Resources

Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways

Building Pathways to Success: Work-Based Learning in Tennessee High Schools

May 14, 2025

Tennessee has made significant investments in preparing all students for postsecondary education and a career. Research suggests that work-based learning (WBL) is one opportunity that can provide students with the confidence, skills, and social capital to succeed in college and the workplace. However, for these positive impacts to be realized, work-based learning must be high quality, providing students with valuable learning that sets them up for later career success. To gain a better understanding of the current state of work-based learning in Tennessee, the SCORE team analyzed data from several sources and produced this series of memos.

Setting a Vision for the Next Generation of Work-Based Learning

May 12, 2025

Tennessee’s recent policies and investments have built momentum toward strengthening education-to-career pathways for all students, which is an excellent foundation on which to build a new vision specifically for work-based learning (WBL) in our state. This third memo in our Building Pathways to Success series outlines key elements Tennessee must consider for a future of WBL that enhances student learning and leads students toward careers that enable economic independence. 

Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways

Barriers to Implementing Work-Based Learning

May 12, 2025

High-quality work-based learning is an important component of Tennessee’s efforts to prepare all high school students for postsecondary education and a quality career. This second memo in our Building Pathways to Success series uses data collected from interviews with district leaders to help us better understand barriers to implementing work-based learning (WBL) programs throughout Tennessee. State policymakers and leaders can use this information to provide the right solutions and supports.

Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways

Work-Based Learning Participation and Success

May 12, 2025

This first memo in our Building Pathways to Success series explores the current status of work-based learning (WBL) in Tennessee. This foundational knowledge shows us the strength of defining what constitutes a WBL experience but also highlights where Tennessee is falling short in assessing the impact of these experiences on future learning and future career pursuits. 

Teachers & Leaders | Innovative Models | K-12 Success

Lead in Literacy Case Study: Aligning Teacher Candidate Preparation and Mentor Support Experiences

May 12, 2025

To support strong early literacy educator preparation in our state, Tennessee Technological University (TN Tech) and the Putnam County School System (PCSS) have partnered through the Lead in Literacy network to strengthen TN Tech’s educator preparation program (EPP). This EPP-district partnership is constructing a shared vision for literacy instruction and revising undergraduate literacy coursework methods to bolster skills around the science of reading and high-quality instructional materials (HQIM). This case study outlines their work to date.

Teachers & Leaders | Innovative Models | K-12 Success

Piloting Instructionally Coherent Literacy Intervention in Knox County Schools

May 7, 2025

Four elementary schools in Knox County tested a literacy intervention approach that brings better instructional coherence to students by using the same high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) that are used in the student’s main classroom, rather than introducing new materials that may follow a different scope and sequence of learning. In a previous report from SCORE, this approach showed promising results when compared with students receiving support in settings that used different materials.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.