Tennessee Students Show Academic Gains in Latest TCAP Results

Tennessee students are continuing to recover academically in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to newly released Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) scores from the state Department of Education.

The 2025 results show academic improvement in all subjects for students in grades three through eight, with notable increases in math proficiency across every grade level. Overall proficiency gains over the previous year ranged from 0.4 to 3.9 percentage points.

Education leaders point to a renewed focus on core subjects — reading, writing, and arithmetic — as the driving force behind the improvements. They credit both students and educators for the progress.

The TCAP results carry added significance for third and fourth graders due to a 2023 state law requiring students who do not score proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) to either attend summer school or receive tutoring to avoid being held back.

This year, 41.7% of third graders scored proficient in ELA, up 0.8 percentage points from last year. Among fourth graders, 47.7% reached proficiency in ELA — the highest percentage recorded to date — and the number of students who failed that section of the test hit an all-time low.

Statewide, 40.9% of all tested students demonstrated proficiency in reading, while 39.1% met or exceeded standards in math.

Education advocates say the gains reflect years of targeted investment in literacy, including statewide reading initiatives championed by former First Lady Crissy Haslam and programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

While officials are encouraged by the results, they say there is still work to be done to ensure all students succeed. Education leaders continue to discuss the role of testing and how assessments might evolve to better reflect student growth and proficiency across learning levels.