Tennessee has been a national leader in education reform. The energy and focus from many stakeholders over the
past years have resulted in progress in student achievement as the following tables depict. Still, far too few Tennessee
high school students—and especially those from low-income and racial and ethnic minority backgrounds—graduate
with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the college or career option of their choosing.
Graduation Rate
88.5%
ACT Composite
19.4
2015 College Going Rate5
62.5%
College and Career Ready*
17%
National Report Card (NAEP) Ranking
35th
*Students meeting benchmarks on all 4 sections of the ACT.
Tennessee Achievement over Time
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
Graduation Rate
83.2%
86.1%
85.5%
87.2%
86.3%
87.2%
87.8%
88.5%
College Going Rate6
55.7%
55.7%
57.1%
57%
58.1%
57.9%
62.5%
n/a
20.3
19.5*
19.1
18.9
19.1
19.3
19.4
19.4**
ACT Composite
*ACT becomes a mandatory graduation requirement (Tennessee Diploma Project).
**3,000 additional students take ACT
NAEP Tennessee Achievement over Time7
2007
2009
2011
2013
2015
4th Grade Math at Proficient or Above
29%
28%
30%
40%
40%
8th Grade Math at Proficient or Above
23%
25%
24%
28%
29%
4th Grade Reading at Proficient or Above
27%
28%
26%
34%
33%
8th Grade Reading at Proficient or Above
26%
28%
27%
33%
33%
4th Grade Science at Proficient or Above
-
33%
-
-
41%
8th Grade Science at Proficient or Above
-
28%
31%
-
37%
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