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Advocates: Tennessee math gains are real but most students still not proficient
Summary
Presenters from SCORE told the Education Instruction Subcommittee that math proficiency has rebounded since the pandemic and is linked to workforce outcomes, but they cautioned that a majority of Tennessee students remain below proficiency and that many high-demand credentials require college-level math.
Advocates from SCORE told the Education Instruction Subcommittee on Feb. 3 that recent test-score gains show meaningful progress but leave much work ahead to prepare students for Tennessee’s workforce. "Just over 1 in 3 7th grade students, about 39%, are proficient in math," policy analyst Jack Roberts said while summarizing TCAP trends and course-taking patterns.
SCORE's vice president for policy, Aliyah Guthrie, framed math as a workforce imperative and described an "impact credential" framework to rate postsecondary credentials by earnings and demand. Guthrie said the framework found that "3 in 4 of the credentials that are considered impact credentials require college level math coursework," and she urged lawmakers to consider not just whether students hold credentials but what those credentials prepare them to do in the labor market. Guthrie and Roberts also pointed to recent changes in Algebra 2 standards implemented in 2023 and presented preliminary score shifts they said suggest the course is serving more students in ways aligned with workforce needs.
