Rep. William Slater celebrates Tennessee students’ academic gains

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, is congratulating students across Tennessee on their strong academic gains reflected in the 2025-26 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) results.

In June, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released TCAP state-level results demonstrating strong improvements in English language arts (ELA), mathematics and social studies.

“I’m incredibly proud of students across Tennessee for their hard work and dedication during the 2025-26 school year,” said Slater. “Every child deserves access to a quality education that prepares them for lifelong success. These encouraging gains show that our state is on the right track, but our work isn’t finished. I remain committed to finding additional ways to help all students reach their full potential.”

The Tennessee General Assembly has made significant investments to support K-12 education over the past decade, including raising the minimum starting teacher salary to $50,000 and increasing the state’s public education budget to more than $9.4 billion for the 2026-27 academic year. 

This year, lawmakers invested an additional $518 million for education-related initiatives to better serve Tennessee students.

TCAP Gains (2024-25 to 2025-26):

ELA

• 3.2 percentage point increase in third grade proficiency
• 2.7 percentage point increase in eighth grade proficiency
• 3.8 percentage point increase in English II proficiency

Social studies

• 11.4 percentage point statewide proficiency increase since 2019
• 3.4 percentage point increase in sixth grade proficiency
• 3 percentage point increase in seventh grade proficiency
• 3.8 percentage point increase in U.S. History proficiency

Math

• 3.6 percentage point increase in fourth grade proficiency
• 5.6 percentage point increase in high school Geometry proficiency

Statewide and district-level results are available on the TDOE’s TCAP dashboard here.

State Rep. William Slater represents District 35 in the Tennessee General Assembly, which includes Trousdale and part of Sumner counties. He serves as chair of the Education Administration Subcommittee.

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