A new report from the American Institutes for Research (AIR) suggests that gender stereotypes remain a major barrier to increasing women’s participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) related fields.

New data from the National Council on Teacher Quality says there are nearly four percentage points fewer teachers from historically disadvantaged groups than expected when compared against working-age adults from historically disadvantaged groups with degrees, among other findings that suggest the need to diversify the educator workforce.

Vanderbilt University’s Dare to Grow campaign to expand student programming has surpassed its $3.2 billion fundraising goal 20 months ahead of its target date in June 2026, a recent announcement said.

A new study published in Sage Journals suggests that Black female students in Nashville have significantly less confidence in math than their male counterparts due to internalized stereotypes about race and gender, as well as concerns about the quality of instruction.  Learn more about the study's findings and conclusions.

A Vanderbilt University-led research team will use $12 million in federal funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a surgical robot that’s capable of performing surgeries without human intervention. Learn more about their work.

A recent parent survey study from the education advocacy organization TennesseeCAN indicates that despite overall satisfaction with school choice in Tennessee and parents’ understanding of student performance, only about 46 percent of parents in Tennessee are “very satisfied” with their children’s schools. Learn more about the survey's findings.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will use a $3.5 million gift and research grant from the Journey Health Foundation to establish a Research Center for Health and Economic Analytics within the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Learn more about how the new center will use those funds.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has appointed mathematics professor Dr. Vasileios Maroulas to serve as associate vice chancellor and director of the AI Tennessee Initiative.

Read more about how he plans to lead the Tennessee higher education initiative in the years ahead.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has launched a search for a researcher and educator to join its quantum program as a Governor’s Chair scientist with a joint appointment at UTC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a recent university announcement said.

Despite increased investments in academic support to combat “learning loss” that came as a result of COVID-19, a recent report from Brown University researchers suggests students in Metro Nashville Public Schools are not benefitting much from tutoring.

Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College is expanding global research efforts with the launch of the Peabody Global Initiatives program, aimed at fostering international partnerships in education and human development.

A recent study from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute suggests that socio-economic factors like household income and parents’ education play a role in perpetuating schools’ racial achievement gaps.

A recent report from Market Data Forecast found the global K-12 online education market is expected to grow more than $500 billion to reach about $716 billion in 2029, amid the growing popularity of online learning options. Among the schools in Tennessee helping to meet that growing demand is Tennessee Connections Academy.

A delegation from FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) recently visited the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as part of the FIFA Pitch Research Field Day event to inspect the university’s field turf research and development facility, as well as to meet the teams from UT and Michigan State University (MSU) tasked with creating "the perfect natural grass pitches for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” a university news release said.

A new report from the ed tech platform Quizlet suggests that higher ed institutions are leading in AI adoption when compared to high schools.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has been named the lead institution for a $25 million cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation to support research relating to “nuclear security and nonproliferation missions,” a recent announcement said.

Vanderbilt University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have announced a new partnership focusing on artificial intelligence research to develop technologies for national security, as U.S. universities continue to invest more in machine learning research and education programming.

The education and parent advocacy organization Nashville PROPEL has released a white paper detailing what local parents think about “Nashville’s hidden literary crisis,” as well as how that crisis affects students of color.According to a news release emailed to Tennessee Firefly, less than 30 percent of students in the Metro Nashville Public Schools district are reading on grade level despite nearly 80 percent of parents believing their children are at or above grade level, a finding consistent with national trends.