Scott Wellman, general manager of Puritan Medical Products, brought along Maine-brewed Bissell Brothers beer as an offering to local officials in Tennessee.
But it was Tennessee officials that rolled out the welcome mat for the Guilford-based maker of swabs used in COVID-19 tests.
It s been a whirlwind past year for Puritan, which had already received more than $140 million in government funding to establish factories to produce millions of swabs. It has already built out two factories in Pittsfield to supplement production at its Guilford plant. Earlier this spring, the federal government awarded Puritan another $146.8 million under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to establish a factory that would be more centrally located in the U.S.
Any student participating in TNReady this spring is required to test in person.
After years of technical difficulties, Tennessee s student assessments will be given via paper and pencil this year so students would not be able to take the tests via online delivery anyway.
Districts are required to administer tests sometime between April 12 and June 10. The state also is requiring at least 80% of eligible students in each district participate in testing this year.
State tests are required by law
Since the federal government requires exams be offered, the U.S. Department of Education also has to approve any changes to how many students participate.
Tennessee students learning virtually have to take TNReady in person: What you need to know msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sen. Joey Hensley
The General Assembly passed major legislation during the week of Jan. 18 to address unprecedented student learning losses as a result of COVID-19 related school closures and time spent away from the classroom. It was the 62nd Extraordinary Session in the history of the state.
Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act – Research data estimates a 50% decrease in proficiency rates in 3rd grade reading and a 65% decrease in proficiency rates in math due to the effects of COVID-19 on student learning. Senate Bill 7002 helps struggling students by providing after-school learning mini-camps, learning loss bridge camps and summer learning camps beginning this summer. It also creates the Tennessee Accelerated Literacy and Learning Corps to provide high-quality tutoring throughout the school year.
State lawmakers returned to Nashville on Tuesday to begin a special legislative session on education called by Gov. Bill Lee. In a joint convention of the House and Senate, the governor laid out his legislative initiatives for the lawmakers.
In his speech, Lee pointed to learning loss, low literacy rates and administering state assessments as some of the biggest obstacles schools in our state have grappled with since the start of the pandemic. To help schools overcome these challenges, House Republican leaders introduced four pieces of legislation this week.
Increasing the student literacy rate has been a priority for legislators in the General Assembly for many years. Currently in Tennessee, only one in three 3