2014-15 State of Education in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 3

In 2013, Tennessee reached an important milestone, becoming the fastest-improving state in
the nation in fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading on the National Assessment for Educational
Progress (NAEP), following only the District of Columbia.1 In 2014, Tennessee also saw significant improvements in student ACT scores, with composite scores increasing from a 19.5 to a 19.8. Tennessee
students, alongside students in Kentucky and Wyoming, showed the largest growth among the 12
states that require all students to take the ACT.2 These data serve as early indicators of the impact the
collaborative efforts of students, parents, teachers, school and district leaders, and state policymakers are having on student learning in Tennessee.

Beginning with the State Board of Education’s approval of
the Tennessee Diploma Project Standards in 2008 and the
passage of the First to the Top Act in 2010, Tennessee implemented a series of programs and policies collectively
aimed to prepare Tennessee students for success in college and career. As Tennessee works to maintain an impressive rate of student growth, it is important to recognize
and scale up best practices, acknowledge the challenges
still existing in classrooms across the state, and identify
innovative solutions to persistent problems.
While recent NAEP data indicate that Tennessee students
are showing growth in both math and reading, these and
other data also indicate that students are still behind their
peers in other states and countries. Only 19 percent of students met all four college readiness benchmarks on the
ACT, leading Tennessee to rank 17th out of 22 states where
75 percent or more students take the ACT.3 While students
have shown impressive growth on NAEP, Tennessee’s performance continues to fall below the national average on
national assessments.
Since 2009, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has published an annual report on the state
of education in Tennessee. These reports provide an update on the work taking place to improve student achievement in Tennessee, highlighting successes and challenges
faced over the past year and setting education priorities
for the coming year. These priorities are developed collaboratively through conversations with teachers, principals,
school district leaders, business leaders, policymakers, and
state-level education leaders. The recommendations set
forth in each of these priorities intend to guide the work of
education partners in Tennessee in the coming year, with
the ultimate goal of improved learning for all students.
The 2014-15 State of Education in Tennessee report provides an update on the state’s work in education over the
past year, highlighting both successes and challenges
faced in districts and schools across Tennessee. This report
also sets forth four central priorities for Tennessee’s education efforts in 2015. These priorities represent a framework that can guide work in the year ahead for all education partners in Tennessee, from teachers to policymakers.

These priorities are highlighted briefly below and explained
in detail throughout the report:

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Select and implement high-quality assessments that are
nationally benchmarked and aligned to Tennessee’s State
Standards.

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Ensure the continued and improved implementation of
Tennessee’s State Standards for English Language Arts and
Mathematics.

››

Elevate the teaching profession in Tennessee to ensure
high-quality candidates pursue a career in education and
Tennessee’s current teachers receive the support they need
to improve student learning.

››

Transform instruction through high-quality school leadership that meets local needs.

Select and implement high-quality assessments that are
nationally benchmarked and aligned to Tennessee’s State
Standards. While the implementation of rigorous standards

is an important step toward ensuring Tennessee students
are prepared for college and career, it is difficult for
students and educators to measure progress on those
standards without a high-quality, fully aligned assessment.
One of the biggest challenges educators faced in 2014 was
the misalignment between Tennessee’s State Standards
and current end-of-year assessments in math and
English language arts. In 2015, it is critically important
to implement assessments that will provide educators,
parents, and students with accurate information about
students’ progress toward college and career readiness.
As the new statewide assessment, TNReady, is implemented, it is important to engage and inform the public on that
assessment, highlighting the importance of high-quality,
aligned assessments as well as providing transparent information about the selected assessment to diverse stakeholders. Tennessee education partners should launch
a statewide communications campaign in the summer
of 2015 that engages and informs parents and the public
on the importance of high-quality, aligned assessments.
These efforts should empower educators to engage with
parents, community members, and policymakers on the
assessment.

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