Resources

Delve into research on current education issues and gain a deeper understanding of policies that help students succeed.

A woman reading a report
Education-to-Career Pathways
Teachers & Leaders
Innovative School Models & Approaches
Data Insights
See All Topics

Funding Student Opportunity Through Tennessee’s Outcomes-Based Formula

VIEW FEATURED RESOURCE

Perspectives & Press

Get insights and updates on the fast-moving education landscape from our expert team.

Kids sitting at their desks in a classroom
Perspectives
Read SCORE’s blog to get insights on key education topics.
Press
Stay up to date on the latest news surrounding SCORE and Tennessee education.
GO TO RESOURCES
Report

Funding Student Opportunity Through Tennessee’s Outcomes-Based Formula

August 12, 2024

Postsecondary education leads to improved earnings and employment on average, but not all credentials and degrees yield meaningful economic returns. There’s also a persistent shortage of educated Tennesseans to meet our workforce needs. The outcomes-based funding formula is one among a series of important strategies to ensure the state’s education systems drive students toward career success and steer Tennessee toward economic growth. It’s time to align the outcomes-based funding formula to include measures that show whether students are prepared for careers that enable economic independence.

Key Insights:

  • Tennessee’s current postsecondary outcomes-based funding formula, adopted in 2010, has had a small positive impact on student success, but it has not yet driven improvements for all outcomes or all students.
  • The 2025 formula review cycle is an opportunity for Tennessee to prioritize student success by aligning the funding formula with measures indicating whether students are on pathways to careers that enable economic independence.
  • A new formula should appropriately incentivize student opportunity in postsecondary education and hold postsecondary institutions sufficiently accountable for driving student success from classroom to career.