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SB0870 • 2026

Education, Dept. of

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to educator evaluations.

Education
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Hensley, Cepicky
Last action
2025-05-13
Official status
Effective date(s) 05/02/2025
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on how the findings will be used or implemented after January 31, 2026.

Teacher Evaluation Review Act

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Education to review teacher evaluation practices and create recommendations for improvement.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires the department of education, in consultation with the state board of education, to conduct a landscape analysis of teacher evaluation practices by June 1, 2025.
  • Creates a committee composed of experienced educators and other experts to review current teacher evaluations and provide recommendations.
  • The committee will report its findings and recommendations to the department and then cease to exist.
  • The department must share the results of the landscape analysis and the committee's recommendations with the state board of education.
  • By January 31, 2026, both the department and the state board need to send a final report about teacher evaluations to certain committees in the legislature.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Tennessee Department of Education
  • Teachers in Tennessee
  • The State Board of Education

Terms To Know

landscape analysis
A study that looks at how things are done across different places.
teacher evaluation advisory committee
A group of people who look at and give advice on teacher evaluations.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what changes will be made to teacher evaluations.
  • It is unclear how the findings from this review will affect teachers in Tennessee.
  • There are no details about funding for implementing any new evaluation methods based on the report.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

Amendment 1-0 to HB1193

Plain English: The amendment adds new requirements for the Tennessee Department of Education to conduct an analysis of teacher evaluation practices and convene an advisory committee to review these practices.

  • Requires the department of education to perform a landscape analysis of current teacher evaluation methods in Tennessee and other states.
  • Establishes a teacher evaluation advisory committee made up of experienced educators and experts to assess existing evaluation practices, with their report due after which the committee will dissolve.
  • Directs the department to present findings from both the landscape analysis and the advisory committee's recommendations to the state board of education by January 31, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify how the advisory committee members are selected or what criteria they must meet.
  • It is unclear if there will be any follow-up actions based on the final report's recommendations beyond presenting them to legislative committees.
Amendment 1-0 to SB0870

Plain English: The amendment requires the Tennessee Department of Education to conduct an analysis of teacher evaluation practices and convene a committee to review these practices, with a final report due by January 31, 2026.

  • Adds requirements for the department of education to perform a landscape analysis of current teacher evaluation methods in Tennessee and other states.
  • Establishes a temporary advisory committee made up of experienced educators and experts to review these practices and submit findings and recommendations to the department.
  • Requires both the department and the state board of education to present a final report, including the advisory committee's recommendations and any additional suggestions from the department or state board, to relevant legislative committees by January 31, 2026.
  • The amendment does not specify how the landscape analysis will be conducted or what criteria will be used for selecting members of the advisory committee.
  • It is unclear from the text whether there are any specific requirements regarding the format or content of the final report beyond including certain elements.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Effective date(s) 05/02/2025

  2. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Pub. Ch. 325

  3. 2025-05-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. became Pub. Ch. 325

  4. 2025-05-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Governor.

  5. 2025-04-22 Tennessee General Assembly

    Transmitted to Governor for action.

  6. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by H. Speaker

  7. 2025-04-21 Tennessee General Assembly

    Signed by Senate Speaker

  8. 2025-04-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Enrolled and ready for signatures

  9. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed H., Ayes 87, Nays 2, PNV 6

  10. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Am. withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - HA0298)

  11. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Subst. for comp. HB.

  12. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Comp. SB subst.

  13. 2025-04-15 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  14. 2025-04-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 4/14/2025

  15. 2025-04-09 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 4/10/2025

  16. 2025-04-02 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee

  17. 2025-03-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 4/1/2025

  18. 2025-03-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 4/1/2025

  19. 2025-03-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/25/2025

  20. 2025-03-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/25/2025

  21. 2025-03-17 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rcvd. from S., held on H. desk.

  22. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Engrossed; ready for transmission to House

  23. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Sponsor(s) Added.

  24. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed Senate as amended, Ayes 31, Nays 0

  25. 2025-03-13 Tennessee General Assembly

    Senate adopted Amendment (Amendment 1 - SA0059)

  26. 2025-03-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/18/2025

  27. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Regular Calendar for 3/13/2025

  28. 2025-03-11 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/18/2025

  29. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Recommended for passage with amendment/s, refer to Senate Calendar Committee Ayes 9, Nays 0 PNV 0

  30. 2025-03-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/11/2025

  31. 2025-03-04 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/11/2025

  32. 2025-02-27 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on Senate Education Committee calendar for 3/5/2025

  33. 2025-02-26 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/4/2025

  34. 2025-02-25 Tennessee General Assembly

    Action def. in Education Committee to 3/4/25

  35. 2025-02-19 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on cal. Education Committee for 2/25/2025

  36. 2025-02-18 Tennessee General Assembly

    Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee

  37. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Passed on Second Consideration, refer to Senate Education Committee

  38. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 2/18/2025

  39. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    Assigned to s/c K-12 Subcommittee

  40. 2025-02-12 Tennessee General Assembly

    P2C, ref. to Education Committee

  41. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Introduced, Passed on First Consideration

  42. 2025-02-10 Tennessee General Assembly

    Intro., P1C.

  43. 2025-02-06 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

  44. 2025-02-05 Tennessee General Assembly

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

By June 1, 2025, this bill requires the department of education, in co
nsultation with the state board of education, to conduct a landscape analysis of teacher evaluation practices in this state and other states.

This bill requires the department to convene a teacher evaluation advisory committee composed of experienced edu
cators in this state and other experts to review and evaluate current teacher evaluation practices in this state. The committee must report its findings and recommendations to the department at which time the committee ceases to exist. Members of the co
m
mittee serve without compensation but are eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses in accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations as promulgated by the department of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general.

This bil
l requires the department to present the findings of the committee and the landscape analysis to the state board of education. The department and the state board must provide a final report that includes the landscape analysis, the committee's recommenda
t
ions, and any further recommendations made by the department or the state board to the education committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over teacher evaluations by January 31, 2026.

ON MARCH 13, 2025
, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 870, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 makes the following changes:



R
emoves the deadline of June 1, 2025, for the department of education, in consultation with the state board of education, to conduct
the
landscape analysis of teacher evaluation practices in this state and other states.



Authorizes t
he teacher evaluation advisory committee to conduct
virtual meetings.



Removes authority for members of the
teacher evaluation advisory committee
to be eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses in accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations as promulgated by the department of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HOUSE BILL 1193
By Cepicky

SENATE BILL 870
By Hensley

SB0870
003042
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to educator evaluations.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 1, Part 2, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
(a) By June 1, 2025, the department of education, in consultation with the state
board of education, shall conduct a landscape analysis of teacher evaluation practices in
this state and other states.
(b)
(1) The department shall convene a teacher evaluation advisory
committee composed of experienced educators in this state and other experts to
review and evaluate current teacher evaluation practices in this state. The
committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the department at
which time the committee ceases to exist.
(2) Members of the teacher evaluation advisory committee serve without
compensation but are eligible for reimbursement for travel expenses in
accordance with the comprehensive travel regulations as promulgated by the
department of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general
and reporter.
(c) The department shall present the findings of the teacher evaluation advisory
committee and the landscape analysis to the state board of education. The department
and the state board shall provide a final report that includes, but is not limited to, the

- 2 - 003042

landscape analysis, the teacher evaluation advisory committee's recommendations, and
any further recommendations made by the department or the state board to the
education committee of the senate and the committee of the house of representatives
having jurisdiction over teacher evaluations by January 31, 2026.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.