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2023 State of Education in Tennessee

December 6, 2022

When it comes to taking big steps to improve outcomes for students, Tennessee leads. For more than a decade, the state has taken bold actions and demonstrated great success in improving education. This has led to students having more opportunities for their future, businesses having a more skilled workforce, and, ultimately, more Tennesseans experiencing economic independence statewide.

Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success

2022 State of Education in Tennessee

December 6, 2021

Through 2020 and 2021, Tennessee students, families, and educators have faced a public health crisis that has impacted our education system from top to bottom. Educators have provided instruction to students in person, in a hybrid format, and virtually – with limited resources and training at their disposal when the pandemic began. Administrators have faced staffing and scheduling challenges as the coronavirus pandemic spread statewide, requiring many students and educators to quarantine to recover from or to reduce transmission of the disease and miss valuable classroom time as a result. Whether they are in K-12 or postsecondary settings, students have experienced a dramatic shift in their daily lives.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Teachers & Leaders | Data Insights | Innovative Models | K-12 Success

2014-15 State of Education in Tennessee

January 24, 2015

In 2013, Tennessee reached an important milestone, becoming the fastest-improving state in the nation in fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading on the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), following only the District of Columbia.1 In 2014, Tennessee also saw significant improvements in student ACT scores, with composite scores increasing from a 19.5 to a 19.8. Tennessee students, alongside students in Kentucky and Wyoming, showed the largest growth among the 12 states that require all students to take the ACT.2 These data serve as early indicators of the impact the collaborative efforts of students, parents, teachers, school and district leaders, and state policymakers are having on student learning in Tennessee.

2026 State of Education in Tennessee: Moving Every Student Forward

December 3, 2025

Tennessee has never waited for change — we have led with purpose and vision. The 2026 State of Education report outlines the bold policies and actions that will move Tennessee’s shared vision for student success forward. Rooted in data and building on a strong student-centered foundation, it offers a roadmap for advancing outcomes from kindergarten to career.  

Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success

2024 State of Education in Tennessee: Building A Brighter Future

December 5, 2023

Tennessee is a leader in piloting and scaling efforts to strengthen student success. Foundational strategies have been grounded in high expectations for educators, schools, and students – from the time students enter the classroom to the time they receive a degree or credential. This work is yielding demonstrated results for students. However, while progress has been made, it is clear more needs to be done. Tennessee’s next challenge is to expand its vision for education so that each student not only has the opportunity to succeed in school but also has the opportunity to be prepared for a career that enables economic independence.

Teachers & Leaders | High-Quality Public Charter Schools | Data Insights | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success

2025 State of Education in Tennessee: Casting a Vision for Student Success

December 6, 2024

In 2025, SCORE will focus on a critical question that will have a lasting impact on the success of every student in Tennessee: "Are Tennessee students prepared for careers that enable economic independence?" Answering this question requires an intentional look at the entire educational journey and will take greater alignment across K-12, postsecondary, and the workforce.