Small, regular interactions with a reading tutor — about 5 to 7 minutes — are making a big impact on young students’ reading skills, new Stanford University research shows.First graders in Florida’s Broward County schools who participated in the program, called Chapter One, saw more substantial gains in reading fluency than those who didn’t receive the support, according to the study. They were also 9 percentage points less likely to be considered at risk on a district literacy test.

The lengthy search for a new leader of the state’s largest school district is down to three finalists.Tuesday night members of the Memphis-Shelby County School Board named three out of state educational leaders to move onto the next phase of the superintendent search process.

Search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) announced the five finalists it’s picked to lead Memphis-Shelby County Schools Friday morning.The firm picked two previous finalists, one previous candidate, and two newcomers from a pool of 22 applicants for the long-vacant post.

About 3,500 social studies teachers converge on Nashville this weekend for their annual national conference, but not without some pushback for meeting in a state with multiple laws aimed at classroom censorship and restrictions related to discussing race and gender.“Some of our members have worried that this could be a hostile environment for them,” said Wesley Hedgepeth, a social studies teacher in Henrico County, Virginia, and this year’s president of the National Council for the Social Studies.

When Tennessee launches the School Letter Grades next month parents will be able to see how well their child’s school is serving students by reviewing whether it received A, B, C, D, or F grade. The hard part has been determining what makes one school an A and another a B or lower.The School Letter Grades Working Group held five meetings this month to work that out and most members appear to agree that student growth should matter just as much as student achievement.

Tennesseans who’ve been thinking about becoming a mentor have a little more time to apply.tnAchieves announced today it’s extending the registration deadline to Friday, October 27 for adults that want to mentor a current high school senior.“Our mentors are local supports for students who need it most. And we’re really grateful to anyone who serve in this role,” tnAchieves Senior Director of Mentors, Tyler Ford.The tnAchieves mentor program will run from mid-November through until October 2024. Mentors will invest one hour a month for a total of 12 hours annually assisting students.

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced Rogersville City School’s Melissa “Missy” Testerman as Tennessee’s 2023-24 teacher of the year Friday evening.Testerman is an English as a second language instructor at Rogersville Elementary School who additionally serves as a mentor for new teachers and has been a teacher for 31 years. She’s also the president of the Rogersville Education Association, serves as the summer camp coordinator for the district, participates in the nonprofit Readers Are Leaders which helps at-risk readers, and serves on committees and boards throughout the district.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools students return to class Monday for the 2023-24 school year.This one could be less turbulent than recent years, but no less consequential, as the district confronts key decisions about its next leader, the future of its school buildings, its strategy for improving student academic performance and wellness, and its budget for the post-pandemic era.

The Tennessee Department of Education is encouraging families to keep track of their children’s testing results through an online portal.The department launched the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Family Portal in 2020 to provide families with on-demand access to their student’s TCAP and end-of-course assessments results. The portal also provides resources, including specific questions from previous assessments, historical data, and sample questions for families to ask educators about their students’ academic progress.

Five public school teachers joined the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) to file a lawsuit challenging the state’s so-called “prohibited concepts” law, restricting what can be taught on race, gender, and unconscious bias in public classrooms.The lawsuit asks for the court to declare the law unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment.“There is no group of individuals more passionate and committed to ensuring Tennessee students receive a high-quality education than public school educators,” said Knox County Educator and Tennessee Education Association President Tanya T. Coats. “This law interferes with Tennessee teachers’ job to provide a fact-based, well-rounded education to their students.”

As August gets closer, Tennessee school districts are preparing for the new school year by providing families with the information and assistance they need to start that first day on the right track.Several of the state’s largest districts are offering resources online to families.

Mentoring program tnAchieves opened its 2024 mentor application with a goal to recruit a total of 9,000 mentors.“In 2024, we're ready to confront challenges created by the pandemic and to create opportunities for students. We can't do this alone, though. Mentors are needed across the state to support and encourage local students as we work to reverse negative enrollment trends. tnAchieves stands ready to serve students, but we can't do it without your help!” wrote tnAchieves on their application page.

Students from the North Memphis Frayser community came together Friday morning to advocate for funding to combine the area’s two high schools into one new school.

More than four months ago Dogwood Elementary 5th grade teacher Alexa Guynes cried tears of joy when her school surprised her with the news she’d won the prestigious 2022 Milken Educator Award.Now she has her $25,000 prize.

Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn announced she’s planning to step down in June, following four and a half years of service to the state.Schwinn says she made the decision to leave office now because she’s accomplished her primary goals for the department and the time is right for her family. She also said leaving now ensures that districts, teachers, students, and families feel supported.

Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education said no to three proposed schools Tuesday night, including one by a former student.The board voted 5 to 2 against Invictus Nashville Charter School and unanimously voted against Pathways In Education-Nashville and Nashville Collegiate Prep High School.

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned Friday following a tumultuous legislative session that included the expulsion and return of two members, a resignation, the most significant teacher pay raise in state history, and major changes to the Third-Grade Retention Law.