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HB 91

Education, Dept. of - As introduced, requires the department to submit a request to the United States department of education to amend this state's Every Student Succeeds Act plan to remove all end-of-course assessment requirements for students in grades nine through 12 and to allow the ACT, SAT, or another postsecondary readiness assessment approved by the commissioner to be annually administered to students in such grades and for student performance on such assessments to be used for student, school, and district accountability purposes. - Amends TCA Title 49.

114th Regular Session (2025-2026) Introduced by Kirk Haston

Tennessee would replace high school end-of-course exams with college readiness assessments (ACT/SAT) for measuring student and school accountability statewide.

Taken off notice for cal. in Education Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 91

Legislative bill overview

HB 91 would direct Tennessee's Department of Education to request federal approval to eliminate end-of-course exams for high school students (grades 9-12) and replace them with college readiness assessments (ACT, SAT, or commissioner-approved alternatives). These new assessments would be used to measure student, school, and district accountability instead of current end-of-course test results.

Why is this important

High school accountability systems directly influence school funding, teacher evaluations, and college preparation metrics. This change would fundamentally reshape how Tennessee measures educational success at the secondary level and could affect how colleges and employers view student achievement. The shift requires federal approval under the Every Student Succeeds Act, making implementation dependent on U.S. Department of Education authorization.

Potential points of contention

  • Assessment focus shift: Moving from subject-specific mastery (end-of-course exams) to college-readiness metrics may not capture learning in all students, particularly those not pursuing post-secondary education
  • Accountability concerns: Using college readiness assessments for district/school accountability could disadvantage schools serving non-college-bound populations and rural or underserved communities
  • Federal approval uncertainty: The bill's success depends on federal agreement to modify Tennessee's ESSA plan, which is not guaranteed and could create implementation delays

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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