COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (September 12, 2022) – The Tennessee Department of Education and Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced today that, for the second time in six years, Collierville Schools has been designated as an Exemplary District. This is the highest designation for a school district and is based on the state accountability determinations for the 2021-22 school year. In addition to this district designation, Collierville Schools is proud to announce that a record seven schools earned the distinction of being named a Reward School for the 2021-22 school year:

• Bailey Station Elementary School
• Collierville High School
• Crosswind Elementary School
• Schilling Farms Elementary School
• Sycamore Elementary School
• Tara Oaks Elementary School
• West Collierville Middle School

In addition, due to the collective effort of educators and students, Collierville Middle School demonstrated the improvement necessary to be removed from the targeted support and improvement list.

To be designated Exemplary by the Tennessee Department of Education, a school district must demonstrate through accountability measures that it is: a) raising student proficiency levels, b) narrowing achievement gaps, and c) guaranteeing growth for all students.

Reward Schools, meanwhile, are those that have demonstrated improvement in both achievement and growth for: a) all students collectively and b) all subgroups of students, including racial minorities, students with disabilities, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

“On behalf of Collierville Schools, we are proud of our entire community for earning the distinction of being an Exemplary District,” said Dr. Gary Lilly, Director of Schools. “After the learning disruptions over the past couple of years, we have really focused on strengthening foundational skills and moving children forward. The Exemplary District designation speaks volumes about the hard work and dedication of our teachers, staff, students, and families.  We look forward to the amazing things our students will continue to accomplish this year and into the future.”