(a) By July 1, 2024, the department, in partnership with the state board and the Tennessee higher education commission, must provide a report to the chairs of the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives regarding the implementation of chapter 3 of the Public Acts of 2021 (1st Ex. Sess.).
Educator preparation provider: means an entity approved by the state board that is responsible for managing, operating, or coordinating programs for the preparation and licensure of teachers, school leaders, and other school personnel. See Tennessee Code 49-1-903
Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b)(1) By December 31, 2021, for purposes of consolidating existing information for the general assembly, the department must conduct the following review:
(A) A landscape analysis of literacy in this state, including current practices, student achievement, instructional programming for students, and remediation services;(B) A landscape analysis of literacy instruction, including instructional programming and pedagogical practices utilized by educator preparation providers; and(C) A joint analysis, with the Tennessee higher education commission, regarding the affordability of educator preparation providers, including tuition affordability and net-tuition affordability for future educators and costs relative to educator preparation providers in other states; student loan and debt burdens of educator preparation provider graduates; financial barriers that may prevent postsecondary students and career changers from pursuing teaching as a profession; and the ability to reduce the costs of obtaining educator preparation and credentials.(2) Educator preparation providers approved by the state board must participate in the review.(3) By March 1, 2022, the results of the review must be reported to the state board and the chairs of the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives and posted on the department’s website.(4) In conducting the review, all student information must be maintained in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g), § 10-7-504, and all other applicable state and federal privacy laws.
