Scores Galore: TCAP, NAEP, and PISA
Between 2022 and 2025, Tennessee was one of the fastest-improving states in terms of reading and math proficiency in the country, which was certainly driven by the successes of school districts like those mentioned above. For the first time ever, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed Tennessee in the top half of states in proficiency in 2024.
Although parts of the country are finally reaching or even exceeding pre-COVID-19 proficiency levels, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), administered globally to 15-year-olds, shows us that our national scores are lagging behind. Reading and Math scores have both fallen in recent years.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at model school districts in Shelby County to discover how other districts can learn from their success.
Away from the Spotlight
The new officials sworn in this week and the under-the-radar ways they affect your life and work.
Mental Health Concerns at MSCS
Memphis-Shelby County Schools is suffering a critical lack of school psychologists to help address the mental health struggles of students. With four in ten Tennessee high school students reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness and two in ten reporting having seriously considered attempting suicide, it’s clear that youth need more support, and current services aren’t cutting it.
How many mental health providers currently work at MSCS? And why are we at risk of losing access to youth mental health data?
Tennessee Changed Its Higher Education Funding Formula
A student can complete a certificate or degree and still struggle to find stable employment. A credential doesn’t lead to strong wages, continued career advancement, or growing employment opportunities just because it is connected to an industry described as “high need.”
In July, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission approved recommendations for the state’s 2026–2030 outcomes-based funding formula. The most consequential workforce change revises the formula’s Workforce Investment Premium. What can we expect this change to do for state residents looking for work?
Shelby County has a Jail Problem.
This week, an update from our guest columnist, Laramie Wheeler, Communications & Advocacy Manager at Just City:
“Since 2018, 68 people have died in custody in the Shelby County jail, surpassing the infamous Rikers Island in the percentage of inmates who died in custody. These were pre-trial detainees, some of whom were at 201 Poplar for misdemeanor offenses or mental health crises. Many died as a result of pre-existing conditions that were likely exacerbated by the conditions of the jail or, as some families’ lawsuits allege, abuse and/or neglect by jail staff and the medical provider.”