Executive Summary
Since the release of SCORE’s “Roadmap to
Success” report in October 2009, Tennessee has
transformed into a national leader for education
reform. State and local leaders from both parties
have repeatedly emphasized their commitment to
ensuring that every Tennessean graduates from
high school prepared for the global economy.
The state has passed its most significant piece
of education legislation in more than two
decades. The state has received more than $710
million in philanthropic and competitive federal
grants to support the implementation of its
ambitious reforms. Although Tennessee’s student
achievement levels remain in the bottom quarter
nationally, recent reforms have begun to create
the political, policy, and funding conditions to
ensure that Tennessee’s schools become number
one in the Southeast by 2015.
The growing link between a quality education
and economic opportunity has been a critical
motivator for these reforms. A study released
by the Tennessee Department of Labor and
Workforce Development found that seven of
the ten fastest growing jobs in the state require
some type of postsecondary degree. Nowhere is
this clearer than at some of the state’s newest
employers, including Hemlock Semiconductor
in Clarksville and Volkswagen in Chattanooga,
where the vast majority of workers are required to
possess at least an associate’s degree.
In the face of this growing economic imperative,
Tennessee’s leaders have risen to the challenge by
adopting a series of bold educational reforms. One
of the most important re