TN.gov Newsroom

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Education is proud to announce the commencement of the first statewide evaluation of the effectiveness of Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K program.

The five-year, $6 million statewide study of rigorous scientific design is being funded by a grant from the United States Department of Education’s Institute of Education Science and is being conducted as a collaborative project by the TDOE and the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt University.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen’s Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program has received high marks in the National Institute for Early Education Research’s (NIEER) annual report, ranking in the top half of states for both the percentage of children enrolled and funding.

Tennessee’s Pre-K program met nine out of 10 quality standards benchmarks in the report, The State of Preschool 2008. The state increased enrollment of 4-year-olds to 21 percent, and the $4,465 in per-child state spending earned the state a 13th place ranking on resources.

“Quality Pre-K classrooms are one of the best investments we can make in the education of children in Tennessee,” Governor Bredesen said. “Even in difficult budget times we have been able to maintain our support for these classes and, as this report shows, it’s paying off.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Timothy Webb announced today nine school systems will receive funding to improve public awareness and combat student dropouts through the Model Dropout Prevention grant.

NASHVILLE – Governor Phil Bredesen and the Tennessee Department of Education today announced the availability of federal funding under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program of No Child Left Behind.

Federal Tax Credit Helps Improves Lives of Working Low Income Families

Bipartisan Organization Dedicated to Raising Academic Standards
to Better Prepare Students

NASHVILLE – As a result of years of dedication and commitment to children, the Tennessee Departments of Education and Human Services have been recognized as leaders in effectively reaching over 90 percent of students eligible for free school meals through a process called “direct certification”. This process allows children to be eligible for the school meals programs without a lengthy application process.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Education is proud to announce the launch of its electronic learning center to give students, parents and educators access to learning and professional development resources anytime, anywhere. Through a collaboration with Apple, Inc. and the Tennessee Board of Regents, the ELC has a dedicated site on iTunes U, an area of the iTunes Store that provides free education content. The ELC, at www.TNelc.org, is designed to enhance achievement by providing access to more than 280 curriculum-based audio and video tracks developed by the Tennessee Department of Education.

Bredesen Leads Interactive Session with Students

NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen kicked off his seventh round of open state budget hearings Monday at the State Capitol, beginning with the Department of Education as is his tradition. Following the budget hearing, Bredesen and Education Commissioner Dr. Timothy Webb led an interactive civics lesson with high school students from four school systems. The students watched the budget hearing via streaming video, then submitted their questions about the education budget and state budget process to Bredesen and Webb for response.