of Three Years and Year-Three Results

The Knoxville City Schools (KCS) Proficiency Project was designed to help inner-city high school pupils improve their scores on the state proficiency test. Grade-nine pupils in lower achieving project high schools and grade-eight students from the corresponding middle schools were given intense treatment over a three-year period. Proficiency test scores for grade-nine students were analyzed each year and were compared to results in control high schools and to the scores of the total city high school population.

Project results showed steady, sustained improvement. By the end of year three, the average percent of pupils passing the state proficiency test in the three target schools approximated the total city average percent passing.