Setting Goals and Measuring Growth

In Tennessee, we know that to make improvements in educational outcomes, we have to set measurable goals and use data to continually monitor whether what we are doing is working. As trusted stewards, we collect, secure, analyze and report data in innovative and meaningful ways to inform strategy and inspire purposeful action to improve outcomes for Tennessee students.

It is important to make this information available to the public, so on this page you will find links to information about Tennessee assessments, assessment results, accountability results, research reports, policy briefs, and other data about the academic progress of Tennessee's students, schools, and districts.

Key Terms

  • NAEP
  • TCAP
  • TVAAS

  • The National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” is a biennial assessment given to students across the country in fourth-, eighth-, and 12th-grade reading and math.

  • The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program is the state’s primary standardized test. Students in grades 3-8 and high school take the TCAP across all academic subjects.

  • The Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System measures the impact schools and teachers have on their students’ academic progress. TVAAS is a powerful tool because it measures how much students grow in a year, and shines more light on student progress than solely considering their score on an end of year test. You can learn the basics about TVAAS here, or check out the formula itself.