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 is best for students.

Building on 10 years of work in helping move Tennessee from the back of the pack to one of the fastest-improving states in the nation in K-12 student achievement, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) will now expand its scope to include helping more Tennessee students persist and complete college to ensure career and life success by combining forces with Complete Tennessee.

In recent years, Complete Tennessee and SCORE have worked collaboratively to advance our shared state goals. Beginning today and going forward, we are pleased to announce that with the full support and encouragement of our respective leadership and governing boards, we are officially moving Complete Tennessee inside SCORE.

Recognizing that students succeed when there is greater alignment across the classroom to career continuum, SCORE recently completed a new strategic plan that was developed following months of interviews and engagement with key stakeholders in K-12, higher education, philanthropy, workforce development, and many of the state’s top employers.

Under the leadership of President and CEO David Mansouri, SCORE will expand its work to ensure K-12 and college are aligned with career and life success, while amplifying data on outcomes across the entire continuum. SCORE has set four new goals for the organization and for Tennessee:

  • All students receive an excellent public K-12 education
  • All students earn a credential or postsecondary degree after high school
  • All students are prepared for a career that enables their economic independence
  • All students, across all goals, will have equitable opportunities for success

SCORE’s strategic priorities will continue to focus on K-12 student success, but with even greater recognition that K-12 preparation must also be better aligned with postsecondary access, opportunities, and completion, if we truly want to prepare all students for career and life success. SCORE will push for the next wave of innovation across all priorities, but with a primary emphasis on:

  • Excellent Educators – Preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent teachers and leaders
  • High Expectations – Ensuring all schools and systems meet high expectations
  • Classroom to Career Alignment – Aligning K-12 and college with career and life success

By welcoming Complete Tennessee into SCORE, we are confident we can continue the great work of Complete Tennessee and accelerate its impact for students.

Since 2016, Kenyatta Lovett and the Complete Tennessee team have successfully raised awareness of the importance of increasing postsecondary access and completion in the state. They have worked to grow community engagement and partnerships to advance the state’s college completion goals, building a community of higher education advocates across the state, and highlighting for policymakers and education leaders the college completion challenges facing students in our state.

We are grateful to all who have worked so hard to contribute to Complete Tennessee’s success, and we look forward to continuing this important work with you.

In the coming weeks, SCORE will be incorporating Complete Tennessee’s initiatives to create even greater opportunities for Tennessee students and to help build the state’s economy and workforce.

Thank you for all you continue to do to help Tennessee’s students succeed.  We look forward to working with you in preparing ALL Tennessee students for college, career, and life success.


More About SCORE’s New Strategic Plan