Tennessee's Investments in Literacy are Paying Off

NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) today released the following statement to applaud the release of the 2025-26 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) state-level results and what they reveal about the impact of literacy investments during Governor Bill Lee's term.

"Today's announcement that Tennessee students are improving their proficiency in English Language Arts, including third graders who achieved their highest proficiency since 2017, is both a cause for celebration and reflection on the critical importance of leadership," said TSS President and CEO Lana Skelo. "During the last eight years, Governor Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly have stepped up to provide support for summer learning camps, along with targeted investments to address pandemic learning loss, and more than a billion dollars in new education funding. Tennessee students are succeeding today because leaders chose to champion meaningful investments in the classroom year after year."

Below are some highlights from the TCAP state-level results, including ELA improvements and notable growth in both math and social studies.

English Language Arts (ELA)

• 3.2 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate for third grade.
• 2.7 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate for eighth grade.
• 3.8 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency rate in English II.

Math

• 3.6 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for fourth grade.
• 5.6 percentage point increase from last year’s Geometry proficiency for high school.

Social Studies

• 3.4 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for sixth grade.
• 3.0 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for seventh grade.
• 3.8 percentage point increase from last year’s proficiency for U.S. History.

These results follow last year’s historic National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) release. In both fourth and eighth grade reading and math, Tennessee improved its proficiency rates and is now ranked in the top 25 states, placing 24th nationally based on scale scores.