Education chair schedules NAEP and higher-education briefings, signals bill on phones and social media concerns

Chairman White told the committee that staff have scheduled two presentations next week: one from SCORE reviewing the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results released Jan. 29 and another from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, which Chair White identified by name as Dr. Steven Gentile. He urged members to attend and said the briefings will help frame the committee's work on student achievement.

The chair discussed long-term declines in NAEP scores, noting that scores rose for decades before leveling and later declining; he cited the 2020 pandemic as a turning point and said he believes smartphones and social media — referencing a book by Jonathan Haidt — are relevant to rising student mental-health concerns and learning outcomes. He said the committee will consider a bill addressing cell phones and social media in schools, but no bill text or formal action was presented at the meeting.

Members discussed reading proficiency goals and prior measures aimed at accelerating recovery from pandemic learning losses. The chair reiterated a focus on reading proficiency by the end of third grade and said the committee aims to move Tennessee toward the top among states on measures of reading and literacy. No votes were taken on policy items during the session, and no bill numbers or texts were introduced at this meeting.