Tennessee’s recent academic gains show what is possible when schools invest in improving teaching and learning. Between 2022 and 2025, Tennessee ranked second on the Education Scorecard among participating states in math growth and fourth in reading growth. These results position Tennessee as a national model for academic recovery and reflect the impact of sustained investments in high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), educator support, and student learning.
At the same time, growth alone is not the finish line. More students are moving out of the lowest achievement category than in previous years. The share of Tennessee third graders performing in the lowest achievement category in English language arts has declined from 31.9% in 2021 to 22.2% in 2026, meaning fewer students are falling into the state’s most at-risk category. But moving out of the lowest group is not the same as reaching grade-level proficiency, and the percentage of students in the lowest performance category in third grade is still higher than it was before the pandemic. Many students are still not on track, and without continued support they remain at risk of falling further behind as academic content becomes increasingly complex.
This reality raises an important question for Tennessee educators: How do we help more students move from growth to proficiency? Consider a basketball player trying to improve their free-throw percentage. Spending extra time dribbling — or shooting at a nonregulation-height goal — may keep them busy but it is unlikely to improve their free throws. Similarly, students who need additional support are most likely to succeed when that support is aligned to grade-level learning and reinforces what they experience in the classroom. Instructional coherence is about making sure every instructional experience — from core instruction to intervention to tutoring to summer learning — works toward the same goal.
The challenge does not stem from a lack of effort or investment. Tennessee schools have expanded access to tutoring, intervention, HQIM, and specialized supports. But too often, those supports operate separately rather than reinforcing one another. When learning is fragmented, students must navigate disconnected content, expectations, and routines. When learning is coherent, every instructional minute builds toward grade-level success.
Tennessee’s focus on instructional coherence is grounded in both national research and emerging lessons from the state’s work on literacy intervention and high-dosage tutoring. Schools across Tennessee are exploring how to align intervention and tutoring to the same materials, assessments, and learning goals used in core instruction.
Earlier this summer SCORE, in partnership with TNTP, convened 15 district teams representing urban, suburban, and rural communities along with state leaders and education partners to explore how schools can better align instruction, intervention, and tutoring — a practice known as instructional coherence. Participants examined research, discussed common barriers, and began designing early literacy pilots that will launch during the 2026-27 school year. The convening reflected a shared commitment to continue improving our work in literacy by focusing on the students who are furthest behind.
As Tennessee continues to build on its academic gains, instructional coherence offers an opportunity to deepen work that is already underway but not yet happening at scale. Coherence gives us the opportunity to strengthen and connect existing efforts so that all students consistently experience high-quality, grade-level learning throughout the school day.
Courtney Bell is SCORE’s vice president of research and innovation.