Education Quality & Access

Priority Goal

Ensure all children can access high-quality educational environments that foster academic excellence and success.

Why This Matters

This priority reflects a comprehensive approach to improving education across multiple dimensions, including academic achievement, mental health support, and access to educational resources. Tennessee seeks evidence on which literacy programs can be scaled, how school funding autonomy affects outcomes, and how career partnerships prepare students for the workforce.

Research Questions

a. Early Childhood Literacy Programs

What state-wide and/or local early childhood literacy programs and strategies are demonstrating progress and can be effectively scaled to improve child literacy rates in Tennessee?

b. Summer Reading Interventions

What impact have summer reading interventions in Tennessee had on improving literacy-building skills and reading comprehension levels among elementary school students, and what factors contribute to their success or limitations?

c. TISA Funding Allocation

How are schools and districts utilizing the autonomy provided by the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) to allocate funds, and what practices have shown to be the most effective in enhancing student outcomes and well-being?

d. School Behavioral Health Liaisons

How have school behavioral health liaisons helped address students' barriers to accessing behavioral health services?

e. Career & Technical Education Impact

How have career and technical education investments (e.g., Middle School CTE Coursework, GIVE Community Grants) impacted student outcomes?

f. Public-Private Workforce Partnerships

How do partnerships between educational institutions, industry stakeholders, and government agencies enhance the effectiveness of career and technical education programs in Tennessee?