Tennessee House Bill HB0707

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 6, relative to student promotion.

Summary

HB0707 amends Tennessee’s student promotion law to create an additional pathway for certain third-grade students who scored "approaching" on the ELA portion of the TCAP test to be promoted to fourth grade. The new process applies when the student has earned an overall A or B in third-grade ELA and the parent or guardian has chosen not to send the student to learning loss bridge camp. In that case, the local education agency (LEA) or public charter school must convene a conference to decide whether the student should be promoted or retained. The conference must include the student’s parent or guardian, ELA teacher, and school principal. The bill provides that the recommendation of a majority of the participant categories controls the outcome, and a student may not be retained in third grade more than once. If the student is promoted under this provision, the student must be assigned a tutor for the entire fourth-grade year according to department-established tutoring requirements.

Impact

The bill would modify Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-3115, by adding a new exception to mandatory retention rules for third-grade students who do not meet the standard proficiency benchmark on the ELA TCAP but show strong classroom performance and whose families decline bridge camp participation. It shifts some decision-making authority from a strict test-based retention rule to a conference-based review involving school staff and parents, and it also creates a continuing tutoring obligation for students promoted through this pathway.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the measure appears designed to balance accountability with flexibility for students who are close to proficiency and performing well in class. The structure suggests support for parental choice and individualized review rather than automatic retention. No formal voting history or transcript evidence is available here to show opposition or support, but the bill’s approach indicates a generally student-supportive, intervention-oriented intent.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is whether students who score "approaching" on TCAP should be promoted despite not meeting the usual test-based threshold, especially when the parent has declined bridge camp. Supporters may view the conference process and tutoring requirement as a fairer, more holistic approach that considers classroom performance and family input. Critics may argue that it weakens retention standards or reduces the weight of standardized testing, while others may question how the majority-of-categories rule will operate in practice and whether tutoring resources will be sufficient.