American children by many measures are worse at reading and math than they were a decade ago. The most recent eighth-grade reading scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress hit their lowest point since 1990; fourth-grade scores fell to levels not seen since before 2003. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated those declines, and while some recovery has occurred, many students have not bounced back.
As school districts across the country search for what works, one of the most closely watched efforts is in Tennessee, a state whose schools were once among the nation’s worst-performing. According to the Education Scorecard — an analysis of national test scores by Harvard and Stanford universities — Tennessee ranked second out of 38 states in math improvement and fourth out of 35 states in reading gains from 2022 to 2025. A separate ranking by the University of Oklahoma placed the state 17th out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., and first in the South, up from near the bottom in 2009.
MSI previously reported that U.S. students remain nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic reading scores and that the decline predates COVID, but that reforms emphasizing phonics have fueled recoveries in several states. The Tennessee results reinforce that pattern.
Much of the state’s work has centered on early literacy. Tennessee education commissioner Lizzette Reynolds described the turnaround as the sum of sustained effort rather than a single solution, saying, “It isn’t just one thing. It’s really hard work.”
Policymakers required districts to adopt high-quality instructional materials and trained teachers on evidence-based reading methods. A 2021 state law mandated that third-graders scoring just below reading proficiency demonstrate “adequate growth” at the end of summer camps to advance to fourth grade. Between 2021 and 2025, about one in four third-graders participated in summer camp, tutoring, or both to meet the requirement. The number of students held back has fallen steadily — about 530 in 2025, down from roughly 650 in 2024 and nearly 900 in 2023.
The summer programs, held in about half of Knox County’s 91 K-12 schools, run four weeks and serve mostly elementary school children, some of whom are required to attend. Class sizes are small, typically around a dozen students, led by teachers who focus on breaking down reading, writing, and math. About three times as many teachers apply for the summer roles as there are spots available.
Knox County was among the bottom 5% of Tennessee school districts based on multiple academic indicators in 2021. This year marks the district’s fifth consecutive year of academic growth. About 45% of students met or exceeded grade-level expectations in reading on a key state test in 2025, up from about 33% in the 2020-2021 school year, while 45% met or exceeded grade-level expectations in math, up from 31%.
At Ball Camp Elementary School in Knoxville, teacher Chelsie McClellan guided a small group of third-graders through a story about a Wyoming man who worked on a steam engine in 1870, having them read the passage three times — first in chorus, then in a whisper, then at a normal volume to their desk partners. When 9-year-old Alejandro Castillo struggled with “Transcontinental Railroad,” McClellan helped him sound it out piece by piece.
“We’re not sugarcoating it because they’re children,” said Christine Pope, an academic support coordinator in Knox County, referring to the district’s policy of using precise language such as “r-controlled vowel.”
The district’s approach also extends to diagnostic testing. Elementary school children take assessments for phonics and spelling at the beginning and end of camp, and parents and children are encouraged to track progress.
For some families, the results have been tangible. Javier Flint noticed his 9-year-old son Elijah was able to read greeting cards on Father’s Day and had begun picking up English subtitles on anime shows. Elijah, who had been diagnosed with dyslexia last fall and had been reading slowly, completed his second year of summer camp at the district’s suggestion. On his last day, Elijah told a teacher he planned to tackle the Dog Man series and had begun reading to his younger brother at home. “I’m getting really good,” he said.
No one has found a panacea. The stalling of K-12 progress in math and reading coincided with less emphasis on standardized tests and a rise in social media use, and other states pursuing early literacy reforms have not all matched Tennessee’s results. Mississippi, which has emphasized phonics-based instruction for more than a decade, has likewise made major academic strides. Researchers there said key ingredients likely included investing in literacy coaches, holding schools and districts accountable, and holding back struggling students at the end of third grade. Tennessee’s experience suggests that the combination of these elements, rather than any one policy, may matter most.