The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security provides grant funds to law enforcement agencies to support the deployment of school resource officers in every K-12 public and charter school in Tennessee. This is part of Tennessee’s effort to promote school safety.
GEAR UP Tennessee provides direct services to middle and high school students encouraging their postsecondary enrollment by impacting academic performance, high school graduation, and families’ awareness of postsecondary options, process, and financial aid.
The Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) establishes regional partnerships between Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs), community colleges, industry, economic development/workforce agencies, and K-12 to identify and address “skills gaps” in local workforce pools. The GIVE program facilitates the alignment of local workforce and education partners through a competitive grant process.
The Supporting Postsecondary Access in Rural Communities (SPARC) initiative engages local constituencies and education stakeholders in eligible communities with the goal of increasing access to postsecondary through infrastructure improvements, increased local access to higher education, and resources to expand career & technical education (CTE) dual enrollment opportunities.
The Dual Enrollment Grant and Middle College scholarships provide financial assistance to reduce the cost to participate in college-level coursework while in high school. The Dual Enrollment Grant is funded on a per course basis. The Middle College scholarship is a grant to offset the cost to participate full-time in an associate degree program while […]
Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) is a state-funded pre-school opportunity for children four years of age and their families that meet the income eligibility requirements set forth federally (185% federal poverty level). VPK is a competitive grant offered to school districts within Tennessee. The goal of VPK is to ensure that young at-risk children are thriving in […]
Summer Learning Camps serve students in all districts across the state in rising K – grade 9, focusing on supporting students defined as priority status. Students receive an additional 4 – 6 weeks of instruction and intervention using grade-level materials in small groups to catch them up prior to the start of the new school […]
The TN AWARE project aims to build state and local collaborative infrastructure to plan and implement mental health services within grant awarded school districts. The grant program increases youth access to services and resources in schools by raising awareness about mental health issues, increasing early identification and screening of youth to detect unmet behavioral health […]
TN Accelerating Literacy and Learning Corps (TN ALL Corps) was launched to address learning gaps and accelerate student achievement across the state of Tennessee. TN ALL Corps is a grant opportunity to empower school districts across the state to implement or strengthen robust tutoring programs for students. Using a research-based model, each participating district has […]
The Education Savings Account (ESA) Program allows eligible K-12 students in certain zoned districts to use state and local money to attend an approved nonpublic school and pay for educational expenses such as tuition, uniforms, textbooks, technology, tutoring, and summer programs.
The Free and Reduced-Price Meals program provides students who qualify, based on family income or specific program eligibility, with free or reduced-price breakfast, lunch, and/or snacks. The program is implemented by school districts, who receive reimbursement via federal funding.
IDEA 619 Preschool special education is a state and federally mandated and funded program for children ages three to five (not in kindergarten) who are experiencing challenges in their learning and development and meet eligibility criteria for special education and/or related services. Early childhood special education addresses individual needs within the context of inclusive, developmentally-appropriate […]
PK-12 Career Awareness, Exploration, and Advising ensures that every student has access to high-quality career awareness, exploration, and advising by providing clear expectations for districts and schools, research-based resources (including career assessments and curriculum), implementation supports, and high-quality professional development to support school staff in using resources and analyzing data to support student decision-making. College […]
The Rural Principal Network (RPN) builds instructional leadership capacity for participants from rural communities throughout the state. This program develops school leaders to address the unique needs of rural schools
Tennessee Academy for School Leaders (TASL) is an instructional leadership academy for new administrators that provides learning, support, and networking with the result of administrator license advancement. The purpose of the academy is to instill and reinforce instructional leadership for educational effectiveness. Educators who are in their first three years of an administrative “mandated” role […]
The School Improvement Program is designed to provide a continuum of supports and interventions to Tennessee’s districts and schools that are federally designated as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI). Through ongoing planning support, grant funding opportunities, technical assistance and monitoring, this program ensures […]
Access for All Learning Network (AALN) aims to ensure districts and school leaders are empowered to effectively meet the needs of students with disabilities in accessing high-quality instructional materials and instruction. Districts receive ongoing professional learning to identify access points and provide adequate scaffolds within high-quality instructional materials for students with disabilities. District leads engage […]
The Early Childhood Quality and Supports Office works to understand the current birth to 5-year-old landscape in Tennessee, build a comprehensive strategic plan identifying and capitalizing on areas of opportunity to ensure these children are in safe, healthy, and high-quality school-administered child care programs in public, private, and community-based programs in alignment with State Board […]
The AP Access for All program offers virtual AP courses to all public high school students across the state. The program also supports AP training and professional development for high school teachers.
The Aspiring Assistant Principal Network and Diverse Leader Network are teacher leadership pipelines for educators with an interest in school leadership. These pathways allow participants to complete a yearlong accelerated master’s degree at Austin Peay State University at no cost to the participant. Through research-based practices, instruction, and mentorship, this program equips teachers with the […]
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Professional Development Programs prepare educators, including teachers and directors, to offer effective programs of study to all Tennessee districts that help lead to high-wage, high-skill employment for Tennessee students. CTE programs provide supports for new directors and teachers through the following: Quarterly CTE Directors Meetings, New CTE Directors Academy, Institute […]
The Computer Science Program ensures that all public elementary, middle, and high school students have access to computer science (CS) coursework and resources and provides teachers with a no-cost route to earn a computer science additional endorsement and offers teachers and schools incentives to participate in high quality professional development in CS. An important component […]
Tennessee Family Resource Centers (FRCs) serve as a resource and support hub within school districts. FRCs help connect families to resources in the community and ensure students have the supports they need to come to school ready to learn. In particular, FRCs help families learn to resolve problems through the collaborative efforts of many disciplines […]
The Increasing Instructional Access for Students with Disabilities project increases instructional access and quality for students with significant cognitive disabilities and reduces participation in the alternate assessment. Teaching All Students (TAS), a state personnel development grant, is one of the pivotal components. TAS engages high school teams composed of a school administrator, district special education director, […]
The Individualized Education Account (IEA) Program is a school choice program for eligible students with qualifying disabilities. The IEA Program provides parents, guardians, and qualified students options for choosing the educational opportunities that best meet the individual student’s unique needs through access to public education funds.
The Early Literacy Network is geared to support implementation of Early Reading Training in selected districts. Districts are granted funds ($80,000 or $100,000 depending on enrollment) for two years to receive support from an approved vendor partner. Grants provide professional development opportunities through regional convenings and virtual learning opportunities. Districts can invite teachers, instructional leaders, […]
Innovative School Models (ISM) is a way to eliminate structural barriers that exist between high school, workforce, and postsecondary systems. They allow students the ability to seamlessly make connections ensuring that all students graduate high school prepared to successfully complete a postsecondary credential or attain high-quality employment. ISM empowers schools to transform the traditional high […]
The Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) is a voluntary program that provides services to infants and young children who have disabilities or other developmental delays. TEIS helps families with children with disabilities or developmental delays connect to the support and services they need. At the point of eligibility, an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) team […]
This program provides students, teachers and families with quality resources to support student learning in the home and combat learning loss. In partnership with book-gifting organizations, this program mails books and literacy tools (e.g., activity sheets to help children engage with the books) to kindergarten through third grade students during the summer, at no cost […]
We partner with vendors to give families the tools to turn conversations into learning opportunities by connecting books with experiences. Resources, like reading tips and learning activities, are shared digitally with caregivers and model how everyday interactions at home can be used to boost learning.
In partnership with Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, city parks and outdoor areas, this program creates enriching outdoor reading experiences for children and families to connect literacy with a fun, physical activity. It achieves this by presenting a children’s storybook on child-height panels along a short trail to promote adult-child interaction around books and nature.
The program is a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide every Tennessee child from birth to age five with a book each month at no cost to families, delivered right to their mailbox. It is a gift of up to 60 high-quality, age-appropriate books to build a child’s home library before kindergarten with […]
Tennessee Believes provides grants to higher education institutions to increase the number of inclusive programs that serve students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grants are awarded to two- or four-year colleges and universities in the state that are committed to launching new programs or enhancing existing programs. These grants are intended to support the strategic […]
FFA engages middle and high school students enrolled in agricultural education courses, preparing them for careers in agriculture, natural resources, and related industries. The program emphasizes leadership development, personal growth, and career readiness through classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experiences (SAEs), and participation in FFA competitions, conferences, and community service projects. By equipping students with technical […]
The Agricultural Enterprise Fund (AEF) is a grant program that supports job creation and economic development in Tennessee’s agriculture and forestry sector. It supports efforts to increase farm income, boost access to markets, expand the capacity of existing agricultural and forestry businesses, and market new technological innovation with the potential to impact Tennessee’s agriculture or […]
