TennesseeHome school students can take advanced public school courses when space allows
Tennessee public schools must admit home school students to college-level courses and college entrance practice exams when space is available, and post offering details online.
What it does
Home school students can take advanced courses and college entrance practice exams at public schools when space is available. Schools must post offering details and information about outside financial help online.
Home school students in grades five, seven, and nine must take the state-approved public school test or a parent-selected test that compares performance nationwide. Parents pay for the parent-selected option.
After-school pilots include Classic Learning Test preparation for at-risk students. A district score rule accepts its equivalent of an average ACT score of at least 21, with participation of at least 30 students or 25% of graduates, whichever is larger.
Argument forAccess to public school advanced courses could give home school students more chances to earn college credit when space is available.
Argument againstPaying for a parent-selected test and finding an unrelated supervisor could make required testing harder for home school families to arrange.
More detail
Public schools must let home school students take offered advanced courses and college entrance practice exams when space is available. Advanced courses are college-level courses that may lead to college credit through an exam. Practice exams include the PSAT/NMSQT, Pre-ACT, and CLT10. Schools must post offering dates and times, student capacity and availability, and information about outside financial help for low-income and at-risk students. These requirements took effect on May 1, 2026, when the governor signed the law.
Parents teaching at home must ensure their students take one of two allowed types of standardized tests. These home school testing rules cover students in grades five, seven, and nine. A parent-selected test must compare performance nationwide in English language arts and math. An unrelated person must supervise it, the test developer must record it, and the parent must pay. The public school testing option requires the education commissioner, the commissioner's designee, or a testing service approved by the local school district. The ninth-grade test cannot be an end-of-course exam. All test results must go to the parent-teacher, the director of schools, and the state board of education. These testing provisions took effect on May 1, 2026.
After-school pilot programs prepare students for the ACT, SAT, or Classic Learning Test. A district average-score rule accepts equivalent Classic Learning Test scores. The pilot programs serve at-risk students in grades seven through nine. They provide tutoring and preparation for college entrance exams and their practice tests. The district rule requires an average ACT score of at least 21 or an equivalent SAT or Classic Learning Test score. Before a district uses an average score, at least 30 students or 25% of the graduating class, whichever is larger, must have taken the ACT, SAT, or Classic Learning Test. These provisions took effect on May 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- May 18Pub. Ch. 912Latest
- May 18Effective date(s) 05/01/2026
- May 1Signed by Governor Bill Lee.Became Law
- Apr 21Transmitted to Governor for his action.To Governor
- Apr 20Signed by Senate SpeakerMajor
- Apr 16Signed by H. SpeakerMajor
- Apr 14Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker.Minor
- Apr 13Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill.Major
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 4/13/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 13Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0805)
- Apr 13Passed Senate, Ayes 24, Nays 8Passed Senate
- Mar 30Received from House, Passed on First ConsiderationMinor
- Mar 26Sponsor(s) Added.Minor
- Vote recorded HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026 3/19/2026. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/26/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 26H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0714)Major
- Mar 26Passed H., as am., Ayes 67, Nays 20, PNV 0Passed House
- Mar 26Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen.Minor
- Mar 19H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/26/2026
- Mar 18Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/19/2026
- Mar 17Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/17/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 11Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/17/2026
- Mar 10Action def. in Education Committee to 3/17/2026
- Mar 5Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
- Mar 4Placed on cal. Education Committee for 3/10/2026
- Mar 3Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education CommitteeMinor
- Vote recorded HOUSE K-12 SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Education Committee 3/3/2026 Passed. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 25Placed on s/c cal K-12 Subcommittee for 3/3/2026
- Jan 22P2C, ref. to Education CommitteeMinor
- Jan 22Assigned to s/c K-12 SubcommitteeMinor
- Jan 21Intro., P1C.Minor
- Jan 20Filed for introductionIntroduced
Education