Tennessee at a glance
- Kindergarten: Must turn 5 on or before Aug. 15.
- Compulsory school age: 6 to 18.
- Required instructional time: 180 days.
- Statewide grading scale: yes — grades 9-12 (for TSAC financial-aid purposes); grades PreK-8 local.
- Remote learning instead of snow days: no statewide rule identified.
Kindergarten entry age
In Tennessee, a child can typically start kindergarten if they are Must turn 5 on or before Aug. 15. A child born just after the cutoff usually starts a year later — which is why two children born weeks apart can be a full grade apart.
Use the What Grade Am I In? calculator to turn a birthday into a grade level, or compare all states in our kindergarten cutoff table. Source: Education Commission of the States.
School year and attendance
| Rule | Tennessee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Compulsory school age | 6–18 | ECS |
| Minimum instructional days | 180 | ECS (2023) |
| Minimum instructional hours | Not specified | ECS (2023) |
Instructional-time rules decide how many missed days must be made up — the reason a winter with several snow days can push the last day of school later. Count down to yours with the Days Until Summer tool.
Grading scale
Tennessee sets a statewide scale that applies to grades 9-12 (for TSAC financial-aid purposes); grades PreK-8 local.
| Letter | Percent range |
|---|---|
| A | 90–100 |
| B | 80–89 |
| C | 70–79 |
| D | 60–69 |
| F | 0–59 |
SBE Policy 3.301 (T.C.A. 49-6-407): 10-point scale for grades issued from 2022-23 on (replacing the 93/85/75/70 scale). Honors etc. get +3 percentage points and AP/IB/Cambridge +4. Per-letter quality points not confirmed. The tn.gov PDF reset the connection; values come from search-indexed content of the official PDF. Source. See the Tennessee grading scale page for GPA points and a converter.
Snow days and remote learning
Not verified in this research pass (official site blocked or not reached).
Estimate tomorrow's odds with the Snow Day Calculator.
SAT and ACT scores in Tennessee (class of 2026)
Tennessee's class of 2026 averaged 1189 on the SAT with 5% of graduates tested, and 18.7 on the ACT with 100% tested. Nationally the averages were 1045 (SAT) and 19.2 (ACT).
| Measure | Tennessee | U.S. | Rank (of 51) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT participation | 5% | n/a | 34 |
| SAT average total | 1189 | 1045 | 13 |
| SAT Reading & Writing / Math | 607 / 582 | 528 / 517 | — |
| SAT total, class of 2025 | 1189 | 1029 | — |
| ACT participation | 100% | 38% | 2 |
| ACT average composite | 18.7 | 19.2 | 41 |
Almost every Tennessee graduate takes the ACT (ACT statewide testing program (>=90% of grads tested); ACT or SAT required in grade 11 for a regular diploma (student choice)), so its ACT average covers the whole class, including students not planning on college. States where few students take the ACT post higher averages because their test takers are mostly college applicants. The SAT and ACT scores by state study shows this participation effect across all 50 states and DC. To see where a single score lands, use the SAT score calculator or the ACT score calculator.
Sources: College Board SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report (Tennessee, 2026); ACT 2026 average scores by state. Ranks are among the 50 states and DC.
Free tools for Tennessee families and teachers
- High school GPA calculator and final grade calculator
- AP score calculator for May exams
- EZ Grader and report card comments for teachers
- Homework planner and the 10-minute homework rule
State rules change. Facts were checked against the linked sources on October 14, 2026; confirm with your district or state education department.