Schools, Charter

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included a claim that the bill informs at-risk students and their guardians about opportunities to attend an opportunity public charter school, which is not supported by the official source material provided. The bill summary text does mention this requirement but it was not present in the excerpt of the bill text.

Charter School Reporting Requirements

This bill requires the Tennessee Department of Education to collect and report data on student performance for opportunity public charter schools.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the department of education to gather information about graduation rates, credit progress, and college and career readiness for students in opportunity public charter schools.
• Releases this data annually on the department's website, broken down by different groups like race, gender, and disability status.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students in opportunity public charter schools
• Parents or legal guardians of at-risk students

Terms To Know

Opportunity Public Charter School

A type of public school that operates independently with more flexibility than traditional public schools.

Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate

The percentage of students who graduate from high school within four years.

Limits and Unknowns

• Does not specify how the data will be used or what actions should follow its release.
• It is unclear if and when this bill will become law.

Official Summary Text

ON MARCH 16, 2026, THE SENATE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED SENATE BILL 1931, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT #1 r
ewrites this bill to require the department of education to
annually collect and report the following data for opportunity public charter schools on the department's website:

(
1
) In addition to the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate:

(
A
) The percentage of students in each freshman cohort who graduated within five years with a regular high school diploma; and

(
B
) The percentage of students in each freshman cohort who graduated within six years with a regular high school diploma;

(
2
) The credit attainment progress for students in any of the grades nine through 12, including:

(
A
) The percentage of students in each grade level who earned the requisite number of credits to graduate with their freshman cohort in four years; and

(
B
) The number of courses attempted and completed for academic credit annually;
a
nd

(
3
) The percentage of students who met each individual constituent part of the state's college and career readiness metric, with each of the following reported as an independent data point:

(
A
) The percentage of students who achieved a score of 21 or higher on the ACT;

(
B
) The percentage of students who earned a postsecondary credit-earning score on an Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International Education, College-Level Examination Program, dual credit, or dual enrollment assessment or course
;

(
C
) The percentage of students who earned a state-recognized industry credential at a Tier III or Tier II level combined with one other state-recognized industry credential;

(
D
) The percentage of students who achieved a qualifying score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
;
and

(
E
) The percentage of students who met at least one of the criteria described in (
A
)-(
D)
.

All data reported pursuant this
amendment
must be disaggregated by student subgroup, including race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, and socioeconomic status, at the school, district, and state levels.

This amendment requires
a director of schools, juvenile court judge, or department of children's services caseworker
who
has knowledge that a student is an at-risk student and is eligible to attend an opportunity public charter school
to
provide the student and the student's parent or legal guardian with information regarding the student's eligibility to enroll in an opportunity public charter school and the location of any opportunity public charter schools that are located in or adjace
nt to the student's county of residence.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1934
By Slater

SENATE BILL 1931
By Haile
SB1931
011951
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
relative to opportunity public charter schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-13-133, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(f) The commission shall notify the chair of the education committee of the
senate and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction
over education when an opportunity public charter school opens in this state and the
location of the opportunity public charter school.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.