This week, members of the SCORE team joined Nashville philanthropic leaders for site visits to two local schools participating in Summer Boost — an initiative supporting high-quality summer learning experiences for students across the city. Across both visits, we saw strong examples of what high-quality summer learning can look like: intentional academic support paired with engaging enrichment, clear instructional routines, and school teams focused on helping students build skills and confidence ahead of the new school year. We’re grateful to the school leaders and educators at @EastEndPrep and Nurses Middle College Nashville who welcomed us into their classrooms and shared their work. Summer Boost continues to highlight what’s possible when schools have the support to design and deliver high-quality student-centered summer experiences.

Congratulations to the TN students at Alcoa Intermediate School/@Team_AIS on winning the Presidential AI Challenge! ow.ly/JtGR50ZaBut Designed to help students grow their interest and skills in artificial intelligence (AI), the challenge encouraged students to develop AI tools and solutions that address an issue in their school or community. Students in Alcoa created the Homework Helper, a tool that aims to reduce homework-related anxiety through time management and problem-solving skills. The students were supported by the AI Tennessee initiative at @UTKnoxville and partner institutions including the @uofmemphis, @MTSU, and @Fisk1866. As AI continues to change how we learn, work, access information, and find solutions, SCORE continues to support education leaders and build a better understanding of how AI can support student success and strengthen educator effectiveness. Learn more: news.utk.edu/2026/06/10/elem…

We're hiring a Director of Finance to join the SCORE team! The Director of Finance will lead day-to-day financial operations as well as key strategic initiatives, including planning, budgeting, reporting, and compliance. The Director will work closely with leadership to ensure SCORE maintains an excellent financial position with best-in-class financial management. We're looking for a strategic and collaborative leader who thrives in a cross-functional environment and is passionate about making an impact through excellent stewardship and financial leadership. Know someone who would be a great fit? Tag them in the comments. tnscore.org/who-we-are/join-…

Today, new ratings from the @NCTQ show encouraging progress in how Tennessee educator preparation programs are aligning teacher training with the science of reading. The findings reinforce the importance of preparing educators with a strong foundation in evidence-based literacy instruction before they enter the classroom. Through SCORE's Lead in Literacy network, we work alongside educator preparation programs and school districts across Tennessee to strengthen literacy outcomes and support the implementation of the science of reading from preparation through practice. Read the full Perspectives piece by SCORE's Dr. Zachary Hyder, Mary Kate Hillis & Nina Brown to learn more about what the findings mean for Tennessee's future educators and students: tnscore.org/perspectives-and… @MTSU @tennesseetech

For the past two years, Tennessee has benefited from the insights provided by the @TNDeptofFandA's Office of Evidence and Impact Education to Employment (E2E) Dashboard, a powerful tool that helps connect education pathways to workforce outcomes. When students invest their time, energy, and resources into postsecondary education, they deserve clear information about where those pathways can lead. The E2E Dashboard helps answer that question by showing the relationship between what students study and the economic opportunity a credential leads to in Tennessee. The dashboard has now been updated with a new year of data, including outcomes for the Class of 2023 and a new feature that allows users to explore results by individual postsecondary institution. As Tennessee works toward a future where every student can achieve economic independence, tools like the E2E Dashboard help turn data into actionable pathways. Explore the dashboard and see what the latest data reveal: tn.gov/finance/oei/tn-data/e…

AI has the potential to transform education, but thoughtful implementation grounded in student success will matter far more than the technology itself. In our latest Perspectives blog, @amanda_glover, director of AI initiatives, explores what educators and school leaders should keep in mind as they navigate the growing role of AI in classrooms. To support strategic AI implementation, SCORE partnered with technology nonprofit Playlab.ai to launch the Tennessee AI Ecosystems Project. This initiative will support nine Tennessee school districts and charter management organizations (CMOs) committed to shaping what responsible and effective AI implementation can look like across the state. Through hands-on learning and development, participants will build the technical foundations and practical applications of AI in education. As schools explore AI, SCORE believes a few principles remain critical: ✅ AI can support learning, especially when implementation is teacher-led and structured. ✅ Teachers remain central to successful AI integration and need strong AI literacy and professional development. ✅ Real risks, including inaccuracies, privacy concerns, and student overdependence, require clear strategies and safeguards. Read more here: tnscore.org/perspectives-and…

From student growth and learning recovery to stronger education-to-career pathways, Tennessee continues building momentum. In this month’s newsletter: ✅ Tennessee ranks among the nation’s leaders in student growth ✅ Key takeaways from the 2026 Future Forward Summit ✅ Lessons from math gains in Memphis charter schools ✅ Continued momentum through the Future Forward Innovation Grant Dive into the latest insights, resources, and stories driving progress across Tennessee: t.e2ma.net/webview/g9f67i/85…

Join us in congratulating our own, @CourtneyLearns, on 10 years of leadership, service, and impact at SCORE! 🎉 Over the last decade, Courtney has led work focused on turning research into action — supporting schools, educators, and communities in implementing practices that help all students succeed. From literacy and tutoring to strategic staffing, instructional coherence, and stronger pathways for students, her work has not only shaped important conversations in Tennessee and nationally but also helped influence real change for students. So many people across Tennessee know Courtney, not just because she’s brilliant at what she does, but because she leads with thoughtfulness, care, intention, and an unwavering commitment to students and educators. We’re incredibly lucky to work alongside her and celebrate this milestone. Thank you for 10 amazing years, Courtney!

🚨 Final call to register! 🚨 Join us tomorrow for the third installment of SCORE’s Future Forward Webinar Series. Featuring Nick Moore, acting assistant secretary in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education in the @usedgov, this conversation will explore what it takes to build a coherent statewide pathways system that better connects students to economic opportunity. We’ll discuss: ➡️ Statewide governance and coordinated systems ➡️ Skills and competency-based systems aligned to workforce needs ➡️ Employer engagement in scalable pathways ➡️ Practical steps Tennessee can take to strengthen pathways across communities 🗓 Wednesday, May 20 ⏰ 1–2 p.m. CT 🔗 Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi…

📈 Tennessee’s academic progress is happening across the state, not just in one region or one type of district. New Education Scorecard data identified several Tennessee districts as “Districts on the Rise,” meaning they are outperforming similar districts in both math and reading growth. The data highlights four districts making notable gains across both subjects, grades 3-8, from 2022-2025: ➡️ Johnson City Schools (TN) students grew at a rate higher than 97% of districts nationally in math and 93% in reading, outperforming similar districts by 41 percentile points in math and 26 points in reading. ➡️ @MauryCoSchools students outperformed similar districts by 34 percentile points in math and 24 points in reading, while ranking in the top 92nd percentile nationally in reading growth. ➡️ @PCSSTN students ranked in the 97th percentile nationally for math growth and 90th percentile in reading growth, significantly outperforming peer districts in both subjects. ➡️ White County Schools students ranked in the 95th percentile nationally in reading growth and 86th percentile in math growth, outperforming similar districts by 35 percentile points in reading. Several other districts across Tennessee also demonstrated significant student growth in reading or math relative to similar districts, including @ACS_System, Anderson County, @gmsdk12, Grainger County, @GreenevilleCity, and @SullCoSchools. From rural communities to growing suburban districts, these results reinforce that meaningful student progress is possible in every corner of Tennessee. Read more here 🔗: educationscorecard.org/state…

Tennessee’s latest Education Scorecard results signal more than learning recovery — they are further proof that Tennessee has become a national model for K-12 education. New national research from @HarvardCEPR, @seda_data, and faculty at @dartmouth shows that from 2022 to 2025, Tennessee ranked: 📈 #2 nationally in math growth 📚 #4 nationally in reading growth ➕ Nearly HALF a grade level gained in math ➕ Nearly 20% of a grade level gained in reading This comes on the heels of new @NAEP_NCES data analysis showing Tennessee is now the #1 state in the South for K-12 student achievement. The work is far from finished, but this moment matters, and it belongs to all Tennesseans working to improve outcomes for students. Read our latest What Matters blog for key takeaways and reflections on where Tennessee goes from here: 🔗 tnscore.org/perspectives-and…

📣 Reminder: Applications for SCORE’s Future Forward Innovation Grant close May 15. The Future Forward Innovation Grant provides up to $75,000 and participation in the Tennessee Pathways Incubator, a cohort-style fellowship aimed at building education-industry partnerships that create innovative career pathways for Tennessee students. Interested in applying? SCORE has developed a suite of applicant resources, including FAQs, application guidance, and an on-demand webinar recording to support the application process. 🗓️ Applications due: May 15 at 11:59 p.m. CT Learn more, explore resources, and apply here: tnscore.org/what-we-do/pract…

📣 We’re hiring a Director of Government Relations. We're looking for a strategic, relationship-driven leader to help advance our government relations agenda in support of student achievement in Tennessee. The person in this role will serve as SCORE’s day-to-day advocate with the Tennessee General Assembly and executive branch partners, translating student-centered policy into legislative strategy and helping move our priorities forward. If you're passionate about education policy, government affairs, and driving impact for students across Tennessee, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more and apply here: tnscore.org/assets/documents…

Following the 2026 Future Forward Summit, SCORE is continuing the conversation through its Future Forward Webinar Series with Nick Moore, acting assistant secretary in the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education at @usedgov. Join us as we explore what it takes to build stronger education-to-career pathways at scale across Tennessee. 🗓 May 20 ⏰ 1–2 p.m. CT Learn more and register here: tnscore.org/what-we-do/event…

📣 We’re hiring a Director of Government Relations. SCORE is seeking a strategic, relationship-driven leader to help advance our government relations agenda in support of student achievement in Tennessee. The person in this role will serve as SCORE’s day-to-day advocate with the Tennessee General Assembly and executive branch partners, translating student-centered policy into legislative strategy, and helping move our priorities forward. If you are passionate about education policy, government affairs, and driving impact for students across Tennessee, we’d love to hear from you. Learn more and apply here: tnscore.org/assets/documents…

This week is about saying thank you. Thank you to our teachers and educators who show up for all students, inside and outside the classroom, shaping not just what they learn but who they become.  That kind of impact doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of educators who are deeply committed to their students and their futures.  And appreciation also means action. At SCORE, that means advocating for policies that strengthen the teaching profession, supporting high-quality educator preparation, and pushing for systems that give teachers the time and support they need to do their best work.  If there’s a teacher who made a difference in your life, take a moment to thank them. #ThankATeacherTN

We're hiring a Senior Director of Workforce Initiatives! 💼 This is a brand-new role at SCORE, designed to lead our strategy to connect Tennessee's education system to real workforce and employer needs so that every student reaches economic independence. Apply here: ow.ly/86rJ50YVjje #NowHiring #WorkforceDevelopment #Tennessee