2025 State of Education in Tennessee: Casting a Vision for Student Success
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success
2021 State of Education in Tennessee
December 6, 2020
In 2020, our nation navigated a disruptive public health crisis and a summer of protests that increased awareness of longstanding, systemic racial, economic, and justice inequities. These crises overlapped just as Tennessee educators and students were going back to school, virtually or in person. The opening months of the COVID-19 pandemic demanded ingenuity from educators as they stood up virtual learning practically overnight, responsiveness from leaders as they navigated an evolving public health crisis, and collaboration from communities as they worked to fill in resource gaps for students. The efforts by educators and schools were wide-ranging, nimble, and necessary. The scale of need revealed by the pandemic, however, raises questions and adds urgency to efforts to address the quality of education for all students both before and after the pandemic.
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Teachers & Leaders
COVID-19 Impact Memo 1: Teacher Preparation
May 26, 2020
There are 39 educator preparation providers (EPPs) across the state of Tennessee that produce more than 3,000 teacher candidates every year. The Tennessee State Board of Education reports on multiple performance metrics for a three-year cohort of early-career teachers who were prepared by any State Board-approved educator preparation provider in the annual Educator Preparation Report Card.
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Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models
Supporting Postsecondary Student Success
January 13, 2020
The first meeting of the 2020-21 Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute (CTLI) program focused on equity and quality of access to higher education. For the second meeting, the policy discussions will focus on the theme of supporting postsecondary student success. Once students have started their higher education journey, how can state and local leaders help them stay continuously enrolled and make steady progress toward their goals?
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Postsecondary Success | K-12 Success
Equity & Quality of Access
January 2, 2020
Tennessee is known across the country for its thoughtful and comprehensive higher education policy structure, which has been built on over a decade of student-focused policy changes at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels. However, despite the many strong policies in place, there is still much work to be done by Tennessee leaders in order to help the state reach its higher education goals.
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success
2020 State of Education In Tennessee
December 6, 2019
Across the previous decade, Tennessee posted outsize progress in student achievement and equity of opportunity. Student-focused policies that raise expectations, emphasize student outcomes, and encourage innovative and research-based practices have enabled educators and schools to help more students achieve at higher levels. These policies form the foundation for student growth and success beginning in kindergarten through postsecondary completion and ensure that Tennessee’s progress is widespread and systemic, not just limited to a few bright spots.
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success
2018-19 State of Education in Tennessee
December 6, 2018
For the past decade, Tennessee has been among the fastest-improving states in the nation in K-12 education. Student achievement made substantial jumps forward in multiple subjects and grade levels. The state also is making progress on the five Excellence for All priorities set in 2017 by SCORE in collaboration with many educators, policymakers, and leaders of communities, business, and philanthropy. Improvements include increased focus and first steps to help more students make a successful transition from high school to college or career training, improvements in third-grade reading on statewide assessments, new initiatives to improve school leadership, and accountability ratings for schools that provide the deepest look to date at whether achievement gaps are closing for students who are traditionally underserved.
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success
2019-20 State Education in Tennessee
December 4, 2018
Public education in Tennessee is predominantly a state and local responsibility, with the federal government playing a limited role. Each level of government has specific responsibilities to ensure the success of Tennessee students.
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Postsecondary Success | Education-to-Career Pathways
Educating the Workforce of Tomorrow
October 1, 2017
Tennessee’s economy is growing, with the lowest unemployment rate in recorded state history and rising wages. Across Tennessee’s public high schools, students are achieving at higher levels on end of course exams and graduating at historic levels.[3,4] Tennessee Promise has lowered financial barriers to postsecondary education for tens of thousands of students.[5] It seems there is no better time to be a Tennessee student transitioning from high school to postsecondary and career than now.
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success
2016-17 State of Education in Tennessee
December 6, 2016
Although there has been great progress, too many Tennessee students—especially those of color, from low-income backgrounds, who have disabilities, or are English learners—are not on track to graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce.
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Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Innovative Models | K-12 Success
2015-16 State of Education in Tennessee
December 6, 2015
When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Tennessee an “F” for truth in advertising in 2007, the imperative to improve the quality of public education in the state became undeniable. Since then, a series of policies and practices have transformed Tennessee’s education system and led to strong gains for many of our students. Now, Tennessee must embed the reforms of recent years into the daily practices of schools and districts statewide.
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K-12 Success
A Review of Tennessee’s Draft English Language Arts Academic Standards
November 11, 2015
This report provides a review of the draft of the Tennessee English Language Arts Standards (TES) released in October 2015 to determine whether they are high-quality standards that prepare students, over the course of their K–12 education careers, for success in credit-bearing college courses and quality, high-growth jobs. To complete this review, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) partnered with Achieve, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability.
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K-12 Success
A Review of Tennessee’s Draft Mathematics Academic Standards
November 1, 2015
The purpose of this review is to examine the October 2015 draft of the Tennessee Math Standards (Draft TMS) to determine whether they are high-quality standards that prepare students, over the course of their K–12 education careers, for success in credit-bearing college courses and quality, highgrowth jobs. To complete this review, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) partnered with Achieve, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability.
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