Policy & Advocacy

In 2020 and 2021, Tennessee received nearly $4 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds — money that Congress directed to the states to stave off negative learning impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the single largest infusion of federal funds into the state’s K-12 system. Tennessee met the moment and developed a systematic approach to allocating funds that, in turn, led to nationally leading learning recovery and acceleration. These actions are a model for future efforts to disperse federal funding to the state in a way that can lead to accountability and student success. 

As Tennessee begins discussions around what types of policies and supports are needed for artificial intelligence (AI) in education, it’s critical to better understand the trends among early-adopting educators as they pilot AI tools and evaluate the impact on student learning. SCORE has provided a set of recommendations to the state’s AI Advisory Council through our new memo, Tennessee Opportunity for AI in Education. This resource is designed to help policy and education leaders reinforce Tennessee as an incubator of innovation that prepares students for careers of the future.  

Career and technical education (CTE) in Tennessee plays a critical role in preparing students as they pursue careers that can enable economic independence. As part of our Informing the Conversation series, this memo explores Perkins V, the federal funding stream available to states to support and strengthen CTE options for students and enhance accountability for student outcomes. Perkins V nationally distributes about $1.4 billion in state formula grants under Title I funding. As part of the 2018 reauthorization of the Perkins Act, greater emphasis was placed on evaluations and support for evidence-based strategies in CTE education. This emphasis aims to ensure that CTE options available to students are better aligned to regional labor market needs, setting students up for success as they enter the workforce.