Our Goals
Our Priorities
Great Teaching & Leadership
Supporting great instruction and curriculum in the classroom and strengthening the teacher pipeline.
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Innovative School Models & Approaches
Advancing approaches and programs that have promise in accelerating student success.
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Education-to-Career Pathways
Aligning K-12 and postsecondary programs with career success.
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Core Values
Student Focused
We are mission-driven and make decisions seeking to urgently improve the academic and life prospects of Tennessee students. We are relentlessly student-centered in our decision-making, prioritizing the needs of students over the comfort of adults. We commit to holding ourselves and partners accountable to this question: What is best for students?
Collaboration
We believe that effective collaboration leads to sustainable change. We recognize that our resources and abilities are only a small part of what is needed to help all Tennessee students reach their potential. Therefore, we believe that partnerships enhance our ability to achieve greater impact. We are mindful that we do not have all the answers, so we work as an organization and as individuals to listen and learn with humility. We believe that collaboration within our team is equally important and commit to working with a spirit of camaraderie, respect, and flexibility. We value different perspectives and experiences knowing that diversity of thought, background, and experience helps us be better advocates for students.
Optimism
We believe that all students in Tennessee can achieve and succeed at a high level when we provide the opportunities and supports that they deserve.
Excellence
We hold ourselves and our partners to high standards in our daily work and in reaching our goals. We value pushing and encouraging each other to continuously improve as individuals and as a team, and we embrace a learning mindset in actively seeking and giving feedback to improve outcomes for ourselves and the students we serve. We approach our work with enthusiasm and flexibility, doing whatever is needed to get the job done well. We support the professional and personal well-being of team members because it is important to achieving excellence.
Innovation
We believe that many of the most difficult challenges in education can be solved through creative and innovative solutions. Similarly, we are committed to continuous improvement in our work and to an organization that fosters, actively seeks out, and embraces new ideas. We operate with a spirit of curiosity and courage, looking for innovative paths to success in our work. We know that change happens through people, and we value the unique perspective every individual offers.
Theory of Action
We strive to be a durable partner and trusted advisor.
We develop effective approaches by working directly with schools, districts, institutions, and employers to innovate and generate proof points.
We continue to use data and research to monitor progress, measure impact, and identify additional areas of need for students.
We identify challenges and potential solutions for students based on data and research, convening stakeholders, and linking Tennessee to national conversations.
We enable the scaling of promising solutions by advocating for student-focused policy and activating philanthropy, assistance, and investment.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
SCORE’s mission is to drive transformative change in education so that all Tennessee students can achieve success in college, career, and life. From its founding in 2009, SCORE has been grounded in the belief that diverse perspectives are required to identify solutions that will best serve Tennessee students, so we seek to bring as many viewpoints as possible into our daily work and live out collaboration as a core value.
Within our organization, we believe it is important for our team to reflect the rich diversity of Tennesseans and Tennessee students, and we aspire for our team to understand varied viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. We strive to build an inclusive organization where each team member feels respected and supported, knowing that when team members are empowered to use their individual gifts, we become more effective in advancing our mission.
See Our Impact
Since 2009, SCORE has worked alongside Tennessee educators, advocates, and leaders to drive progress for Tennessee students. Advocating for foundational policies, launching innovative implementation networks, supporting cutting-edge research and data analysis, and investing in the next generation of education leaders, SCORE has championed a student-focused agenda aimed at catalyzing transformative change so all Tennessee students can achieve success.