Schools, Private

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide information on the consequences of failing a standardized test.

Private School Testing Requirements

This bill changes testing requirements for certain fully online, self-paced private schools in Tennessee.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the requirement that fully online, self-paced private schools must give a yearly standardized test to students.
• Requires these same schools to give a standardized test to high school students who are under 18 and have completed half or ninety percent of their high school program.
• Allows students who finish their entire high school program within one year to take the test only once.

Who It Names or Affects

• Fully online, self-paced private schools in Tennessee
• High school students at these private schools who are under 18 years old

Terms To Know

Category III nonpublic school

A type of private school that follows certain rules set by the state board of education.

Standardized test

A test given to students across different schools to measure their knowledge in specific subjects.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if a student fails the standardized test.
• It is unclear how this change will affect other private schools that are not fully online and self-paced.

Official Summary Text

Present law prohibits the state board of education from requiring, for purposes of operating as an approved Category III nonpublic school, a private school that provides a fully online, self-paced educational program; that is accredited by the Distance Ed
ucation Accreditation Commission; and that is regionally accredited by one of the Category III regional accrediting agencies identified in the policies of the state board to:

(1) Comply with the class size requirements;

(2) Maintain an operating schedule that includes the minimum number of instructional days or minimum number of instructional hours per school day required of public schools; or

(3) Comply with requirements that students be vaccinated against disease.

This bill additionally prohibits the state board from requiring that a private school

a
dminister a nationally standardized achievement test that covers the subject areas of English language arts and mathematics to each student each school year
in order to operate as an approved Class III nonpublic school
.

This bill also requires that, i
n order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school, the state board of education shall require a private school described
above
that serves students in any of the grades
9-12
to administer a nationally standardized achievement test that covers the subject areas of English language arts and mathematics to each student who is
1
8 years of age or younger and has completed 50% of the high school program and to each student who is 18 years of age or young
er and has completed 90% of the high school program, unless the student who is 18 years of age or younger completes the entire high school program within a
12
-month period in which case such student is only required to a take a nationally standardized achievement test once.

Current Bill Text

HOUSE BILL 1896
By Maberry

SENATE BILL 2449
By Powers
SB2449
011027
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49,
Chapter 1 and Title 49, Chapter 50, relative to
nonpublic schools.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-50-807, is amended by
designating the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the following as a new
subdivision (4):
(4) Administer a nationally standardized achievement test that covers the subject
areas of English language arts and mathematics to each student each school year.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-50-807, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection (b):
(b) In order to operate in this state as an approved Category III nonpublic school,
the state board of education shall require a private school described in subsection (a)
that serves students in any of the grades nine through twelve (9-12) to administer a
nationally standardized achievement test that covers the subject areas of English
language arts and mathematics to each student who is eighteen (18) years of age or
younger and has completed fifty percent (50%) of the high school program and to each
student who is eighteen (18) years of age or younger and has completed ninety percent
(90%) of the high school program, unless the student who is eighteen (18) years of age
or younger completes the entire high school program within a twelve-month period in
which case such student is only required to a take a nationally standardized
achievement test required in this subsection (b) once.

- 2 - 011027

SECTION 3. For purposes of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming a
law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2026, the
public welfare requiring it, and applies to the 2026-2027 school year and each school year
thereafter.