In most, if not all, speeches Gov. Bill Haslam has given since test scores on a national assessment were released last fall, he has proudly asserted that Tennessee’s students are improving at the fastest rates in the country. According to a release from the Annie E. Casey foundation, a philanthropy dedicated to serving low-income children,that educational improvement is making Tennessee a good place to be a kid, even in the face of increasing poverty.
In a press release accompanying the release of its annual KIDS COUNT Data Book, the foundation showcased Tennessee as among the most improved states in their overall rankings of childhood wellbeing, which are based on poverty, health, and education. Tennessee worsened in five of eight poverty indicators, like the number of children living in high-poverty neighborhoods or single-parent households. But the state improved across the board in education and health, securing its place at the top of the rankings.
The other states that improved the most were Iowa, Utah, Illinois, and Indiana.
Read more about the rankings here and check out the data here.