Education

SB 1665 amends Tennessee law to explicitly include "honorifics" (such as "Mx." or "Dr.") alongside names and pronouns in prohibitions against requiring students, teachers, state employees, or contractors to use or provide specific identifiers. The bill updates multiple sections of the Tennessee Code (including education, employment, and contractor regulations) to replace phrases like "names and pronouns" with "names, pronouns, and honorifics." This change means state entities cannot mandate the use of specific honorifics, just as they cannot mandate preferred names or pronouns. The law affects all public education staff, state workers, and state contractors in Tennessee.

SB 2407 helps education students in Tennessee complete teaching credential requirements. It allows individuals who have started but not finished their required clinical practice hours to receive a temporary teaching permit if they meet other criteria. The bill lets these students combine their pre-permit clinical hours with teaching time under the temporary permit to fulfill their full clinical practice requirement. This change directly affects education preparation program candidates seeking teaching credentials in Tennessee.

SB 2385 updates Tennessee's definition of "economically disadvantaged" students for school funding. It expands eligibility to include students directly certified for free meals (without household applications) and those from households receiving Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR benefits. The bill requires the state to allocate additional funds to school districts if their funding decreases due to this expanded definition, ensuring they receive at least the same weighted allocation as the prior year. It also mandates the state to seek a federal ESSA plan amendment to reflect this updated definition, effective for the 2027-2028 school year.

SB 2317 deletes outdated language in Tennessee's education code about the format of standardized tests (TCAP) administered during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. The bill amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, specifically removing Section 49-6-6013, which contained obsolete requirements for assessment formats. This is a technical correction to update the state's education code, not a new policy. It directly affects how the state's assessment program is documented in law but does not change testing procedures or requirements. The bill is procedural and focuses solely on removing redundant language from the code.

SB 821 requires all Tennessee public schools serving grades 3-12 and public charter schools to implement an annual, research-backed substance abuse prevention program. The program must teach students refusal skills, anti-drug norms, and life skills to reduce tobacco, alcohol, and drug use, while supplementing existing efforts like DARE and character education. Schools must provide these programs year-round without replacing current drug education or health instruction. The law applies starting the 2025-2026 school year, affecting every school district and charter school in the state.