TISA rules pass joint state committee

The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) cleared an important hurdle Monday morning that ensures its eventual implementation for school districts across the state next school year.The Tennessee General Assembly’s Joint Government Operations Committee provided a positive recommendation to new rules that will govern TISA when it replaces the Basic Education Program (BEP) in the 2023/2024 school year.TISA invests a billion dollars into K-12 education and the legislation will fundamentally change the way public schools are funded to be based on individual student needs.The legislation was among the biggest to pass the General Assembly last year, receiving bi-partisan support from members of both parties.  TISA specifically requires rulemaking in certain areas to further flesh out the law, define terms, and establish processes and procedures for funding.Under TISA, each school district will receive $6,860 per student plus targeted bonuses to support specific needs, including students who are English Language Learners, those who are economically disadvantaged, and those with a disability. TISA also provides funding to support early literacy, Career and Technical Education, and high-dosage tutoring.The BEP system TISA is replacing was designed 30 years ago and has been widely criticized as being outdated.  Most states, including Texas, New York, and California, use a student-based funding formula similar to TISA.Monday’s hearing on the rules that will govern the legislation included little discussion or debate with the exception of Nashville Democratic Representative John Ray Clemmons who had a number of questions about how the new law will impact local district funds.Rep. Clemmons asked Tennessee Department of Education Assistant Commissioner Charlie Bufalino if there should be any concerns about how TISA will impact dense school districts’ ability to have the funding to serve high minority student populations.Bufalino pointed out that TISA not only provides extra money for economically disadvantaged students, but also those living in concentrated poverty.“Any school that is a Title 1 eligible school, every student in that school will generate an additional 5% and in many of our urban communities there is a high percentage of eligible Title 1 schools and so in that way that weight will get at some of what you’re talking about in terms of density,” said Bufalino.A recent study by the Sycamore Institute that found that TISA is unlikely to grow the statewide total for mandatory local spending over the next decade and could actually require fewer district-level increases than the current BEP system.

Public Impact

The TISA rules approved Monday by the Joint Government Operations Committee include a number of changes that came after an extensive public engagement process last year.  TDOE received comments from nearly 200 Tennesseans or organizations across the state related to TISA rules.Among those that made it into the final draft include:

• New language emphasizing special education students be taught in the least restrictive environment.
• Clarification that high schools can utilize the early warning system already in place statewide to identify students with Dyslexia.
• Utilizing English proficiency scores to determine eligibility for English learner bonuses.
• Funding Career Technical Education (CTE) programs by a ranking system of in-demand and high-wage earning career data.
• Bonuses for English learners and students with disabilities are now consistent across all grade levels.