Tennessee schools’ post-COVID improvements in math and reading have outpaced most other states since 2022, according to the National Assessment for Educational Progress. Released last week, the sweeping federal survey — often referred to as the “nation’s report card” — also shows a widening testing gap between students in the 90th and 10th percentiles that has increased gradually since 2009. Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Colorado sit at or near the top of NAEP rankings across grade levels and subjects.
While trend lines are positive, Tennessee students continue to perform at or below national standards overall. In 2024, less than a third of Tennessee fourth- and eighth-graders demonstrated proficiency in math and reading. Between 25 and 40 percent of Tennessee students tested below a basic level of competence for math and reading, significantly underperforming the national baseline. National testing still sits below 2019 scores.
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“For the last five years, we as a state have focused time, attention and energy prioritizing student-focused policies, research-backed interventions, that are supporting student learning and the recovery of some of the impacts that we saw in the 2022 NAEP results,” David Mansouri, CEO of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, explained in a webinar after the 2024 NAEP results were released. “This year, with the 2024 NAEP results, for the first time Tennessee now scores above the national average in fourth- and eighth-grade [English learning] and math. We just think this is a remarkable story of a focus, investment, prioritization of education, and of recovery.”
Mansouri also highlighted significant gains by Black students in Tennessee, who still trail white students’ testing performance by double digits. English learners also showed substantial progress from 2022 testing in elementary and middle school math and English.
The federal Department of Education publishes NAEP every other year based on testing data in math and reading in fourth, eighth and 12th grades. Only data from fourth- and eighth-grade math and reading was released on Jan. 29. Tennessee’s highlights include improvements from 2022, specifically among elementary and middle school students, that place the state in the nation’s top 10 for growth. Black students and English learners have made notable strides since 2022. The biennial report paints a bleak picture of rural education, where reading and math scores for fourth- and eighth-graders are stagnant or declining.
Charter schools and Gov. Bill Lee’s push for school vouchers, which put state dollars toward private school tuition, have significantly altered Tennessee’s public education environment in recent years. School vouchers will be available to 20,000 students next year after state lawmakers passed a $447 million education package last week in a special legislative session convened by Lee. Now entering the penultimate year of his second term, the governor had previously failed to expand school vouchers due to protests from lawmakers within his own party.
