A Model of Literacy Policy and Practice in Tennessee

K–5 Students Need Access to a High-Quality Literacy Program

In 2016, K–5 students in Tennessee were not meeting the state’s rigorous literacy standards. As a result, the Tennessee State Collaborative for Reforming Education (SCORE) brought together educators from around the state to tackle the persistent issue.

The students were capable, even eager—and educators were committed; but teachers and leaders had not yet made the instructional shifts that would support students in becoming proficient readers, writers, and thinkers. In short: K–5 students lacked access to a well-implemented high-quality literacy program that would set them on the path to long-term academic success and achievement.

Initial Efforts Prove Successful

To overcome this challenge, Leading Innovation for Tennessee Education (LIFT), a network of Tennessee school districts in both urban and rural areas, came together and partnered with TNTP in addressing this important issue. TNTP worked side by side with district leaders to set a clear vision and strategy, introduce strong English language arts (ELA) curricula, and build the capacity of teachers and leaders to change the literacy experience for students.

These districts saw results and became an example for others in the state. In 2019, 67 percent of districts in the network increased the number of third-grade students scoring at least “on track” on Tennessee’s ELA test.

That same year, school districts that were part of the LIFT network each had at least one school that exceeded academic growth expectations, and 20 schools across the network were named “reward schools” by the state. Reward schools demonstrate high levels of performance and/or improvement in performance by meeting annual measurable objectives across performance indicators and student groups.

Policy to Improve Literacy

Building upon this momentum, in 2021 the Tennessee Department of Education initiated the landmark Literacy Success Act that provided both incentives and support for districts, schools, teachers, and families to improve literacy across the state with a particular focus on early literacy.

For teachers to effectively implement a systematic, explicit phonics curriculum, they first need background knowledge in the brain science behind reading acquisition.

As part of that initiative, TNTP provided early literacy training; to date, more than 13,000 teachers across the state have completed this two-part course. These trainings included an online, asynchronous course and in-person trainings focused on the research and science behind how students learn to decode words while learning their meaning.

TNTP’s unique approach acknowledges that, for teachers to effectively implement a systematic, explicit phonics curriculum, they first need background knowledge in the brain science behind reading acquisition.

The biggest priority was to stay focused on concrete classroom practice.

• What do these evidence-based practices look like in a classroom of 6-year-olds?
• What does a strong phonics lesson look and sound like?
• How do I support a student who can decode but struggles with fluency?

Having a solution for these types of questions was critical. The focus on practical application meant that teachers left this training with more knowledge and, importantly, as skilled practitioners, ready to incorporate these new methods into the classroom.

In 2022, state-level results revealed that students bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in ELA in almost all grades, with more students scoring “Met” or “Exceeded” than in 2019.

Positive Feedback on Teacher Training

Teachers loved the training. More than 97 percent of participants agreed that “the Early Reading Training has prepared me to better support my students in developing phonics-based reading skills” and that “I feel equipped to implement the skills I learned in the Early Reading Training in my classroom.”

One teacher shared, “It was a fantastic training, and I gained so much insight, knowledge, and activities to bring to my classroom next year and for the future! Thank you! This should be required for all K–5 ELA teachers.”

Implementing High-Quality Instructional Materials

TNTP’s work also helped build teacher capacity to implement high-quality instructional materials aligned with research and best practices. An additional 2,200 teachers completed secondary literacy training with similar courses in the summer of 2022. In addition, TNTP provides implementation support to more than 60 districts through generous state funding that builds capacity to support strong literacy practices in K–12.

With TNTP’s partnership, teachers and leaders across the state now have access to ongoing support, development, technical assistance, and a community of colleagues. This support allows districts to get deeper into the work, leverage their data to prioritize actionable steps, and build capacity throughout the system for change.

Student Gains in ELA Proficiency

Strong state leadership and a clear vision, paired with a meaningful partnership with TNTP, led to student gains in the Volunteer State.

In 2022, state-level results revealed that students bounced back to pre-pandemic levels in ELA in almost all grades, with more students scoring “Met” or “Exceeded” than in 2019. In fact, scores showed a six-point gain in elementary school proficiency, which reflected the highest proficiency the state had seen in five years; a six-point gain in middle school proficiency, which matched pre-pandemic achievement; and a seven-point gain in high school proficiency, which reflected the highest proficiency the state had seen in five years for those grade levels.

Since beginning this engagement in 2016, TNTP has supported more than 60 districts in Tennessee, providing teacher training and implementation of high-quality instructional materials. Collectively, these and other efforts are best practices in literacy policy and practice for the rest of the country.