2025 State of Education in Tennessee: Casting a Vision for Student Success
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Data Insights | Education Finance
Series: Informing the Conversation
April 17, 2025
Informing the Conversation is a collection of resources offering data, research, insights, and ideas to inform discussions about Tennessee education in the context of federal shifts, offered with an eye toward the urgent need to continue improving student outcomes in our state. In a March 2025 executive order, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to “return education authority to the states, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” As federal changes unfold, SCORE is committed to collaborating, informing, and offering perspective that we hope can steward change into opportunity for Tennessee students.
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Education Finance
Federal Education Funding in Tennessee
April 17, 2025
Proposed changes to federal and state education systems — including funding — are on the horizon, resulting from a spring 2025 federal executive order that will put states at the center of education conversations. The executive order and actions that follow are expected to result in new structures, shifted responsibilities, and different funding paths coupled with a reduced role of the federal education department.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | K-12 Success
Tennessee Public Charter Schools Are Preparing Students For Postsecondary Education
April 3, 2025
In Tennessee, many public charter schools build a strong postsecondary culture to support students to strive for success in college, career, and life.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Innovative Models
Historically Underserved Student Groups in Tennessee Public Charter Schools
April 2, 2025
Public charter schools serve a greater proportion of students from historically underserved groups — namely students of color and economically disadvantaged students — compared to noncharter schools across the state. On average, these charter students show faster academic growth and higher proficiency levels than their district peers.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Innovative Models
Tennessee Public Charter School Students See Strong Growth
April 2, 2025
You may have heard claims suggesting that charter schools target enrollment efforts at high-achieving students, a practice commonly referred to as “cherry picking” or “skimming.” When it comes to Tennessee public charter schools, it’s important to understand the opposite is true.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Innovative Models | K-12 Success
National Study Highlights Student Growth in Tennessee Public Charter Schools
April 2, 2025
According to a 2023 national study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), public charter school students experience more average growth in math and English language arts than their counterparts in noncharter schools. In Tennessee, this growth equals an additional month and a half of learning for public charter school students.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Innovative Models
2023-24 Tennessee Public Charter School Demographics
April 2, 2025
Public charter schools serve a larger proportion of students from historically underserved groups — including Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students — than their traditional public school peers.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Innovative Models
Public Charter Schools Across Tennessee
April 2, 2025
In 2025, there are 115 charter schools in Tennessee, serving over 44,000 students — 5% of the state’s total student population.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Innovative Models | K-12 Success
Nashville Charter Schools Provide Families With an Alternative to Priority Schools in Their Area
April 2, 2025
Charter schools are a free public school option, with many located near Nashville’s lowest-performing schools (priority schools). For the 2023-24 school year, Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) had 19 priority schools serving over 9,000 students. Eighteen of these priority schools are traditional district-run schools and one is a charter school.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Innovative Models
High Expectations and High Accountability: Tennessee’s Charter School Sector
April 2, 2025
Across the country, 45 states and the District of Columbia have public charter schools. However, not all charter sectors are created equal. Unlike many other states, Tennessee’s public charter school policies are defined by rigorous standards and high accountability.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Innovative Models
Tennessee Public Charter School Commission
April 2, 2025
In Tennessee, the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission is the state’s appellate authorizer. The commission hears new-start, revocation, amendment, and renewal appeals from across the state and serves as the authorizer and local education agency (LEA) for any school it authorizes upon appeal.
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High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Education Finance | Innovative Models
History of Tennessee Public Charter Sector
April 2, 2025
Tennessee public charter schools are a free, public option available for students and families in Tennessee. This resource explores the timeline of state policy and funding regarding public charter schools in Tennessee.
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