Tennessee school vouchers: Despite test score gains, recipients trail public school peers

Standardized test scores for students using Tennessee’s school vouchers have improved but continue to lag behind their peers statewide, according to data released by the state last week.

The state offers taxpayer-funded vouchers to help low-income families opt out of public schools and pay for private and parochial schools in Davidson, Hamilton and Shelby counties. The program was instituted in the 2022-23 school year for Davidson and Shelby counties after a drawn-out legal battle. Hamilton County was later added to the program. Its first batch of vouchers went out in 2023-24.

Overall, students using the vouchers trailed their peers statewide on English language arts and math scores on the state’s standardized Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests this spring. However, the students also made gains in both categories. Notably, students using vouchers in Shelby County matched their peers in math scores and surpassed them in English language arts scores this year.

Parent survey data was also included in the release and showed a 99% satisfaction rate in the 2023-24 school year with the state voucher program, compared to 91% in the previous school year. Additionally, the report showed participation in the program grew by leaps and bounds in 2023-24, with 2,088 students enrolled. That’s a 362% increase from the 452 students enrolled the previous year.

“This report shows families are satisfied with the educational opportunities afforded by the program, and we are encouraged by the academic performance of the students participating,” Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds said in the release.

Tennessee to push voucher expansion again in 2025

After a failed push to expand the vouchers, which are offered through the Education Savings Account Program, to the entire state in 2024, Gov. Bill Lee and Republican lawmakers are trying again for an expansion in 2025. Lee dubbed the effort the Education Freedom Act.

“A quality education has the power to change the trajectory of a child’s life, and I’m pleased with the positive gains students are making through enrollment in Tennessee’s Education Savings Account Program,” Lee said in a news release from the Tennessee Department of Education. “It’s time to build upon this foundation of progress and deliver school choice for all Tennessee parents through the Education Freedom Act.”

Here’s a look at how the latest data breaks down for the state and all three counties where vouchers are available.

How ESA students performed vs. Tennessee peers

Across Tennessee, ESA students notched a gain of more than six percentage points in math scores and more than four percentage points in English language arts scores. The gaps between scores in both categories for ESA students and their peers also narrowed.

However, ESA students continued to perform markedly behind statewide scores, which also saw modest gains in each category.

Here’s how many students scored proficient in math and English language arts statewide in each group in 2024:

• Statewide math: 36.7%
• ESA students math: 17.6%
• Statewide English language arts: 39%
• ESA English language arts: 27.2%

The numbers, which were released Dec. 23, differ slightly from a previous Tennessean story based on preliminary data. That is likely due to the exclusion of data for schools with 10 or fewer student test scores for privacy purposes, along with an appeal and reconciliation process that may have been completed after the data was obtained by The Tennessean this summer.

How ESA students performed in Davidson County

Students in the ESA program in Davidson County and their peers across the county both made progress in math and English language arts scores.

English language arts scores remained relatively close between ESA students and their peers across Davidson County both years, with the gap between the sets of scores narrowing slightly. However, the gap widened between ESA students and the county when it came to math scores.

Here’s how many students scored proficient in math and English language arts in each group in 2024:

• Countywide math: 26.4%
• ESA students math: 15.7%
• Countywide English language arts: 30.5%
• ESA English language arts: 28.8%

How ESA students performed in Hamilton County

Since 2023-24 was the first school year vouchers were offered in Hamilton County, only one year of data is available. ESA students in the county performed far behind their peers in math and English language arts.

Here’s how many students scored proficient in math and English language arts in each group in 2024:

• Countywide math: 36.6%
• ESA students math: 18.1%
• Countywide English language arts: 39%
• ESA English language arts: 32.2%

How ESA students performed in Shelby County

ESA students made large strides in math scores from 2022-23 to 2023-24. The latest math scores match those of their peers across the county. Additionally, ESA students also made gains in their English language arts scores, surpassing countywide scores for the second year in a row.

Countywide scores also saw modest gains in both categories.

Here’s how many students scored proficient in math and English language arts in each group in 2024:

• Countywide math: 18.7%
• ESA students math: 18.7%
• Countywide English language arts: 23.7%
• ESA English language arts: 25.1%