The Tennessee State Board of Education's ELA Standards Recommendation Committee meeting on September 5, 2025, focused on the results of a comprehensive survey aimed at revising English Language Arts (ELA) standards. The survey, conducted by Scantron, gathered public feedback from educators, parents, and community members to inform potential changes to the standards.

During the meeting, the program manager from Scantron, who is currently nine months pregnant, presented an overview of the survey process and its findings. The survey ran from March 3 to March 31, 2025, and allowed participants to provide feedback on specific standards for various grade levels. Notably, the survey received a significant response, with 23,358 total ratings submitted, indicating a strong interest in the ELA standards.

Key findings revealed that 82% of respondents believed the standards should be kept as is, while 8% suggested changes, and 5% recommended moving or removing certain standards. Kindergarten and grades 3, 8, and 9-10 garnered the most feedback, with kindergarten receiving the highest number of responses overall.

The analysis highlighted common themes across grade levels. For K-5, respondents suggested simplifying standards and clarifying expectations, particularly regarding paragraph requirements in writing. In grades 6-8, feedback indicated that some standards were too vague and needed to be more student-focused. For grades 9-12, there were calls for stronger writing and research standards, as well as clearer progression from one grade to the next.

The committee emphasized the importance of these findings in shaping the future of ELA education in Tennessee. With the majority of feedback coming from teachers, the committee plans to consider these insights as they move forward with revisions to the standards. The next steps will involve further discussions and potential adjustments based on the survey results, ensuring that the standards meet the needs of students and educators alike.