Tennessee’s State Highlights

Summary of Grades

Tennessee scores at or near average for all four of the graded policy categories in Quality Counts.

The state earns its only above-average grade in standards and accountability. Tennessee fares well on school accountability measures, earning points for assisting and sanctioning all lowperforming schools. Although the state has assessments aligned with its standards in all of the four core subject areas, its tests rely heavily on multiple-choice items.

Tennessee performs at the national average on efforts related to teacher quality. While the state gains points for its teacher assessment policies, there is room for improvement on indicators related to teacher education and qualifications. For example, the state does not require aspiring middle school teachers to have a major or equivalent coursework in the subjects they will teach in order to earn an initial license.

The state again receives an average score in school climate. Tennessee earns high marks for school facilities and safety issues; it includes safety information on school report cards and has laws related to school bullying or harassment. But there is room to improve in the areas of student engagement and parent involvement.

Tennessee posts an average grade on resource equity. Like most states, its wealth-neutrality score indicates that poorer districts tend to have lower per-pupil funding levels than wealthier ones do.

Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.