Tennessee’s Office of Evidence and Impact (OEI) defined five evidence steps. The Office also completed inventories of state- and federally-funded programs in the areas of corrections, mental health, and substance abuse services as a part of the state’s evidence-based budgeting initiative. In 2021, OEI published program inventories for higher education, children’s services, and human services.
Tennessee’s Department of Education, Department of Higher Education, and Department of Health have conducted program evaluations independently or in partnership with universities that have directly impacted policy, budget, and programmatic decisions. For example, state evaluations on voluntary pre-K, financial aid for nontraditional postsecondary students, and the smoking cessation program for pregnant women have informed timing of program expansions or affirmed the continuation of programs with high confidence in results.