Chair Bob Eby, chair of the State Board of Education, opened a stakeholder convening on possible changes to Tennessee’s high‑school graduation rules, saying the board is exploring whether the explicit two‑credit world‑language requirement should remain or whether students should be allowed to substitute additional elective focus credits aligned to career or postsecondary plans.

The discussion centered on two options staff presented: keep the current requirement with the existing waiver process, or remove the explicit world‑language (and potentially fine‑arts) credit and increase the number of required elective‑focus credits so students can select career and technical education, computer science, music theory or other approved pathways instead of a second world‑language credit.

“First and foremost, I want all students to be able to select the college, the university, or the post secondary path of their choice,” Chair Bob Eby said, adding that the stakeholder convening was intended to gather perspectives before any rule change. “I am not against foreign language instruction.”

Why it matters

Graduation credits affect college admissions, degree progress and students’ high‑school course plans. Stakeholders from higher education, K‑12 districts, nonprofit partners and business groups told the board the impact of any change would vary by student and by institution. Several university representatives said world language remains part of the institutionally‑weighted “core” used in admissions calculations; community colleges said admissions are open but associate programs often require 6 hours of language for an AA degree.

What the board staff described

State Board staff noted current rule language requires two world‑language credits “in the same language” and allows districts to waive world language or fine arts credits under locally approved processes; a parent signature is required on the waiver. Staff also shared that 26 states have no explicit high‑school world‑language graduation requirement while 24 do, and that local waiver practices and forms vary by district.

Higher education concerns and clarifications

Dr. Bernie Stavries, vice president for academic affairs, research and student success for the University of Tennessee system, said UTK calculates a weighted core GPA from 16 core academic subjects and “Completion of all 16 core credits is not required for admissions eligibility, but it is strongly encouraged.” He warned that selective majors and some colleges within UTK require intermediate language work for progression and that students admitted without world language credits can be assigned course deficiencies they must make up in college.

Robert Denn, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the Tennessee Board of Regents, said Tennessee community colleges are open‑admit, so world language does not block admissions but does affect competitiveness for honors programs and degree progression: “6 hours are required for the associate of arts degree.” Leah Lyons, dean at Middle Tennessee State University, said high‑school language coursework can produce college credit or advanced placement and reduce the cost and time to degree completion for students who would otherwise have to pay to make up those credits.

K‑12 and equity concerns

District leaders and teachers said many students already take both pathways (world language plus CTE or STEM) when schedules permit; Maryville City Schools reported roughly 20% of students use a world‑language waiver. Several superintendents, principals and counselors warned that making world language optional could lead some districts—particularly small or rural ones with staffing or budget constraints—to cut language programs. “If it is no longer a graduation requirement, will every district and school continue to offer a foreign language?” one district leader asked.

Counselor and scheduling details mentioned in the convening: many high schools operate with 28 to 32 course slots over a student’s high‑school career; districts use the waiver process to allow students in some pathways (such as technical certificates or dual enrollment) to substitute an additional three‑course elective focus.

Waiver practice and stigma

Participants described widely varying local waiver forms. Several speakers said some waiver documents use strong language—suggesting a student who waives language might face limitations in college admission or progression—which can create a perception among families that a waived diploma is “less than.” The board’s staff and attendees clarified that transcripts do not include an asterisk or notation that a student used a waiver; the perceived stigma originates in family interpretation of waiver language, not an external transcript mark.

Policy options discussed

- Option A (no change): Keep the two‑credit world‑language requirement and retain the local waiver process. Pros: retains a clear statewide expectation for most students and preserves current flexibilities. Cons: waiver language and local forms vary; some speakers said waiver wording can be confusing or stigmatizing and may not reflect nuanced admissions implications.

- Option B (expand elective focus): Remove the explicit world‑language credit (and optionally fine arts) from the graduation rule and increase the elective‑focus requirement (for example, from three credits to five or six), with language emphasizing intentional course planning aligned to students’ high‑school‑and‑beyond plans. Pros: reduces reliance on a waiver process and formalizes multiple validated pathways (CTE, computer science, world language, fine arts). Cons: could complicate admissions or selective‑program screening for institutions that use language coursework in their internal competitiveness measures and could prompt program cuts in some districts if not paired with implementation supports.

Other ideas raised

Stakeholders suggested alternatives beyond the two options: require districts to continue offering world language even if the state removes the explicit requirement; create a standard, statewide waiver form with consistent family‑facing language; allow the two credits to be in two different languages rather than the same language; count middle‑grades language courses as high‑school credits; increase k‑8 language exposure to reduce later barriers; and survey employers about which languages the workforce needs.

Next steps and timeline

Staff said the board will send a follow‑up survey to attendees, gather additional input, and that any change would require a formal rulemaking process with two readings—meaning a policy change would take months and not be immediate.

Ending

No rule change was adopted at the convening. The State Board collected stakeholder feedback, signaled options under consideration, and will use a survey and further staff work to refine recommendations before any rule‑change proposal is circulated.