History of Assessment in Tennessee
Tennessee’s General Assembly passed legislation in 1984 aimed at reforming the state’s K-12 education system. This
legislation required standardized assessments to be implemented in second through eighth and tenth grades starting in
1988. These assessments made up the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP).
Tennessee’s Education Improvement Act of 1992 expanded the use and application of TCAP assessments, establishing an
accountability system for the state based on student scores on standardized assessments. This legislation required:
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The adoption of the Tennessee Value Added Assessment System (TVAAS).
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The State Board of Education to establish performance goals for schools and districts.
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The creation of the Office of Education Accountability.
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The implementation of high school subject-matter exams.
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Tennessee high school students to take exit exams.
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A strengthening of annual state reporting of school performance.6
The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) led to an expansion of TCAP.7 NCLB, the 2001 reauthorization of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, required states to adopt academic standards and implement standardized
assessments that measured student progress on those standards. NCLB increased the amount of testing in most states,
requiring states to assess students in reading/language arts and math in grades 3-8 and at least once in grades 10-12. NCLB
also required states to assess students in science once during grades 3-5, 6-9, and 10-12. In addition, NCLB required states
to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward proficiency on academic standards for all students.8
In 2007, Tennessee joined the American Diplom