TennesseeCAN Unveils the 2024 State of Educational Opportunity Survey

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, TennesseeCAN, a nonpartisan, nonprofit K-12 education group working to ensure that every child in Tennessee has access to great teachers and great schools, released “The State of Educational Opportunity in Tennessee“, a survey of parents of school-aged children that provides key insights to how Tennessee families are thinking about and engaging in their student’s education.

The report highlights responses to 15 key questions across five categories, including school quality and opportunity; tutoring, summer learning, and mental health, out-of-school activities, information and engagement, and college and career readiness.

“Tennessee parents who participated in this survey reinforced a strong sense of optimism and aspiration that I have always known to be true in the Volunteer State,” said Chelsea Crawford, Executive Director of TennesseeCAN. “That is, we believe in our kids, we believe in the value of K-12 education, and we are willing to do what it takes to ensure all our students can learn and achieve in school and beyond.”

Between July 8 and August 22, 2024, 407 parents and guardians whose children attend traditional public schools, magnet schools, charter schools, private/independent schools, and other types of schools, completed the survey.

The Tennessee survey revealed important perspective, including:

• Tennesseans are satisfied with their chosen school, and still aspire for more for their students.
  • Tennessee has among the highest percentages of families who believe they have a choice in where they can send their children to school, and who responded that, if given the choice, they would send their child to the same school they attend today.
  • Yet less than half of Tennessee families said they are “very satisfied” with their child’s school.
• Tennesseans are willing to engage in their child’s learning in meaningful ways.
  • Tennessee ranks above the national average for parents who say they understand academic achievement, are familiar with how budget decisions are made at their child’s school and rely on assignments or tests to gauge learning progress.
  • However, this trend does not apply at the school level. With only 26 percent of families saying they reviewed school performance, Tennessee ranked well below the national average.
• Income level dictates different experiences for Tennessee families.
  • Significant disparities exist between low-, middle-, and high-income families in terms of access to tutoring, summer camps, and out-of-school activities.
  • Lower-income families show less confidence that their children will be well-prepared for college or the workforce.

The report is part of the “The State of Educational Opportunity in America: A Survey of 20,000 Parents,” one of the largest education-focused surveys of parents in the past decade which offers an unprecedented, state-by-state examination of the current education landscape and what is important to parents. The State of Educational Opportunity in America was completed by 50CAN and Edge Research.

“With such a large sample size, we are able to dig into the findings by state and across a range of important audiences. By making the findings publicly available, this is a gift of data that can inform conversations among communities and elected officials.” said Pam Loeb, Principal at Edge Research.

For more information about the 2024 State of Educational Opportunity in Tennessee, visit tn-can.org.

For more information about the national survey, and to access the full results and data set, please visit 50can.org or contact: Ned Stanley, VP of Communications, 50CAN at 415.654.4292 or ned.stanley@50can.org.

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About TennesseeCAN:
TennesseeCAN, part of the 50CAN Network, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit K-12 education group working to ensure that every child in Tennessee has access to great teachers and great schools.

About 50CAN:
50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now is a locally led, nationally supported nonprofit education advocacy organization committed to a high-quality education for all kids, regardless of their address.

About Edge Research:
A woman-owned marketing research company and trusted partner, Edge Research tells data-driven stories that make our clients’ programs, products, and brands successful, because we believe in conducting purposeful and impactful work. Our goal is to blend wisdom, experience, creativity, and innovation to drive change. One of Edge’s key verticals is education, which ranges from early childhood development, to K-12 and postsecondary education, to lifelong learning.