March 4, 2020
NASHVILLE – Since 2017, Tennesseans for Student Success has talked with more than 150,000 individual Tennesseans as part of its ongoing voter outreach and advocacy to support the policies that are improving public education for the state’s one million students. Repeatedly, Tennesseans across all geographic, demographic, and political lines, say the strategies that improve outcomes should be a top priority for Tennessee’s teachers, students, and the General Assembly. Not only must Tennessee’s elected officials keep their foot on the pedal to improve student outcomes, but they must also commit to protecting policies essential to student success, like transparency and accountability. Our multi-year polling project reinforces what we already know to be true: Accountability is widely supported on all sides and should continue to be strengthened. Our polling data clearly shows that Tennesseans support strong school accountability measures, as well as the A-F letter grade rating system.
Please see the following statement from Tennesseans for Student Success President and CEO, Adam Lister on bolstering accountability measures:
“Tennessee has led the nation in student achievement gains because of our focus on implementing high standards and maintaining accountability, but we know we need to do more, faster. Students must leave high school fully equipped for college and career. An easy-to-understand measure of how schools are meeting the needs of their students will provide valuable insight to everyone involved in student success. Through greater transparency and honest reporting, we can target supports for underserved students and schools, ensuring every student has the opportunity to attend a public school with high-quality educational opportunities and instruction. That way, every child in the state of Tennessee, no matter their zip code, is on track for success.”
Data highlights:
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