Since 2007, when Tennessee was recognized as the worst state in America in terms of aligning its K-12 academic standards with national expectations, we have made remarkable progress in student achievement. Under both Democratic and Republican governors, the Volunteer State has been turning the heads of public education leaders across the country.Despite the unwelcomed recognition, Tennessee was typical of the vast majority of states that basically wrote and graded their own tests when it came to describing the effectiveness of their education programs. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing major employers in commerce, finance and industry, blew the whistle on the fallacy of this self-referenced grading system where every state was, like all the kids in Lake Wobegone, "above average."Thankfully, our state has enjoyed enlightened, progressive leadership at the top, including notably former Gov.