ACT: The ACT is a standardized assessment for high school
students frequently required for admission into college. The
test has sections in English, mathematics, reading, science
reasoning, and an optional written essay. Scored on a scale
from one to 36, the test is intended to be an indicator of
college readiness. The subjects align with common college
introductory courses. All 11th-graders in Tennessee are required to take the exam.119
plans differ from traditional salary schedules, which uniformly increase teachers’ compensation based on number
of years teaching and level of degree completion. 124
Drive to 55: Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55 initiative aims
to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a college
degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025. This initiative encompasses several different programs including Tennessee
Promise, which offers two years of tuition-free community
or technical college to Tennessee high school graduates.125
ACT College Readiness Benchmarks: The ACT benchmarks on
subject-area tests represent the minimum score required
for students to have approximately a 50 percent chance of
earning a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of earning a C or higher in the corresponding college-level course.
The ACT tests in English, math, reading, and science correspond to college credit courses in English composition, algebra, social sciences, and biology.120
Dual Credit: Dual-credit courses are high school courses
taught by high school faculty that are aligned with the curriculum of a postsecondary course. Students taking a dual-credit course can receive postsecondary credit if they
have satisfactory performance on an end-of-course assessment designed by the postsecondary institution.126
Advanced Placement (AP): Advanced Placement courses are
offered by the College Board and provide students with an
opportunity to take college-level courses and earn college
credit while in high school. There are more than 30 different
AP courses available across multiple subject areas.121
Dual Enrollment: Dual enrollment is a postsecondary course
taught at either a postsecondary institution or high school
that allows students to simultaneously earn postsecondary
and secondary course credit upon successful completion
of the course.127
Career and Technical Education (CTE): Also known as vocational education, career and technical education refers to
courses and programs designed to prepare students to enter the workforce. Usually in a secondary or postsecondary
setting, CTE courses focus on academic and vocational skills
needed in the workplace and typically include competency-based learning. CTE seeks to prepare students for jobs in
fields such as agriculture, enginee ɥ