State Testing Results Show Importance of Academic Standards and Assessments

NASHVILLE — Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) released the following statement on the 2023-24 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) state-level results that show students are continuing to recover from pandemic learning losses with overall proficiency gains in all subjects.

“These improvements are the result of a lot of hard work from students, parents, teachers, and lawmakers who stepped up in the years following the pandemic to champion policies that promote high academic standards and annual assessments that ensure we know students actually are progressing,” said TSS President and CEO Lana Skelo. “You can draw a direct line from today’s TCAP gains to investments in literacy, tutoring, and strong academic standards. The results also illustrate how important it will be to continue championing and building upon these same student-focused priorities in the years to come.”

This year’s assessments show important growth in all subject areas including improvements in:

• Math: 40 percent of students in grades 3-8 are meeting grade level expectations with nearly a nearly three percentage point gain for fifth and seven-graders.
• English Language Arts: Proficiency gains in most tested grades with elementary and high schools outperforming pre-pandemic levels.
• Science and Social Studies: One percent increase in overall student proficiency.

Tennessee families should look forward to seeing continued academic improvement through new investments in teacher salaries, career and technical education (CTE), public charter school facilities, and the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act that’s providing a billion dollars in new educational spending.

Tennesseans for Student Success is a statewide network of teachers, parents, community leaders, and volunteers who are dedicated to supporting, championing, and fighting for Tennessee’s students and their futures.