Tennessee Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS)

Program Description: 

Tennessee’s Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) program is operated in conjunction with The College System of Tennessee and offers Tennessee high school students free math programs focused on career readiness and education. They offer these free courses, which align with Tennessee high school education standards, so that learners who may be required to take remedial coursework in college do not need to spend expensive college funds on those courses. 
 
Learners do not need to participate in dual enrollment to take these courses. Instead, by demonstrating progressive mastery on module exams, they can earn a waiver from remedial math requirements for future college enrollment without having to retake the ACT or other placement assessments. 
 
SAILS offers two courses: High School Statistics/SDC Statistics, and Mathematical Reasoning for Decision Making. The former course counts for a college waiver of remedial college math classes and is only available to learners with an ACT Math score under 22, or a cumulative GPA below 3.0. The latter course is designed for learners who plan to join the military, attend a College of Applied Technology, or directly enter the workforce after graduation. It focuses on real-world decision making and practical math skills and is available to all learners regardless of GPA or ACT scores, as long as they have completed the prerequisite math courses. 
 
SAILS courses are available to both public and private high school students and are either one-semester or one-year long. The courses are offered in conjunction with all Tennessee community colleges, all Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology, and several Tennessee universities. The remedial waiver earned through this coursework is recognized by Tennessee colleges and universities, and a handful of out-of-state universities. 

Program staff also provide hands-on, in-person support for schools, learners, and teachers every two weeks. 

Impact: 

Since 2012, over 88,000 high school students have earned an exemption from remedial math classes via Tennessee SAILS. This contributes to increased college completion rates, as remedial courses have been found to be a major contributor to students stopping out of degree programs. 

Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (2021) – Researchers from Harvard University and Vanderbilt University found that SAILS increased enrollment in college-level math by nearly 30 percentage points among first-year community college students and helped students avoid traditional remedial coursework. 

Education Finance and Policy (2021) – Researchers found that SAILS participants were less likely to require remedial math in college, more likely to enroll in and pass college-level math, and earned 2.8 additional college credits by their second year. 

In its December 2025 report Aligned by Design, Just Equations highlighted Tennessee’s SAILS-led readiness-course model as a key implementation strategy for aligning K–12 and postsecondary mathematics, citing the state’s 13-year collaboration to help students enter college-level math without remediation. 

Population Served: 

Learners struggling with fourth-year high school math or who scored below a particular threshold on the math portion of the ACT. 

Key Steps for Implementation: 

• SAILS launched in 2012. 

• The program has since expanded to include all Tennessee counties, community colleges, and Colleges of Applied Technology. 

• In 2018, Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) and Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College published an evaluation of SAILS. 

• In 2018, Tennessee received the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation from Education Commission of the States in recognition of the large-scale impact of the SAILS program. 

• Students enrolled in either SAILS course have access to the Ready for Industry modules. Beginning in Fall 2026, Ready for Industry will be recognized by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) as a Tier 1 Industry Credential, awarded to students who successfully pass the NOCTI exam. This credential offers students a valuable, statewide recognized certification that strengthens their readiness for high demand career fields. 

Learn more here. 

Page last updated in August 2026