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Curriculum Standards

Tennessee has adopted the Common Core State Standards to prepare students with the most important knowledge and skills to attain higher education or careers and compete in an increasingly competitive work environment. These standards will emphasize critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity. The transition will also include new assessments that will give students, parents and educators better information about college- and career-readiness based on performance beyond multiple-choice tests. The state will have fully implemented the standards in 2014-15, which is the first year the new exams will be given.

The transition to new standards gives us the opportunity to revisit our instructional practice to support growth for all students. Effective teaching requires continuous improvement, and the Tennessee Department of Education is committed to providing educators with resources and information throughout this transition to support reflection and spark meaningful conversation about teaching and learning. The TNCore website is designed to be the primary hub for information about Tennessee’s Common Core implementation and a portal to resources from educators across the state and across the country.

Academic Standards

Information on Tennessee’s current curriculum standards for various academic areas can also be found online. They are listed, by course, below:

Career & Technical Education Standards

Additionally, Tennessee is committed to aligning its course offerings with career and higher education opportunities available for students. Through the Career & Technical Education division, the state offers pathways tied to the following 16 career clusters: