Policy & Advocacy

Postsecondary education leads to improved earnings and employment on average, but not all credentials and degrees yield meaningful economic returns. There’s also a persistent shortage of educated Tennesseans to meet our workforce needs. The outcomes-based funding formula is one among a series of important strategies to ensure the state’s education systems drive students toward career success and steer Tennessee toward economic growth. It’s time to align the outcomes-based funding formula to include measures that show whether students are prepared for careers that enable economic independence.

Tennessee’s strong foundation of research-based strategies — including early literacy standards, interventions, teacher training, and high-quality instructional materials — have contributed to significant English language arts (ELA) proficiency gains for young readers.

This memo spotlights how the One Million Degrees comprehensive college coaching model has proven successful and could be scalable at Tennessee community colleges and nationwide.