Special education in Tennessee

What Tennessee calls special education, how long each step takes, who to call, free help, paying for services, and how the state scores.

Special education in Tennessee

Special education is called

Special Education

The IEP meeting

IEP team meeting

Eligibility team

Evaluation timeline

60 calendar days. From consent; IEP finalized within 30 more calendar days if eligible (Rule 0520-01-09-.05)

IEP timeline

30 calendar days

Transition planning starts

14 (being checked)

Rights transfer to the student at

Developmental delay category

3 to 9 (child count)

Dyslexia law

yes: T.C.A. 49-1-229 (Say Dyslexia Act, 2016): universal screening for characteristics of dyslexia via RTI2

State categories

Functional delay (state category)

Find your district and schools

149 districts and charter districts. 43 special education schools and 114 public charter schools.

Get your Hall Pass Schools in Tennessee Services for children in Tennessee (on Disability Atlas)

The state office and your options when you disagree

State special education office

Tennessee Department of Education, Division of Special Populations (Special Education) (615) 964-2627

Procedural safeguards (your rights notice)

Read the state's notice

Mediation

Ask for mediation

State complaint

File a state complaint

Due process

Ask for a due process hearing

Free help for families

Parent centers

TNSTEP, Tennessee’s Parent & Youth Training & Information Center
Parent Training and Information Center (PTI), Greeneville
(423) 639-0125

Disability rights agency

Disability Rights Tennessee
Protection and Advocacy Agency, Nashville
(615) 298-1080

Advocacy groups in Tennessee

Paying for it

Medicaid for children

TennCare

CHIP

CoverKids

Apply

Apply for coverage

Medicaid for children with disabilities, whatever the family's income

yes: Katie Beckett Program (1115 demonstration, Parts A and B)

Schools bill Medicaid for health services

yes (limited services for all Medicaid-enrolled students)

Autism insurance law

limited. ASHA lists Tennessee as a limited mandate; NCSL lists under 12

Scholarship or ESA for students with disabilities

both: Individualized Education Account (SWD ESA); Education Freedom Scholarship (universal, enrollment-capped); ESA pilot (Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga)

Program page

Official program page

How school, Medicaid and insurance fit together

How Tennessee scores

First edition. These grades are new (November 2026) and the weights may still change. Texas graduation data is being confirmed with the state.

State of Schools

Rank 26 of 51

State of Support

D-

Rank 45 of 51

Combined

D+

Rank 43 of 51

Pillar	Grade
Following the law	D
Learning together	B-
Results	B-
School funding	F
Family protections	C
Options and transition	B+

IDEA determination 2026: Needs Assistance (2 or more years). How we grade.

Sources for this page are listed in the SPED Atlas research tables (state terms, state help, paying for it). Items marked "being checked" are waiting on a primary source.

Last reviewed: November 2026. Rules, programs and phone numbers change. Check with the office named on this page. Report outdated or wrong information.