Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Marshall Co. Schools Receive Three Reward Schools from State

On Monday, August 19, the State Department of Education announced the Reward Schools for the 2012-13 school year. Marshall County has three schools on the list: Cornersville Elementary School, Lewisburg Middle School, and Forrest High School. These schools were in the top 5% of the schools in the state for having high student growth. Marshall County had more Reward Schools than any other school system in the South Central Region.
In addition, out of 136 school systems in Tennessee, Marshall County ranked 17th in the state in math for grades 3-8, 63rd in reading, 47th in science and 23rd in social studies. Marshall County was one of 32 systems not cited for needing improvement in a sub-group area.
“We are thrilled with this progress and with these awards; however, we still have a lot of work to do to reach the achievement levels we want our students to attain. Our teachers (system-wide) have worked very hard while under a lot of pressure and with many changes this past year. I am very proud of them and their dedication to the children of Marshall County,” said Jackie Abernathy, Director of Schools. “I also want to thank Bill Byford and the South Central CORE office for offering Marshall County their expertise and support.
“Now it is time to move forward, use what we have learned this year, and provide this year’s students with the best education possible. Next year, we want to be the #1 school system in the state!”

Congratulations to the teachers, students, staffs, and administrators of Marshall County’s Reward Schools. They have worked extremely hard to reach this status.


Data collected through: 8/20/2013
This chart shows how Tennessee schools scored on achievement and end-of-course tests in 2013.
Below Basic indicates a student who has not mastered a subject
Basic Scores show a partial mastery
Proficient indicates a full mastery of a subject
Advanced Scores  are for students who display superior mastery in a subject

The state’s goal is to move more students into the proficient and advanced categories. For each subject, the chart shows the combined percentage of proficient and advanced students and the change from last year's results.
Source: Tennessee Department of Education




Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Lewisburg Vision Plan Community Meeting Aug. 20 - 6 p.m. at Lewisburg Recreation Center

Lewisburg Holds Vision Plan Meetings to Develop 20-Year Plan
The City of Lewisburg and the Lewisburg Community Development Board has been conducting Vision Plan meetings with the planning professionals of Hodgson Douglas in conjunction with The Walker Collaborative and the Kennon Calhoun Workshop to assist in the development of a 20-year plan. 

  
The mission of the Vision Plan project is to develop a strategic smart growth plan of action with immediate goals, mid-term goals and long-term goals that will improve the overall economic health and well-being of the City of Lewisburg. 
Group sessions have been held to receive input from various sectors of the community from industry and small business to education and health care. A community input and report meeting is scheduled for August 20, 2013 - 6:00 p.m. at the Lewisburg Recreation Center
The plan will be developed from these sessions and from information gathered during a community assessment conducted in 2012 with a group from the Wyoming Economic Development Council. 
Key points outlined from sessions so far to be addressed in the plan include: Amenities and Appearance, Workforce and Education, Destination Development, Downtown Revitalization, Corridor Development and Promotion and Utilization of Existing Assets.

Lewisburg Participates in Sustainable Communities Development Program
Lewisburg, TN has applied and been accepted to participate in the Valley Sustainable Communities Program.
This new program is being sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and managed by Boyette Strategic Advisors (BSA).
                    
The Valley Sustainable Communities Program was initiated by TVA Economic Development as part of its community preparedness offerings to provide a framework that assists communities in evaluating existing sustainable programs, cataloging sustainable assets and increasing commitments to sustainability. The goal of the programs is to increase the likelihood that communities will be viewed as progressive and competitive by companies planning to invest in new or expanded business locations. BSA and TVA staff will be administering the program and meeting in person with communities' sustainability teams to help develop and implement sustainable initiatives and increase awareness of existing programs. 
The program recognizes communities at three levels - Silver, Gold and Platinum - based on the sustainability programs currently in place. While a wide variety of sustainable initiatives contribute to a community's level or recognition, those programs directly related to business and industry support and economic development receive greater emphasis.
"Lewisburg has already made a significant commitment to sustainability. This new program provides us with the opportunity to document, further develop and be recognized for our sustainable initiatives, that will help differentiate us in the tough competition for new investment and job creation prospects," said Mayor Jim Bingham. "As the process further develops, we will be updating the status of the program and our community's progress in this important area of corporate sustainability."
Sustainability has become a key issue for economic development organizations and communities, as more corporations have demonstrated an increasing commitment to sustainability. More than 90 percent of corporate real estate executives who responded to a CoreNet Global survey on sustainability said that it is a consideration in their company location decisions. The typical reasons for this corporate commitment are reduced operating costs for increased profitability and greater employee satisfaction.


About the Lewisburg, TN : 
“In the Middle of Everything”  Lewisburg, TN benefits from a prime geographic location nestled between the Great Lakes and the Gulf Coast, the Atlantic Ocean and the Midwest, Knoxville, TN to the East, Memphis, TN to the West, Nashville, TN to the North and Huntsville, AL to the South. Lewisburg strives to be a center of Industry and Commerce along the I-65 corridor and implements an economic development program to benefit existing industry and commerce while creating an attractive package for new industry and commerce.