SCORE Blog

As part of the LIFT network, Putnam County Schools has had the opportunity to mentor other districts across the state as they introduce high-quality instructional materials into their classrooms.

The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) celebrated a decade of work this week with partners who share our student-centered approach to policy and innovation.

As SCORE marks the milestone of 10 years in education advocacy and the significant progress made for students, our partners and friends share this Tennessee story in a video highlighting Senator Frist’s vision for SCORE.

As a student at high-achieving, suburban public schools in Tennessee, Jasmine Blue didn’t immediately recognize the inequities in the school system. Upon completing a summer internship at SCORE, Jasmine shares her thoughts on the state of education in Tennessee — and its future.

How did Tennessee make so much progress in education over the last 12 years, and what must policymakers, advocates, and educators do to build upon the state’s significant gains? Senator Bill Frist, founder and chairman of SCORE, answers those questions in a new video.

In mid-July, educators from across Tennessee gathered for the first convening of SCORE’s Tennessee Educator Fellowship. Through this yearlong program, fellows strengthen their capacity to advocate on behalf of their students at the local and state levels.

Education beyond high school is a critical part of a successful future. Moving forward on our new strategic plan, SCORE will work to ensure public education in Tennessee continues to deliver academic progress so that all students receive an excellent public K-12 education and earn a credential or postsecondary degree after high school.

Last fall, SCORE hosted the Future Ready Summit, an event focused on improving student readiness for college and career. To start the conversation, SCORE shared a pair of videos that demonstrate the need for better student preparation and what it can achieve.

Tennessee’s fast-growing economy demands an answer to this question: Who will fill those jobs in the future? The answer that SCORE works toward, and hopes for, every day is this: The students who sit in Tennessee classrooms.

SCORE has set four new goals for Tennessee to achieve greater student success. Two of those goals are to ensure that all students receive an excellent public K-12 education and that all students have equitable opportunities for success. These two goals cannot be accomplished without Tennessee’s dedicated K-12 educators who work in and outside the classroom as advocates for their students’ success.

Last month, SCORE announced an exciting expansion of our work under a new strategic plan, which will allow us to ensure that the important work happening in K-12 is seamlessly connected to work in postsecondary, leading students to success in life. As we transition into this new work, I’m excited to have the opportunity to…

In the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition’s latest report, The Lay of the Land: A Closer Look at Rural Schools in Tennessee, we found that when it comes to education, rural matters. Rural matters for English Learner instruction and supports, for ensuring access to early postsecondary opportunities in high school, and for recruiting and supporting strong educators.

Knox Promise is an innovative new initiative to help more Tennessee Promise students in Knox County persist and graduate from college.

For the past 10 years, Tennesseans have agreed that improving education must be a statewide priority. Bold action has made Tennessee a national leader in K-12 student academic growth and affordable and accessible college for all students. Along with our partners in education, advocacy, and philanthropy, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) is proud…

We are writing to share some exciting news for the future of student success in Tennessee that will better align efforts and bring even greater focus to boosting K-12, college, and career success across Tennessee. Together, we are working to ensure that education remains a priority in Tennessee and that policy decisions center on what…

Tennessee has a new statewide appellate Public Charter School Commission to help expand student access to high-quality public charter schools. Here Tennessee State Board of Education Executive Director Sara H. Morrison explains the duties involved and the benefits of a separate commission.

In seven years, I have learned a tremendous amount about education in Tennessee. I have had the honor to work in education at the classroom level as a Nashville teacher, at the state level for the State Board of Education, and at SCORE as an education advocate. It has reinforced my belief that all three sectors must work together to achieve better educational opportunities and outcomes for all Tennessee students.

As I finish my junior year of college at Vanderbilt University, I think often about my career aspirations and those of my peers. Many of my fellow students, especially those with whom I share interests, want to serve the greater good by working in the field of public policy. In classes throughout our areas of…

Tennessee’s foundational policies in academic standards, annual assessment, and educator evaluation provide the fundamental building blocks of a high-quality education system. As Tennessee considers future opportunities to accelerate student learning, our collective commitment to these essential policies enable the practices and innovations that will propel our students to the success we all know they can…

One of the four priorities in SCORE’s annual report, Priorities For Progress: 2018-19 State Of Education In Tennessee, focuses on Tennessee’s foundations for student success. The innovations and raised expectations from a few years ago have now become the bedrock for Tennessee’s current and future success. A specific student-focused policy that has helped drive the…