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Report

Standards and Assessment: Setting High Expectations and Monitoring Progress

July 8, 2024

Tennessee’s foundational education policies over the last 20 years have led to significant advances in student achievement. This series highlights research-backed policies that are essential pillars of support in helping students achieve career and life success.

Tennessee’s commitment to high academic standards, aligned assessments, and to using data to support improved student outcomes moved our state from the bottom of the pack nationally in education outcomes to one of the fastest growing in the country. We should remain committed to high expectations through rigorous academic standards and aligned assessments that provide essential data about student achievement and growth.

Key points:

  • Rigorous academic standards and aligned assessments demonstrate our commitment to transparency about student performance.
  • These policies empower education leaders to identify where students need additional supports and to make data-driven decisions that ensure student success.
  • With the foundations of standards and assessment in place, Tennessee’s academic resiliency stood out after the COVID-19 pandemic and research highlighted the state’s academic recovery as one of the most robust in the country.