State Board committee refines 2026–2028 master plan draft, asks staff to raise, clarify goals

The Tennessee State Board of Education strategic planning committee convened virtually on Jan. 9, 2026, to review a staff draft of the board’s master plan through 2028 and to provide final feedback before staff circulates an updated document for the full board in February.

Miss Reed, who facilitated the meeting, walked members through four strategic focus areas — literacy and numeracy; college, career and military readiness; teachers and leaders; and engagement and accountability — and the actions and annual goals staff proposed to reach those outcomes over the next three years.

Members focused first on the literacy and numeracy goals and the calculation method used to set 2028 targets. Staff described a methodology that averages statewide gains from the past three years and applies that same average growth forward to 2028. A staff example cited a third‑grade English language arts target of roughly 47.7% proficiency under that approach. Several board members urged a more ambitious framing: "If we really want to do the best we can for our students... why should we be satisfied at setting a goal of just doing what we've done the last 3 years?" one member said during the debate. Staff said the targets are adjustable if the state exceeds them in subsequent annual reports.

The committee also debated using ‘‘AMO’’ (annual measurable objectives) calculations versus the three‑year average. Sarah Morrison of the Department of Education framed the difficulty: "It's a moving target… AMOs is sort of tied to our federal accountability plan," she said, noting uncertainty around federal waivers and how AMOs align with Tennessee’s current accountability system.

On postsecondary goals, staff recommended renaming that focus area to "college, career and military readiness" to reflect multiple pathways. Using the same averaging approach, staff presented a college and career readiness projection of about 80.9% by 2028. Members pressed for clearer public language and alignment with higher education partners; Miss Reed noted the published draft includes a footnote defining "college" to include two‑ and four‑year institutions as well as Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs). Michael, a staff analyst, asked the committee to emphasize High School and Beyond plans as a practical tool, noting research showing uneven counselor familiarity across districts.

For teachers and leaders, staff said there are limited statewide data on leaders and recommended additional study before adopting leader‑specific targets. For teachers, staff proposed shifting from a three‑year retention metric to a five‑year retention goal; Erica, a staff analyst, reported a slight decline in five‑year retention for newly licensed teachers (from about 67% to 66%) and said staff aim to reverse that trend toward an approximate 68% five‑year retention target. Members also discussed pairing a vacancy metric (counting both empty classrooms and teachers working under emergency credentials) with a separate goal to increase conversion of permit‑holders to permanent licenses.

Members supported adding a board engagement goal — staff proposed members attend at least two externally focused events per year tied to plan goals, while some members suggested four would better demonstrate engagement. On artificial intelligence, the committee favored including broad guidance and state‑level resources rather than prescriptive rules; as one member summarized from a recent speaker, "AI is like a fire. It can warm your heart or it can burn it down," emphasizing the need for guidance to manage both risks and benefits.

Procedurally, the committee approved a motion to allow the meeting recording to serve as the minutes; that motion passed on a roll‑call vote. Staff will revise the draft master plan based on today’s feedback, circulate an updated version by email for final review, and bring the document to the full State Board for approval at the February meeting unless members request an additional committee meeting.

The committee adjourned after agreeing on the next steps and thanking staff for their work.