SCORE Blog

Data can do more than just shine a light on important trends — data can help us find ways to target efforts and resources to better support students.

While the latest Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results show positive progress for students’ learning recovery, Tennessee must focus on serving students with the greatest needs to narrow widening achievement gaps.

A postsecondary credential is critical to achieving success in today’s workforce, and with nearly half of Tennessee high school graduates not going to college, it’s time to rethink core strategies to support students.

In the 2022 legislative session, the 112th General Assembly built on the foundation of the 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act, passing legislation to further strengthen reading support for K-3 students.

Tennessee lawmakers took important steps during the 2022 legislative session to strengthen and invest in the state’s postsecondary system. Their efforts focused on three key strategies: connect education and the workforce, expand postsecondary affordability, and strengthen pathways to student success.

A recent SCORE Institute gave an overview of Education Strategy Group’s Momentum Metrics, a set of indicators predictive of students’ postsecondary enrollment and success, plus a look at how two Tennessee school districts are using those metrics to boost postsecondary success for students.

The latest session of the Tennessee General Assembly included some historic wins for Tennessee students. Perhaps the most significant: passage of the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), a student-weighted funding formula to replace the state’s outdated resource-based funding model.

Ruth Ann Holt of Columbia State Community College reflects on her year in in the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute, the program that builds community advocates and promotes local ownership to increase higher education completion rates in Tennessee.

The college-going rate in Tennessee dropped 9 points in two years — an alarming trend that should serve as a call to action for Tennesseans.

Dr. Dusty Warren, assistant principal at Culleoka Unit School, says the immersive approach of the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute has enabled him to have a stronger impact on Tennessee students’ postsecondary success.

DegreeU, a new app launched by Chattanooga’s Public Education Foundation (PEF), redefines a student’s search for the right college by matching them with an institution where they are more likely to graduate.

From exploring creative ways to increase postsecondary credential attainment to experiencing eye-opening discoveries about equity gaps in higher education, TSU professor Dr. Alexis Gatson Heaston explains how her CTLI experience was both enlightening and inspiring.

The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) signed into law Monday is the state’s newest bold education policy. As Senator Frist said last week, “We believe TISA will be a game-changer for students in Tennessee public schools.” When implemented as intended, the new K-12 funding formula will provide the investment to help educators support significant improvement in student achievement.

May 2-6, 2022, is Teacher Appreciation Week — a weeklong celebration to honor teachers and reflect on the ones who have made an impact on our lives.

Dr. Sidney McPhee of Motlow State Community College reflects on what he’s learned about postsecondary persistence and completion during a year of collaboration with the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute.

To accelerate student learning slowed by the pandemic, leaders of Washington County Schools invested their ESSER dollars in a tutoring program designed to reach students during the school day.

Knowing the impact teacher diversity can have on student outcomes, Haywood County Schools is seizing the opportunity to use ESSER funding to recruit a teacher workforce that more closely resembles the district’s student population.

In response to the pandemic, SCORE is sharing research-based strategies to aid in students’ learning recovery. Our latest brief, Maximizing Summer Learning, highlights best practices for implementing a summer learning program.

Replacing Tennessee’s outdated 30-year-old funding formula with the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula will support greater academic achievement, represent a bigger and better investment in students, and advance college and career readiness.

SCORE’s new public district-level dashboard outlining ESSER spending across the state is designed to help Tennessee school leaders as they look forward and update ESSER spending plans. Here’s a look at the dashboard and related brief.