Tennessee transferred to a new platform for tracking students with unique educational needs.
The new platform, Tennessee Plans for Learning Success and Excellence, or TN Pulse, is free for school districts, public charter schools, and state-operated programs (SOPs).
The program, which started on July 1, provides a standardized web-based platform for student learning plans, including Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 plans for students with disabilities, Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for English learners, and ILP-D plans for students with characteristics of dyslexia.
TN Pulse replaces the existing state-provided platform, EasyIEP. Tennessee aligned the expanded platform with the formulas embedded in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA). This alignment will serve to ease the state’s local district funding calculations. In addition, it will allow the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to track state and federal compliance.
That system is not operating as promised. Local superintendents across the state report widespread problems, putting them in danger of being out of compliance with state and federal regulations.
JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, told The Tennessee Star, “Statewide, educators and administrators, have reported that TN Pulse has been a nightmare. This is not because of human error, but rather defects and glitches within the system.”
He added, “Commissioner Schwinn should not have moved forward with the rollout, and Commissioner Reynolds should consider either halting the system or relieving districts of the responsibilities for imputing the data.”
TN Pulse issues are reportedly causing districts to revert to writing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), tri-annual re-evaluations, and eligibility documents on paper.
IEPs are the primary source of protection that ensures students with learning challenges receive the required services.
The lack of a reliable method of entering and tracking those plans puts students at risk of not receiving services.
Districts are further reporting problems from being unable to make students eligible for special education or Section 504 through proper documentation.
Without a properly functioning platform, ensuring the accuracy of student funding calculations becomes impossible. This puts not just students with disabilities at risk but also those who are ELL and students with characteristics of dyslexia.
Under Tennessee’s new school funding model, all students receive a base amount of educational funding. ELL students, students with characteristics of dyslexia, and students with disabilities receive additional funding through a series of weights. Through those weights, qualifying students may receive between 15 to 150 percent of the base in additional funding. These funds allow districts to supply required educational opportunities.
Local officials have sent multiple letters to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). They argued that while schools are held accountable for growth and achievement, the TDOE fails to provide the necessary tools for success.
On virtual calls, they have expressed a needed sense of urgency in addressing concerns. A common thread is that the TDOE tried to roll out this program with too short a timeline and without a solid pilot program. Further complicating matters for districts, is a lack of pre-training for all employees involved in implementation.
The initial contract for EasyIEP, with the Public Consulting Group (PCG), was scheduled to end in 2022. Former TDOE employees told The Star that work on transitioning to a new system began in 2020. Staffing turnover and issues in the procurement department led to planning being put on hold until 2021. The contract with PCG had to be extended by one year to allow time for the execution of a competitive bidding process. That process ended with PCG remaining the vendor due to its unique capacity to meet all of Tennessee’s requirements.
Superintendents tell The Star that while the TDOE is cognitive of the platform’s problems, they have yet to offer a solution.
Bowman acknowledged the department’s efforts but said, “The program should not have been rolled out to districts for implementation until it was completely ready for use.”
He added, “At a minimum, the state should consider, at their expense, imputing the data for the districts, until all functionality and features are operational.
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TC Weber is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. He also writes the blog Dad Gone Wild. Follow TC on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]. He’s the proud parent of two public school children and the spouse of a public school teacher.
