This report provides data on the academic achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, examining how well different groups of students perform in Tennessee and noting inequities in teacher quality, course offerings, and funding. Included are tables and data that provide: a frontier gap analysis (a comparison of Tennessee to the leaders in achievement and gap closing); student profile (the demographic distribution of youth in Tennessee); state performance (academic achievement and educational attainment); opportunity (well prepared teachers, challenging curricula, special student placements, effective instruction, and annual per pupil investments); minority achievement gains, state by state; and analysis of minority-white achievement gaps by subject area and grade level. Hispanic 4th graders in Tennessee have made more progress in math from 1992 to 1996 than Hispanic 4th graders in every other state. However, Hispanic 8th graders in Tennessee score more 3 years behind white 8th graders in the state in science, 3 years behind in reading and writing, and 2 years behind in math. African American 8th graders in Tennessee score more 3 years behind white 8th graders in the state in math and science, and more than 2 years behind in reading and writing. The state's poor/non-poor achievement gap would close for 8th graders in both math and science if poor students in Tennessee scored as well as poor students in North Dakota. (Contains 24 references.) (SM)