Tennessee’s 2022-23 report card reveals mediocre outcomes

The Tennessee Department of Education has released its 2022-23 report card, detailing the mediocre outcomes of public education.

“The updated State Report Card shares powerful data about Tennessee’s public schools and districts, and importantly, empowers families and local communities with information to help them best advocate for students and their public schools,” state Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said in a press release last week.

The interactive report card allows users to view data from local districts or individual schools on issues such as academic achievement, graduation rates and chronic absenteeism. 

But the statewide averages are uninspiring. 

In individual subjects, student proficiency rates are consistently low. 

Only 34% of Tennessee public school students meet grade level standards in math and 38% do so in reading. Proficiencies in science and social studies are both roughly 43%. 

When divided into racial demographics, Asian students scored the best (67%), followed closely by Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (47%), White (46%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (42%). Hispanic (27%) and African American (21%) students scored the lowest. 

Other groups with low achievement include students with disabilities (15%), English language learners (19%) and low-income students (21%). 

Yet, despite less than half of students achieving subject-matter proficiency, nearly 90% graduate high school. 

Even the state’s own “Ready Graduate” data indicates just 43% of students are prepared for postsecondary education or a career. 

Groups with the lowest graduation rates are foster students (46%), homeless students (72%) and English language learners (68%). 

And 1 in 5 students were reported being chronically absent, which means missing 10% or more of school days throughout the year.  

The Tennessee report also highlights a metric discussed less often than others in such data: gender.  

Previous studies show – and Tennessee’s 2022-23 report confirms – male students are nearly twice as likely to be suspended and to drop out of high school.