This is the first of a two-part column about the state Report Card.

It's that time of the year again when I do a little easy reading -- Tennessee Department of Education's annual Report Card.

I must admit, I really do prefer Louisa May Alcott's "Christmas Treasury" or "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.

Still, this is where we are today in the world of education. We are measured to death and must continue to read about it.

Perusing a little research data over a steaming hot cup of wassail is good for the winter's soul from time to time, I suppose.

So, for the 2018-2019 school year, the Report Card indicates that Bedford County performed well in English Language Arts (ELA).

The county, however, has stayed basically the same in its academic growth. This is a year-to-year measurement.

The state ranks schools with levels from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest for "academic growth." Bedford County received an overall 2 in this indicator.

From all that I've heard from educators, it's just not easy to make leaps in one fell swoop in this Report Card. So we are happy that the county continues to set goals of improvement for the future.

The state, nonetheless, continues to rank Bedford County under its accountability category as one of its "satisfactory" districts. Other higher accountability categories are "exemplary" (a few Tennessee school districts have reached this ladder) and "advancing" (several state schools have begun to achieve this status over the last couple of years.)

The state does have an interesting way of comparing students with their peers, year to year, to obtain these results. There are various subgroups (black, white, Hispanic, disabled, etc.,) scored separately in this process.

How growth is measured from year to year can sometimes get confusing, unless you're a statistician.

Therefore, the way the state measures academic "growth" may show something altogether different about a school or district than its "academic achievement."

Tennessee Education Association (TEA) states that because students' performance is compared to that of their peers, and because their peers are moving through the same standards and assessment transitions at the same time, any drops in proficiency during these transitions have no impact on the ability of teachers, schools, and districts to earn strong TVAAS scores.

Growth scores are used alongside achievement scores from the TNReady indicator to show the "fuller picture of students' performance," according to TEA.

Learning Way (3) and Shelbyville Central High School (5) carried the "academic growth" rankings this year. Other Bedford County schools, however, did not make any marked increases with most earning anywhere from a 0 to a 2 level in "academic growth" indicators.

While Thomas Magnet's academic achievement was excellent, the school's overall growth, as measured by the state, was a 2. Thomas is still considered one of the state's "Reward Schools" based on its high academic standards obtained.

So go figure, literally, all this, then make up your mind as to whether you like it or not.

The State Report Card, with its year-to-year assessments of student progress, has long been the source of discussions among educators-some good, some bad.

Some people may not realize TVAAS was developed by a Bedford County native, Dr. William Lester "Bill" Sanders, who sadly passed away two years ago.

Sanders was the son of the late Lester and Sara Sanders. The day he was born in 1942, little did Mrs. Sara know what her son's future would hold.

Sanders would graduate from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where he received a bachelor of science degree in animal science in 1964, and a doctorate in statistics and quantitative genetics in 1968.

Beginning in 1972, Sanders created and led a statistical and consulting group for the Institute of Agricultural Research for The University of Tennessee system. Over the next 28 years, he worked with scientists to plan experiments and analyze the resulting data on research projects ranging from agronomy to physics.

Sanders later became the director of the Value-Added Research and Assessment Center with the University of Tennessee. One of many highlights of his career was a study that demonstrated the lasting effects of educational practices on future student performance.

As a result of this research, Sanders developed TVAAS, also known later as the Educational Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS) -- a research group he would go on to manage at SAS Institute (an analytical software group) in Cary, North Carolina.

Sanders' obit, prepared a few years ago by family, surmised that Sanders said once that he "stood for a hopeful view that teacher effectiveness dwarfs all other factors as a predictor of student academic growth. His position challenged decades of assumptions that student family life, income, or ethnicity has more effect on student learning. Sanders believed, simply put, that educational influence matters and teachers matter most."

Agree, or not, Sanders' work remains the foundation of the accountability system in Tennessee.

And for his many achievements, the Education Commission of the States named Dr. Sanders the 2015 recipient of the James Bryant Conant Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the field. In doing so, he joined an esteemed list of past recipients, including Thurgood Marshall, E. D. Hirsch, Fred (Mr.) Rogers and Lamar Alexander.

Bedford Countians are proud of Sanders' work, though some of us may not always agree with all the theories.

Then again, that's what makes America great; we don't always have to agree with everything.

-- Dawn Hankins is a Times-Gazette staff writer.