Bill > SB1585

This bill revises the testing requirements for students participating in Tennessee's Education Savings Account (ESA) program, which provides public funds to eligible students to use for private school tuition and other educational expenses. Specifically, students in grades three through eleven (3-11) who receive an ESA must annually take either a nationally standardized achievement test aligned with their school's curriculum or the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests for math and English language arts. Participating schools are responsible for administering these tests and providing the results to parents. The bill also requires the state to select a statistical sample of students in grades three through eight (3-8) who took the TCAP tests to assess academic performance. Furthermore, by June 30, 2027, and annually thereafter, participating schools must submit test results to the Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA), which is part of the Comptroller of the Treasury's office, using aggregated, de-identified data that can be analyzed by grade level, household income, sex, and race. The OREA will then report these findings to the relevant legislative committees. This act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.