2015-16 State of Education in Tennessee | Page 7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Tennessee an “F” for truth in advertising in 2007, the imperative to improve the quality of public education in the state became undeniable. Since then, a series of policies and practices have transformed Tennessee’s education system and led to strong gains for many of our students. Now, Tennessee must embed the reforms of recent years into the daily practices of schools and districts statewide. Since 2009, the State Collaborative on Reforming individual interviews with state and national partners. Education (SCORE) has published a comprehensive Finally, SCORE looks to other states and current annual report on the state of public education in research to identify evidence-based best practices Tennessee. These reports provide an update on in education that can drive solutions to persistent Tennessee’s work to improve student achievement problems in Tennessee. In addition to research on and set education priorities for the coming year. policy changes and promising practices, thi s report reflects information gathered through: The 2015-16 State of Education in Tennessee report reflects insights gained through conversations with • 40 focus groups with teachers, principals, and teachers, principals, and district leaders across the district leaders in eight regions across the state. These conversations inform SCORE’s progress state monitoring of both successes and challenges faced in schools and classrooms. These partners also provide a clearer picture of the supports needed to continually improve student achievement in Tennessee. SCORE also gathers information through • 9 in-depth interviews with state-level leaders in education • 4 in-depth interviews with national education partners • Discussions with SCORE’s Steering Committee, a group of more than 35 policymakers, educators, elected officials, business leaders, parents, and students who advise SCORE’s work 2 6