Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 7

A Tradition of Education Reform
Under Governor Ned McWherter (1987-1995), Tennessee
laid the foundation for its current education funding and
data systems. In 1990 and 1991, McWherter launched
his Tennessee 2000 / 21st Century Classroom Education
tour to gather ideas about ways to improve the state’s
education funding model. At the same time, a series of

Governor Lamar Alexander’s
(1979-1987)
devotion
to
education earned him recognition
as the state’s “education governor.”
As
Governor,
Alexander’s
key initiative was the Better
Schools Program. The program
strengthened teacher certification
requirements, created Governor’s
schools for high-performing
students, and lengthened the
school year from 175 to 180 days.
The element of the program
that received the most attention
was its teacher career ladder,
which contained five “rungs”
that teachers could achieve
based on their level of training
and accepting of additional
responsibilities. When teachers
advanced to a new rung, they were
given additional compensation.
Governor Lamar Alexander talks with students during an event promoting his Better Schools Program.
During Alexander’s term, the
state also funded the Tennessee
Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio project, commonly known
Tennessee Supreme Court decisions ruled the state’s existing
as the STAR class-size study. The $12 million study randomly
education funding system was unconstitutional. In response,
assigned students in grades K-3 to either
McWherter helped pass the Tennessee
classrooms of 13-17 students, classrooms
Education Improvement Act of 1992.
of 22-25 students, or classrooms of 22-25
The law established the Basic Education
with an additional teacher aide. The
Program, which created a formula for
TEnnESSEanS Can
study received national recognition and
equitably distributing education funding
is still cited today in academic literature
across the state (see description on pages
on class size. Because of his work in
20-21). Additionally, the law funded the
P R O u d ly l ay C l a I m T O
education as governor, Alexander was
creation of the Tennessee Value-Added
named President of the University
Assessment System (TVAAS). Designed
a h I S T O Ry O f g R E aT
of Tennessee in 1988 and was then
by then-University of Tennessee Professor
appointed United States Secretary of
William Sanders, TVAAS was the first
E d u C aT I O n l E a d E R S a n d
Education by President George H.W.
data system in the country that could
Bush in 1991. Today, Alexander serves
measure the progress students made from
R E fO R m I n I T I aT I V E S .
on the Health, Education, Labor, and
year-to-year. Today, TVAAS is widely
Pensions Committee as the senior United
recognized as one of the best longitudinal
States Senator from Tennessee.
data systems in the United States.

6

The STaTe of educaTion in TenneSSee

Courtesy of the Tennessee State Library and Archives

Tennesseans can proudly lay claim to a
history of great education leaders and reform
initiatives. Starting over three decades ago
with legislation enacted by then-Governor Lamar Alexander,
the state of Tennessee has implemented dozens of innovative
programs, at times gaining significant national recognition.