Tennessee provides funding for private education:

• Individualized Education Act Program: creates individualized education accounts (IEAs) for eligible students with disabilities to use for educational purposes.

Private high schools which offer a four-year course in literary branches must require every student to have one year of instruction in American history and government.

• Category I, II, and VI schools must adhere to the state’s minimum graduation requirements for public schools as listed in State Board of Education Rule.

• A Category II school’s curriculum must include the areas of reading, composition, speech, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, health and physical education.

• A Category VI school’s curriculum must include areas of English, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts, foreign language (it can be the language of the host country), and wellness consistent with Tennessee curriculum standards.

Teachers in Category I schools must be licensed and at least one must be licensed in special education.

• Teachers serving in Categories II and III must meet the licensure and certification standards set forth by their agency/association.

• Category V teachers must hold a baccalaureate degree, but are not required to have a teaching certificate.

• Category VI teachers must meet the licensure requirement of Tennessee or their host country.

All schools are required to keep and provide to the state enrollment and attendance data for each student.

• Category II and VI schools must maintain cumulative records on each student.

• All non-public schools in category I shall submit annually: 200 Day Accountability Report, Non-Public Reporting Form; S-File (for student numbers); T-File (for teacher information) as part of the school’s direct application for approval.

• Category V schools must submit by November 1st of each year the name, mailing address and telephone number of the school; the name and academic credentials of the principal or headmaster of the school; the number of students in each grade level as of October 1 of current school year; the name and academic credentials of each teacher and the subjects taught by that teacher; and certification that the school year provides an operating schedule that includes the minimum number of instructional days and hours as required of public schools.

• Category I schools must test in accordance with public school requirements.

• Category II schools must test at least once every school year, give a nationally standardized achievement test covering the areas of reading, language arts, spelling, math, science, and social science to each pupil in grades two through eight and grade ten; the results must be communicated to teachers and parents and kept on file at the school for one calendar year.

• Category V schools must administer a nationally standardized achievement test covering the basic academic areas at grades two through eight and grade ten. Test results should be used to improve student instruction.

• Category VI schools must administer high school tests required by the state. Results must be communicated to teachers and parents, and kept on file for one calendar year. If the state requires minimum scores to receive a diploma, Category VI students must achieve such scores to receive a diploma.

• Category VI students must achieve English language proficiency per the standards of the associated public university.