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.

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.  

Data Insights | Education Finance

Series: Informing the Conversation

April 17, 2025

Informing the Conversation is a collection of resources offering data, research, insights, and ideas to inform discussions about Tennessee education in the context of federal shifts, offered with an eye toward the urgent need to continue improving student outcomes in our state. In a March 2025 executive order, President Donald Trump directed the U.S. Secretary of Education to “return education authority to the states, while continuing to ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely.” As federal changes unfold, SCORE is committed to collaborating, informing, and offering perspective that we hope can steward change into opportunity for Tennessee students.

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.

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

Understanding the Impact of Nondegree Credentials in Tennessee

March 18, 2025

Nondegree credentials are becoming increasingly popular among students and workers who want to sharpen their skills, while employers see them as an opportunity for talent development. In fact, nondegree options provided by postsecondary institutions are growing rapidly, and those provided by nonacademic providers, like employers, already represent over 60% of the credentials offered across the full landscape of options.

Data Insights | K-12 Success

House/Senate Education Committee Presentations

February 21, 2025

In February 2025, SCORE leaders Aleah Guthrie, vice president of policy and government relations, and Alexis Parker, director of data, presented data to the Tennessee General Assembly in support of foundational education policy reforms. During their time with both the Senate and House education committees, SCORE celebrated student progress, shared how Tennessee’s education reform history has enabled our state to improve, and advocated for continued commitment to these foundational reforms. Specifically, we shared data analysis on Tennessee's recent scores on the Nation's Report Card, a national measure of student progress released biennially from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). View the recordings below, which include each of the presentations and the Q and A's that followed.

Teachers & Leaders | Education Finance | Postsecondary Success | K-12 Success

Tennessee Education Primer: A Guide for Policymakers, Candidates, and Advocates

January 15, 2025

Educational achievement in Tennessee has shown an encouraging trend over the last several years: In so many cases, students are reaching new heights and pursuing new endeavors. Much credit is due to the foundational laws, policies, and rules established and implemented by leaders who desire to see students succeed.  SCORE’s biennial Tennessee Education Primer — featuring educational statistics, trends, and initiatives — reflects that continuing progress.

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. 

Postsecondary Success | Education-to-Career Pathways | K-12 Success

TN2030: Data-Driven Goals for Tennessee

November 20, 2024

Are Tennessee students prepared for careers that enable economic independence? Today, too many students in Tennessee are not realizing the life-changing impact of a successful educational journey that leads to this result. Welcome to TN2030, a new vision for Tennessee student success rooted in data-driven goals. These ambitious but attainable goals will help our state answer that critical question and ensure more Tennesseans are on clear pathways toward opportunity. Powered by SCORE and informed by stakeholders across the state, these goals are shared transparently as a unique web-based resource. 

Innovative Models | Education-to-Career Pathways

Connecting Education & Opportunity: A Framework for Credential Impact in Tennessee

October 24, 2024

Tennessee stands at a crossroads where the future prosperity of its students and its economy depends on better supporting students through education toward workforce opportunities.  In Connecting Education and Opportunity: A Framework for Credential Impact in Tennessee, SCORE presents a data-informed lens through which we can identify which postsecondary pursuits are also matched to high-demand, high-wage jobs. This framework is rooted in key measures of earnings, job outlook, and stackability that work together to give a clearer pathway toward student opportunity.