From Antiquated to Equitable: How Tennessee Overhauled Its State School Funding Formula

This report explains how the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act came to be and offers promising practices and lessons other states may adapt to their political and economic contexts. Through in-depth interviews with advocates and state leaders, the authors uncovered five factors that contributed to TISA's passage that have broad application in other states: (1) strong alignment among political leaders; (2) advocate coalescence around a shared set of priorities; (3) a promise of significant new funding for schools; (4) robust stakeholder engagement and outreach; and (5) a focus on evidence-based finance principles and major design features.