August 2025 News

The Tennessee Department of Education released the 2024-2025 TVAAS scores this week, and for the second consecutive year, CMCSS achieved an impressive system-wide composite student growth score of 5, the highest score possible. This marks the first time in nearly a decade that CMCSS has achieved the highest score two years in a row. Additionally, from the 2023-2024 school year, CMCSS has raised its literacy and numeracy growth scores by two levels. See below for additional highlights from this data:

• CMCSS has the highest percentage of schools scoring 3, 4, or 5 since 2016-17.
• CMCSS has the lowest percentage of schools scoring 1 or 2 since 2016-17.
• Fifty percent of middle schools earned a 5 for the first time since 2014-15.
• For the second consecutive year, 88% middle schools scored a 3, 4, or 5, which remains the record.

“Reaching our highest scores in nearly a decade is a powerful testament to the perseverance of our students, the passion of our educators, and the strong partnerships across our community,” stated Director of Schools Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder. “This success inspires us to continue raising the bar and striving for excellence so that every student has the opportunity to succeed at the highest level.”

Congratulations to the following 17 schools that earned the highest possible composite score of 5:
Glenellen Elementary
Hazelwood Elementary
Kenwood Elementary
Kirkwood Elementary
Oakland Elementary
Pisgah Elementary
Ringgold Elementary
Sango Elementary
Kenwood Middle
Kirkwood Middle
Rossview Middle
West Creek Middle
Kirkwood High
Middle College at APSU
Northwest High
Rossview High
West Creek High

As the state continues to release data over the coming months, CMCSS will keep families updated.

The district has hosted a series of successful dyslexia screening events during the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years for families in the Montgomery County community. All events are held at the CMCSS Learning Center, 343 Pageant Lane, Clarksville. Dates for the 2026-27 school year will be announced in the summer of 2026.

About the Participants

• During the 2025-26 school year, 98 families participated in evening screening events while 62 families participated in daytime screening events.
• Of the 160 families served:
  • All school levels (elementary, middle, and high) were screened
  • Several out-of-district students were screened, including private, Fort Campbell, out-of-state, and homeschool students

To participate in the screening, children must be at least four years old and up to 12th grade. Students do not have to be enrolled in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. A parent or guardian must remain on-site during the screening. If the child is a CMCSS student, the screener’s results will be shared with the child’s school.

If a student has been previously screened for characteristics of dyslexia, please bring or share the information using the registration link.

Event Dates and Times

2026-27 dates will be announced soon

Additional Resources

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that affects reading and spelling skills at the word level. Individuals with dyslexia manifest along a spectrum, with some impacted in minor ways and others experiencing significant difficulty acquiring the ability to recognize and spell words and read with automaticity and fluency.

Click here to read the Signs of Dyslexia by Age from the National Center on Improving Literacy. 

Click here to read about understanding the definition of Dyslexia from the National Center on Improving Literacy.

Click this link to read the Dyslexia Resource Guide

Click this link to see the Screening for Characteristics of Dyslexia – Companion Guide

Why is Screening Important?

By screening for early warning indicators of characteristics of dyslexia, teachers and instructors can better pinpoint areas of concern and design support. If your child’s profile reflects characteristics of dyslexia, parents or guardians will be provided information about dyslexia, and the school will be notified of the screening data. A student does not need to be formally diagnosed with dyslexia to receive appropriate intervention. The survey-level assessments used in screening are sufficient to identify your child’s needs and plan for dyslexia-specific intervention.

How to Participate

Screenings will be held on the dates above. Families must sign up for an appointment time via the Google Form above. No walk-ins will be available. There will also be an option on the form to discuss your child’s reading data and answer questions. This will not include a screener, and the student does not have to be in attendance.

The CMCSS Special Populations Department will continue its Family Engagement Sessions for the 2025-26 school year, beginning with an overview of services. On Thursday, September 18, 2025, the department will host the first event at the William O. Beach Civic Hall (350 Pageant Lane, Clarksville) from Noon to 1:15 p.m. and again from 5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to any family with questions regarding unique learning needs within CMCSS. Families can choose to attend three of the five topics of interest below.

RESERVE YOUR SEAT – USE THIS GOOGLE FORM

Session One: Understanding Special Education

• Special Education Eligibility: What Parents Need to Know
• IDEA vs. 504

Session Two: Supporting Learning at Home

• Building Language & Communication Skills
• Understanding Dyslexia: Signs, Supports, and Strategies
• Early Childhood Milestones: What to Expect and When

Session Three: Social-Emotional Development

• Social Emotional Learning (SEL): Helping Children Build Resilience and Emotional Intelligence
• Supporting Behavior at Home: Positive Strategies for Parents

Session Four: Developmental Growth

• Motor Milestones

Session Five: English Learners (EL)

• Supporting English Learners at Home and School: Language Development and Academic Success
• Understanding EL Services: What Parents Should Know

SAVE THE DATE

Two additional sessions will be held later in the year at Central Services South (1312 Highway 48, Clarksville). More information will be available soon.

Interested in reading the Special Populations Manual for families? Click here. 

You should have received information regarding the required beginning-of-the-year forms related to your student. If you have not yet submitted these forms online, please complete them as soon as possible. In addition to updating important contact and medical information for school, these annual forms are required for students to receive a laptop.

The forms are available in PowerSchool, CMCSS’ student information system. Please log in to https://powerschool.cmcss.net/ and select the “Forms” menu option. Each form must be completed. Once completed, the form will display “Submitted” with a green check on the main Forms page. If you have the PowerSchool mobile app, you can click on “More” and then choose “Forms” to access your child’s forms. 

If you need assistance with your username or password, please click the “Forgot Username or Password?” link on the PowerSchool login page. If you are still unable to access PowerSchool or need additional assistance with completing the forms, you can contact the school front office during regular school hours or email [email protected].

The Technology Department transitioned electronic forms to PowerSchool so that families can complete the forms all in one secure place. We apologize for some of the challenges with this launch, and the Technology Department has worked diligently to make improvements. Thank you, and we look forward to a great school year!

The following CMCSS Administrative Appointments were made in August 2025.

Glenellen Elementary Assistant Principal

Amanda Woodard has been selected as an assistant principal at Glenellen Elementary School. Woodard has served at Glenellen since 2022 as an Academic Coach, Multi-Classroom Leader (MCL), and Building Testing Coordinator. She began her career with CMCSS in 2017 at Norman Smith Elementary School as a teacher and K-2 STEM and Reading Lead Teacher. Among her honors, Woodard was named Teacher of the Year in 2020 and received the Green Apple Award in 2019. She earned her M.A.Ed. in Educational Leadership Studies and M.A. in Education in Reading from Austin Peay State University and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University.

Rossview Middle School Assistant Principal

Chris Bergeron has been selected as an assistant principal at Rossview Middle School. Bergeron has served as a math teacher at Kirkwood High School since 2023. At Kirkwood, he served in multiple leadership roles, including District Lead Teacher, Math RTI Interventionist, and member of the School Leadership, Safety, and Accreditation Teams. Before joining CMCSS, Bergeron began his career in 2016 at Lebanon High School as a teacher, soccer coach, ACT Coordinator, and mentor teacher. He was named Teacher of the Year in 2020-2021. He is experienced in supporting multilingual students and families and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Bergeron earned his M.A. in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University and his B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education and Portuguese from Middle Tennessee State University. He completed the CMCSS Introduction to Leadership Program and is currently in the CMCSS Aspiring Administrators Academy.

Rossview Middle School Assistant Principal

Grant Epperson has been selected as an assistant principal at Rossview Middle School. Epperson currently serves as the Social Studies Lead Teacher at West Creek Middle School, where he also served in several leadership roles, including the school’s Leadership, Safety, Reunification, and AVID teams. Epperson has also served as a curriculum editor for the district’s Social Studies assessments and as a mentor for new teachers through the CMCSS Induction Program. Before joining CMCSS, Epperson taught AP U.S. History and served as department chair at Madisonville North Hopkins High School in Kentucky. He also worked as a Career Transition Specialist at Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center, where he completed leadership training focused on supporting at-risk youth in achieving their educational and career goals. He was named a Green Apple Award winner in 2022-2023. Epperson earned his M.A. in Educational Leadership from Austin Peay State University, M.A.T. in Social Studies Education from the University of the Cumberlands, and B.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Kentucky.