Tennesseans for Student Success Applauds TCAP State-Level Improvements as a Result of Student-Focused Legislative Leadership

NASHVILLE –Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) today released the following statement on the 2021-22 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) state-level results, which showed positive progress in helping students recover from pandemic-related learning loss thanks in-part to specific legislative measures that focused directly on students and their needed support.

“These results are a testament to the hard work of teachers and schools and the timely support and leadership Governor Bill Lee and members of the Tennessee General Assembly showed to mitigate the unprecedented educational disruptions students faced during the pandemic,”  said Adam Lister, President & CEO of Tennesseans for Student Success.  “Every percentage point we improve represents nearly 10,000 students – 10,000 Tennessee futures – made brighter. In January 2021, Governor Lee gathered a special legislative session to proactively support students through measures to recover from learning loss, build a strong base in literacy for every student, and maintain accountability for school leaders. The continued support Tennessee’s leaders showed this year passing the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act has our state poised to not only recover from educational losses but also move forward with effective educational strategies that offer all students an opportunity for success.”

This year’s assessments show encouraging signs in all subject areas including improvements in:

• Math: Overall proficiency has increased in every grade and students are outpacing projections for pandemic recovery
• English Language Arts: Proficiency have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with more students scoring “met” and “exceed” than in 2019.

TSS recognizes that these gains did not happen by accident. Critical legislation including the Tennessee Literacy Success Act and the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act have provided support to help get students back on track following learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year’s TCAP results also show a need for continued efforts to provide more parental choice and equitable education to every student in the state. Economically disadvantaged students did not see the same gains as their peers, showing achievement gaps still persist.

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