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Alabama Can Improve Student Achievement and Prepare a Future Workforce: Here’s How – Part 2 PDF Free Download

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BUSINESS

EDUCATION

ALLIANCE

Alabama Can

Improve Student

Achievement

and Prepare a

Future Workforce:

Here’s How – Part 2

Permission to copy any or all of this report is granted as long as the Business Education Alliance of

Alabama is cited as the source. The report can be viewed and downloaded at beaalabama.com.

Alabama Can Improve Student Achievement and

Prepare a Future Workforce:

Here’s How - Part 2

November 1, 2024

Commissioned by

________

Research and reporting

conducted by

PARCA works to inform and improve the

decision making of state and local leaders in

Alabama through objective research and analysis.

Board of Directors

Dr. Joe Morton

Chairman and President, Business Education Alliance

of Alabama

Jeremy Arthur

Director of the Governmental and Economic Development

Institute, Auburn University

Will Brooke

Birmingham, Alabama

Helena Duncan

CEO, Business Council of Alabama

Paul Pinyan

Executive Director, Alabama Farmers Federation

---------------------

BEA Officer

Jay Love

Finance Chairman, Business Education Alliance of Alabama

Contents

Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 2

Section 1. Fully Fund Key Academic Initiatives .......................................................................................................... 4

Implement and fund every aspect of the Alabama Literacy (Act 2019-523). .......................................... 4

Implement and fund every aspect of the Numeracy Act (Act 2022-249). ............................................... 6

Implement and fully fund summer camps and after-school programs supporting the Alabama

Literacy and Numeracy Acts ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Section 2. Attracting and Retaining Teachers ............................................................................................................ 11

Raise starting salaries for first-year teachers ......................................................................................................... 11

Incentivize teachers to enter the profession and fill needs in high-demand fields and at hard-to-

staff schools. ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12

UTeach ............................................................................................................................................................................... 12

National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) ....................................................................................................... 14

Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) ............................ 15

Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) .................................................... 16

Improving Avenues to the Teaching Profession .................................................................................................. 17

Accountability for Teacher Preparation Programs ............................................................................................. 18

Alternative Educational Paths for Teacher Training........................................................................................... 19

Section 3. Improving The Learning Environment ..................................................................................................... 19

Assistant Principals for All Schools ........................................................................................................................... 20

Develop a Model for Turning Around Low-performing Schools ................................................................... 21

Increase Support for Student Mental Health ......................................................................................................... 21

Spread Universal Broadband Access ........................................................................................................................ 21

Section 4. Supporting Students from Early Childhood to Career .................................................................... 23

Continue Pre-K Expansion ............................................................................................................................................ 23

Increase Kindergarten Participation ......................................................................................................................... 24

Computer Science for All (CS4AL) ........................................................................................................................... 25

Expand Opportunities for College and Career Readiness .............................................................................. 26

Expand Dual Enrollment ................................................................................................................................................ 27

Add Career Coaches ....................................................................................................................................................... 27

Expand Jobs for Alabama's Graduates (JAG) ..................................................................................................... 28

Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for All Students ......................................................................... 29

Alabama Terminal on Linking and Analyzing Statistics (ATLAS) ............................................................... 29

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................................................. 31

Appendix ................................................................................................................................................................................... 32

Literacy Update ...................................................................................................................................................................... 33

Why the change? ......................................................................................................................................................... 33

Scores show progress ................................................................................................................................................ 33

Executive Summary

An Update to the 2023 report of the Governor's Commission on Teaching and

Learning,

Alabama Can Improve Student Achievement and Enhance Teacher Quality

in Every Public School: Here's How

On January 18, 2023, Governor Kay Ivey issued Executive Order 730 establishing the

Governor's Commission on Teaching and Learning. The executive order charged the

13 Commission members with providing thorough and thoughtful recommendations

for enhancing the quality of elementary and secondary education in Alabama.

The Commission met eight times, hearing from state and national educational

leaders, as well as receiving input from the public.

Based on the information gathered, the Commission issued a series of

recommendations contained in a final report issued in December 2023.

In its 2024 session, the Legislature made key investments supported in the

Commission's report.

•Alabama's starting salary for teachers is higher than any neighboring state.

The Legislature allocated an additional $19.2 million to raise starting salaries

and increased all teacher salaries by 2%. Coupled with other recommended

measures, Alabama is in a stronger position to recruit, retain, and deploy

teachers where they are needed.

•The Alabama Literacy Act's grade-level reading requirement went into effect,

and both the Literacy Act and the Alabama Numeracy Act received full

funding.

•After years of investment and effort and with the grade-level reading

requirement in full force, reading levels for third graders shot up in 2024.

•The Legislature provided funding to phase in the requirement that every

school have an assistant principal.

•The Legislature continued increasing funding for Alabama's First Class Pre-K

program, for K-12 career coaches, and high school—college dual enrollment.

Challenges remain, and persistence is required. The tide of federal funds that filled

educational coffers during the pandemic is receding, and key initiatives must be

preserved through state funds. Students promoted to fourth grade without grade-

level reading skills will need remediation if they are going to successfully proceed to

careers or college. As money gets tight, the Governor and Legislature must ensure

that investments produce results.

Introduction

In the Spring of 2024, the percentage of Alabama 3rd graders scoring proficient on

the state standardized test of English Language Arts (ELA) jumped by nine

percentage points to 62%, a remarkable increase rarely seen in educational statistics.

Even more encouraging, economically disadvantaged third graders made even

greater gains compared to the prior year, a 13-percentage point increase in ELA

proficiency, up to 53%. That produced the smallest gap in proficiency rates between

economically disadvantaged and all students since the test, the Alabama

Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), was launched in 2021.

Figure 1. ACAP ELA, 3rd Grade proficiency, all students compared to economically disadvantaged

students.

That's progress on educational disparity, a central challenge for Alabama, as

highlighted in the Commission's report.

This progress did not occur randomly. It follows five years of committed policy from

and sustained investment by the Governor, the Alabama Legislature, the Alabama

Board of Education, and the Alabama Department of Education. That investment

more than doubled the amount spent on K-3 reading instruction to over $140 million

annually in support of the Alabama Literacy Act of 2019.

The improvement follows five years of training and coaching teachers in research-

based reading instruction. That training reached every school in the state, but special

and intensive support was provided at schools challenged by poverty and a history

of poor reading results.

The score gain also follows five years of effort by teachers, principals, parents, and

community organizations, all dedicated to the proposition that Alabama children

should be able to read on grade level by the end of the third grade.

It's important to celebrate success. It is also important to understand the results in

context (see the appendix of this report). Alabama has a long way to go in its

educational journey. In a sign that Alabama is continuing to set its site higher, the

State Board of Education, with the Governor presiding, voted in October to raise the

score that defines grade-level reading, signaling a commitment to assuring all

Alabama fourth graders are ready for the journey through school and beyond.

For that journey to lead to a brighter future, Alabama must commit to a cycle of

continuous improvement.

1. Fully appraise current performance

2. Set high goals for improvement

3. Identify strategies that will advance us toward our goals.

4. Invest adequate resources and effort in those strategies

5. Measure progress

6. Celebrate successes and correct course when it's clear a strategy or its

implementation is failing.

7. Repeat and sustain.

This report updates the work of the Governor's Commission on Teaching and

Learning, a 13-member commission appointed by Gov. Kay Ivey and tasked with

finding ways to improve Pre-K-12 public education and workforce readiness of high

school graduates. The Commission met throughout 2023 and issued

recommendations in a report in December of 2023.

This update seeks to refocus

attention on recommendations, particularly those supported by the Legislature, the

Department of Education, and the State Board of Education, and which are showing

results.

https://governor.alabama.gov/assets/2023/12/Governors-Commission-on-Teaching-and-

Learning-Report-Release.pdf

Section 1. Fully Fund Key Academic Initiatives

Implement and fund every aspect of the Alabama Literacy (Act

2019-523).

FY 2024

FY 2025

Alabama Reading

Initiative (ARI)

Support for teacher

professional

development,

regional support

specialists, and other

activities promoting

early grades reading

$94 million

$143 million

K-3 Reading Coaches

(included in the ARI

Total)

Building-based

reading coaches in

all K-3 schools

$36.8 million

Funding keeping pace

In 2024, the Legislature increased the allocation to the Alabama Reading Initiative by

$49 million. Since the passage of the Alabama Literacy Act in 2019, the Alabama

Legislature has more than tripled what it allocates to support kindergarten through

third-grade reading.

While the single-year increase is dramatic, the increase is, to some extent, infusing

state funds where federal funds have been used in recent years.

Between FY 2021 and FY 2024, over $100 million in federal money was distributed to

local school systems to help students recover academic ground lost during the

Covid-19 pandemic.

That included $54 million to support summer literacy camps. Future budgets will

need to fully support literacy intervention camps for rising second and third-graders

who are not reading on grade level.

Implementation full speed ahead

In the spring of 2024, the final provision of the Alabama Literacy Act went into

effect. With the provision in force, third graders' reading and English Language Arts

scores jumped substantially. Far fewer students scored below grade level on the test

than in 2023.

For an extensive discussion of Alabama’s progress on ELA, see Literacy Update in the

Appendix.

Figure 2. Number and Percentage of Students Scoring above the Reading Sufficiency Benchmark, 2023

vs 2024

In 2024, the highest reading and third-grade ELA gains were in low-performing and

high-poverty schools. Virtually all the "full support" schools, which have received the

most intensive support from the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), showed gains. On

average, those schools improved by 20 percentage points in reading sufficiency

rates, compared to a 10 percentage point gain across all schools.

Ongoing needs: Sustaining Literacy Growth

There is no finish line on training teachers in the science of reading. Teacher turnover

and teacher shortages mean that the state still struggles to achieve a critical mass of

certified K-3 teachers fully trained in the approved science of reading training,

LETRS.

In addition, many new K-3 teachers have yet to participate in LETRS. Some are not

eligible for participation because they are not certified teachers but were hired under

emergency certification to fill vacancies. Those teachers will need training as they

transition to certified and permanent status.

Adequate support for science of reading professional development for all K-3

teachers and administrators must be maintained. The Department must continue

toward the goal of 100% of the K-3 teachers and instructional leaders completing

training.

Similarly, reading coaching does not end. New teachers join the workforce, and

experienced teachers continue to improve their craft. It should be obvious to sports

fans: none of the state's vaunted athletic programs hire a coach for a few years and

then expect the players to go it alone.

In addition, building-based coaches need the support of regional specialists and state

experts to continue to improve coaching techniques. Results from full-support

schools indicate dedicated state and regional experts are also essential.

Funding for a reading coach in every K-3 school, plus a state and regional support

system, must be sustained.

Finally, students who only marginally qualified for promotion this year will also need

continued intervention to ensure they reach true grade-level reading. Such follow-up

support is called for in the Literacy Act. The State Department of Education plans to

request additional funding to follow up with students who have not closed

deficiencies identified in their Student Reading Improvement Plans. The proposed

support also calls for universal screening for all 4th and 5th graders to identify

deficiencies.

The Department should propose, and the Legislature should help districts pay for

reading support for struggling fourth and fifth-grade readers.

Implement and fund every aspect of the Numeracy Act (Act

2022-249).

Program

FY 2024

FY 2025

2026 Anticipated

request

Alabama Math,

Science,

Technology

Initiative (AMSTI)

$73 million

$104 million

Numeracy ACT

(within AMSTI

Amount)

$40 million

$68 million

$95 million

Numeracy Coaches

(Within Numeracy

Amount)

$17.8 million

$37.8 million

The Numeracy Act, launched by legislation passed in 2022, saw funding increases

and progress on implementation. Math scores are on the rise (mostly), but Alabama

has a long way to go. Historically, Alabama students have been at or near the bottom

when it comes to mathematics performance on the National Assessment of

Educational Progress (NAEP), the only standardized test that allows comparison

across states. In 2022, Alabama made progress, rising to 38th among states for fourth

graders and 46th for eighth graders.

Funding

The Alabama Legislature increased funding for implementing the Alabama Numeracy

Act by $28 million in 2025. Most of that increase, $20 million, was earmarked for

expanding the corps of literacy coaches being built and deployed to K-5 schools.

Performance

In 2024, Alabama students improved math proficiency as measured by the ACAP at

all grade levels except third grade. The focus on third-grade literacy may have

distracted from the need to improve math instruction, an issue that needs to be

examined and addressed.

Figure 3. Math Proficiency Rates, by Grade and Year, as measured by ACAP.

Encouragingly, economically disadvantaged students in all grades made higher gains

than the all-student population. However, a gap of over ten percentage points

between economically disadvantaged students and all student proficiency rates

remains. Both subgroups are recovering from depressed levels coming out of

COVID-19, but in the most recent year, economically disadvantaged students

narrowed the score gap through greater improvement. Sustaining momentum will be

essential.

State of Implementation

The Numeracy Act draws on successful aspects of the Alabama Reading Initiative

and mirrors those aspects for math. A building-based coach will eventually be funded

at every K-5 school. Coaches are trained in research-based approaches to teaching

math and equipped to coach elementary teachers on implementing these

approaches in the classroom. Coaches bring teachers together as teams, observe

classroom practice, and demonstrate effective teaching.

To staff every K-5 school, the state will eventually need 843 coaches. These coaches

are selected, trained, and deployed in cohorts of 210-220 annually.

Two cohorts have been placed at schools, with the lowest-performing schools being

targeted first. A third cohort, which was selected in July 2024, will be deployed in

January 2025.

Table 1. Math Instructional Coaches Trained and Deployed to K-5 schools

Cohort 4

New candidates

identified in July 2025

Cohort 3

209

deployed to schools in

January 2025

Cohort 2

217

deployed to schools in

January 2024

Cohort 1

204

Deployed to schools

in January, 2023

Total by January 2025

630

The program has also built a team of 11 regional support coaches, one for each "in-

service" region. Because of the number of schools needing full support, more than

one specialist will be needed in some regions.

Ongoing needs

In building a corps of math coaches, the team leading the implementation of the

Numeracy Act has kept pace with the goals set in the legislation, but not without

challenge.

Math coaches are most often drawn from math classroom teachers. Math teachers

are hard for schools to find. So, it is crucial to continue to build supply. The

Legislature has adopted programs to recruit and retain math and science teachers

and to attract them to hard-to-staff schools. Monitoring of those efforts needs to

continue so that effective measures receive additional support, and ineffective

programs are adjusted or ended. (See Attracting and Retaining Teachers).

The Alabama Math Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) provides the

framework for the implementation of the Numeracy Act. The Legislature has

provided the funding needed to implement the Numeracy Act and has earmarked the

funding for that purpose. However, the AMSTI, in its broader mission, works with

schools to improve math and science instruction. That work is a foundation that the

Numeracy Act builds on. Numeracy coaches ensure the professional development

provided by AMSTI is incorporated and sustained in the classroom. Almost all the

increases in the AMSTI budget in recent years have been earmarked for the

expansion of the Numeracy Act, particularly the expansion of math coaches. AMSTI's

fundamental outreach mission needs to be sustained, as well.

Implement and fully fund summer camps and after-school

programs supporting the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts

Program

Baseline

FY 2024

FY 2025

Literacy and

Numeracy Camps

Paid from federal

funds ($52 million

from 2021-24)

$15 million

supplemental

Summer and

Afterschool

Grants to schools

and nonprofits

providing after-

school tutoring

and summer

learning camps

$2.8 million

Funding

From 2021-24, the federal government provided the state with $100 million to help

students recover from the learning loss caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Alabama

chose to spend a substantial share of its funds on supporting summer and after-

school programs where academic remediation could occur.

That included funding the literacy intervention camps for second and third-graders

who were not reading on grade level by the end of the year. Those camps give

students an emergency boost of intense literacy instruction to get them to grade

level. Those camps, which are fundamental components called for in the Alabama

Literacy Act, must continue.

In the school year 2024-2025, the Alabama Legislature sustained funding for summer

learning camps and after-school tutoring programs with $15 million in a supplemental

spending bill made possible by a surplus in the Education Trust Fund (ETF). As the

ETF returns to normal and supplemental funds dry up, the summer camp and

tutoring programs should be sustained with regular ETF appropriations. At the same

time, the performance of these programs needs to be evaluated to determine if they

are meaningfully contributing to learning.

As federal funding and supplemental funding dries up, the appeal grows for

maximizing these investments through partnerships with community-based

nonprofits. The Commission recommended increasing support for existing summer

learning and after-school programs in its report. In the 2025 regular budget, the

Legislature continued funding for a $2.8 million grant program, the Alabama Summer

and After-School Program (ASAP). The legislation directs that 40% of the total be

awarded to community partners.

The report mentioned several organizations and networks operating programs that

serve struggling students and families with after-school and summer programs:

• Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers

• Boys and Girls Clubs

• YMCAs and YWCAs

• Local school foundations

• Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL), a coalition of philanthropically

supported summer programs serving 16 counties

• Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR)

The Governor's Commission recommended that community partners become a

stronger aspect of each school system's overall plan to assure parents and guardians

that every child will be afforded every opportunity to become literate and numerate.

Needs going forward

The Legislature will eventually need to find room in the regular education budget to

support summer and after-school tutoring programs directed at low-income

students. Research has shown that students from low-income households whose

families cannot afford or facilitate summer enrichment activities lose academic

ground during the summer and return to school in need of remediation to get back

to grade level. Educational research also supports the use of high-dose tutoring. If

implemented correctly, tutoring can address deficits and lead to student gains.

Evaluation of results

However, all these approaches need to track attendance and monitor student

performance to identify best practices and evaluate investments. For instance, SAIL

summer programs test students before the program begins and again at the end to

measure gains. SAIL programs consistently show that students participating in

quality summer learning programs gain academic ground rather than losing it.

Data sharing and evaluation within public schools and with community partners

could also be improved. Currently, students are subjected to an assortment of tests

with no consistent plan for sharing or evaluating results.

Transportation to After-school and Summer Learning Camps

As the Commission's report pointed out, student transportation is a key barrier to

access to summer and after-school programs, a priority that has not been addressed.

Low-income students and working parents often cannot take advantage of the

summer and after-school offerings without transportation assistance.

The Commission's report recommends that Alabama's student transportation

program be expanded to cover the costs associated with transporting children to

and from reading and math summer camps and after-school programs and that

assistance be available to programs operated with community partners.

Section 2. Attracting and Retaining Teachers

Raise starting salaries for first-year teachers

As recommended by Governor Kay Ivey, the FY 2025 budget allocated $19.2 million

to increase starting salaries for Alabama teachers. This brought the state's starting

teacher salary to $47,600, a level higher than any of the states bordering Alabama.

All teachers received a 2% pay raise, estimated to cost $104.5 million. This marks the

fifth year in a row that teacher pay has increased.

In addition, the Legislature maintained funding for pay supplements for math,

science, and computer science teachers, for National Board Certified teachers

(NBCT), and for teachers working in hard-to-staff schools. Additional incentive

programs and alternative pathways into the teaching profession also received

continued support.

Program

Description

FY 2025

Teacher's salaries

2% increase for all

education

employees

Additional $104.5

million

Funding to

increase starting

teachers' salaries

Efforts to boost

starting teacher

pay above

neighboring

states

Additional $19.2

million

Research by the Governor's Office of Education & Workforce Transformation finds

that Alabama's 2024 starting teacher's base salary exceeds any neighboring state's,

thanks to the increase supported by the FY 2025 budget.

Table 2. Comparison of starting teacher salaries in neighboring states

State

Starting Teacher Salary

Alabama

$47,600

Florida

$47,500

Georgia

$43,592

Mississippi

$45,500

Tennessee

$44,500

Alabama will likely have to increase again to maintain the lead over neighbors.

Tennessee has already announced a plan to raise starting teachers’ salaries to

$50,000 in 2026.

Competitive starting teachers’ salaries is one of the best methods

to address teacher shortages, a problem that has plagued Alabama for years.

https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/5/18/video--gov--lee-signs-historic-bill-to-raise-

teacher-pay--protect-taxpayer-dollars.html

Incentivize teachers to enter the profession and fill needs in high-

demand fields and at hard-to-staff schools.

The Governor's Commission recognized several programs that recruit teachers in

fields like math and science, where the supply of new candidates is strained. These

programs also reward teachers who teach in schools that face challenges in

attracting staff. These incentives help schools where the challenges are greatest,

including rural schools and urban systems where a majority of students are

economically disadvantaged.

Program

Description

FY 2024

FY 2025

UTeach

Program designed

to draw college

math and science

majors into

teaching

$4.5 million

Teacher

Excellence and

Accountability for

Mathematics and

Science (TEAMS)

Salary supplement

for math, science,

and computer

science teachers

$80 million

Alabama Math

and Science

Teacher

Education

Program

(AMSTEP)

College loan

repayment

program for

teachers of Math

and Science in

Alabama public

schools

$746,750

National Board

Certified Teachers

Salary supplement

for highly

qualified and

credentialed

teachers

$15,212,908.00

Teacher

Apprentice

Program

Alternative

avenue into the

teaching

profession.

$2.4 million

UTeach

In 2024 and 2025, the Legislature continued a $4.5 million annual appropriation to

UTeach, a program that recruits college students majoring in STEM fields to teach in

Alabama schools. Undergraduate STEM majors can add a teaching certificate without

extra time or cost. At two of the seven participating universities (see below),

enrollees already holding a STEM degree can earn an alternate master-level

certificate while teaching full-time.

UTeach reports that 369 students have been recruited to Alabama UTeach programs

between 2023 and 2024.

The UTeach Institute, which operates out of The University of Texas at Austin,

established a UTeach program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2014.

The program has since been well established and operates independently as

UABTeach.

In 2023, the Legislature, with the guidance of the Alabama STEM Council,

appropriated $14 million to launch six new UTeach programs at the selected partner

universities:

• Alabama A&M University

• Auburn University

• Auburn University at Montgomery

• Athens State University

• University of South Alabama

• The University of West Alabama

These programs receive support from the AL STEM Operations team and the UTeach

Institute. According to the STEM Council's 2023 Report, all six new programs are on

track to complete Year 1 milestones successfully.

During the 2023-24 school year, 49 UTeach graduates were teaching in Alabama, 39

of which graduated from UABTeach, while the other ten came from UTeach

programs in different states. Of the 49 UTeach alums, 46 teach in public schools, and

three teach in private schools.

https://institute.uteach.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/documents/UTeach-Alabama-

Snapshot-2024.pdf

https://www.uab.edu/uabteach/

https://stemcouncil.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/STEM-Report-2023-

Final.pdf

Table 3. 2023-24 Participation in UTeach teacher recruitment program

National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT)

The Legislature maintained level funding of $15 million per year to support teacher

participation in the National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) program. Along with

providing support for the pursuit of the certification, teachers who achieve and

maintain board certification are eligible for a $5,000 per year salary enhancement.

An additional $5,000 supplement is available to NCBT teachers working in hard-to-

staff schools and hard-to-fill subject areas.

Certification requires teachers to evaluate their own teaching practice and to submit

to peer review and expert evaluation, a process that challenges teachers to improve

and grow. Academic research finds that National Board Certification impacts student

performance and school culture. According to the NBCT's website, Alabama ranks

11th in terms of the percentage of teachers who are Board certified and 15th nationally

in the number of National Board Certified teachers, with 3,452 holding the

certification.

The Commission recommended additional efforts to encourage teachers to pursue

National Board Certification, particularly teachers from high-poverty and low-

performing schools.

The state has systematically recruited teachers to participate, focusing on areas of

the state where there are few NBCT teachers.

https://www.alabamaachieves.org/wp-

content/uploads/2024/08/StateSuperIn_Memos_20240814_FY24-2073-National-Board-for-

Professional-Teaching-Standards-ETF-Appropriations-Bill-Act-2024-351_V1.0.pdf

https://www.nbpts.org/connect/team-nbct-week/

Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science

(TEAMS)

The Governor's Commission recommended continued support for the TEAMS

program but stipulated that the program needed to undergo further evaluation and

improvements.

The TEAMS Act was established in May 2021 and implemented at the start of the

2021-22 school year. The Act provides qualified middle and high school math and

science teachers with an increased salary schedule, allowing them to earn an

additional $15,000 per year based on their level of qualification. The Act also

provides additional $5,000 stipends to be granted to TEAMS teachers who teach in

hard-to-staff schools and/or hold an NBCT certification. In total, teachers on a

TEAMS contract could be eligible for up to $20,000 extra per year.

In July 2023, the Alabama Commission on the Evaluation of Services (ACES)

conducted an evaluation and released a report on the TEAMS program.

The report

outlined areas of concern in the program's implementation.

https://evidence.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ACES_An-Evaluation-of-

Teacher-Recruitment-and-Retention.pdf

Figure 4. NBCT by state, new NBCT in parentheses

The eligibility and application process is complex, and the program's results are hard

to judge. Currently, there isn't a way to quantify whether the teachers receiving the

extra pay are impacting student achievement or whether the program is helping to

fill vacancies in critical fields or hard-to-staff schools.

To date, no follow-up to the ACES review and the questions raised has been

produced.

Table 4. TEAMS teachers

2023-24

2022-23

2021-22

Total Number of TEAMS Teachers

4,165

3,588

2,619

TEAMS Teachers Receiving Hard-to-Staff

Supplement

802

681

487

Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP)

The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) administers a college loan

repayment program, the Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program, for

teachers in high school mathematics or science. Each year a teacher teaches math or

science in an Alabama public school, the teacher receives a $5,000 payment to pay

college loans. An extra $2,500 a year is available to teachers at hard-to-staff schools.

The Governor's Commission recommended that the program be better advertised to

high school and college students.

Since 2018, 368 teachers have received payments through the AMSTEP program,

with a total of $1.5 million having been paid out.

Table 5. AMSTEP recipients and amounts

Award

Year

(Fall

and

Spring)

Recipient

Count

Per Year

Recipient STEM

Area

Count of

Teachers

Receiving

Supplemental

Award**

Supplemental

Award Total

Total

Awarded

Math

Science

2018-19

$10,000

$161,985

2019-20

$7,500

$192,705

2020-21

$8,750

$224,266

2021-22

$11,250

$310,415

2022-23

$8,750

$254,047

2023-24

$10,000

$271,716

Total*

129

Teachers

$56,250

$1,415,134

*Total counts of teachers are unduplicated

** Supplemental awards made to teachers in schools or systems with an acute

shortage

Relatively few teachers are taking advantage of the additional supplement that

applies to teachers working at hard-to-staff schools. ACHE records, as of today,

show AMSTEP reimbursements made to teachers who worked in an Acute Shortage

Schools and System are as follows:

Improving Avenues to the Teaching Profession

The Governor's Commission also recommended improvements to the teacher

licensure process. Specifically, the report recommended that the Alabama

Department of Education create a SWAT (Special Ways to Attract Teachers) Team

for teacher licensure/certification in Alabama. The report recommended that the

SWAT team assist all applicants seeking teacher licensure.

The Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) is the licensing agency for all

teachers in Alabama. The report acknowledged that the teacher licensure section of

the Department of Education should maintain high standards but, at the same time,

should eradicate bureaucratic barriers to entering the profession.

ALSDE has established the following working groups to address teacher recruitment

and teacher retention:

• Teacher Shortage Task Force

• Teacher Preparation & Certification Work Group

• Teacher Retention Task Force

• TQ2 Roundtable

Based on recommendations from these working groups, ALSDE has created a new

online teacher recruitment and certification portal.

The portal guides teacher candidates through the certification process, either

through traditional teacher education programs at Alabama colleges or through

alternative pathways. Alabama has also adopted state-to-state reciprocity for

certified teachers, easing the path for teachers who've been certified in other states

to become certified in Alabama.

The Governor's Commission Report criticized one measure the State Board of

Education had made to increase the flow of certified teachers. The Board had

temporarily lowered test scores needed to qualify for teacher certification on the

https://weteachalabama.com/

Praxis, the standardized tests aspiring teachers take to demonstrate classroom

readiness.

In July of 2024, the State Board of Education let the policy that lowered the score

lapse, restoring the previous higher required Praxis score level. The Governor’s

Commission applauds that decision.

Accountability for Teacher Preparation Programs

ALSDE annually publishes a report card for the teacher preparation programs at

Alabama colleges and universities.

The report card contains statistics for first-time passage rates on tests required for

certification and the number of teacher candidates produced. It also contains surveys

from program graduates and from their employers in Alabama public schools. The

report cards are generated for each school, and a combined statewide report is

generated.

The format used for the report cards is not easily decipherable and does not allow

for program comparison. The report cards do not provide grades for the programs.

Of particular interest to the Commission was program performance in producing

teachers ready to teach reading. The state invests substantial sums in providing

teacher training in the science of reading-based approaches to teachers who are

already in the classroom and teaching. New elementary teachers should graduate

already educated in the science of reading-based instruction.

In 2022, the state began requiring college students seeking certification in

elementary and early child education to pass a test of reading instruction knowledge,

Foundations of Reading.

The Commission recommended that the passage rates on

that test be added to the report card and that colleges of education should be

graded on their students' passage rates.

According to ALSDE officials, first-time passage rates for the Foundations of

Reading test will be added to the next report card.

The Commission recommended that the report cards add a letter grade for teacher

preparation programs. However, the report card, in its current form, does not assign

grades and does not allow for comparison of results between colleges or with the

state.

https://www.alabamaachieves.org/wp-

content/uploads/2022/07/StateSuperIn_Memos_202278_FY222063ModificationofRequiredF

oundationalReadingAssessmentasaPreconditionforInitialCertification_V1.0.pdf

Alternative Educational Paths for Teacher Training

The Commission also recommended creating routes to obtain teaching certification

beyond traditional undergraduate teacher training programs.

The Alabama Office of Apprenticeship is piloting one such alternative. Under the

Apprenticeship model, qualified individuals work in the classroom under the

guidance of a master teacher. While working for pay under the master teacher, the

apprentice teacher also takes courses through a college of education. Through the

process, a candidate can move into the profession while working.

The Legislature has provided $2.4 million per year for the pilot, and a limited number

of students are participating under the sponsorship of local school systems with

support provided by the Office of Apprenticeship. However, since ALSDE is not

participating in the program, the future of the program is unclear.

The Commission also recommended the state explore providing payment to teacher

candidates working in schools while pursuing certification. Uncompensated work has

traditionally been considered part of the teacher training process. However, the lack

of compensation during this practice period imposes financial hardship.

No action has been taken regarding this Commission's recommendation.

Section 3. Improving The Learning Environment

The increases in pay and other financial support should help bring more teachers into

the classroom, especially in hard-to-staff teaching fields and in hard-to-staff schools,

where Alabama's educational challenges are most acute.

However, the Commission also recognized that all schools need adequate

administrative support to create an atmosphere where the principal can focus on

providing instructional leadership. That increased focus on instructional leadership

means the principal needs the support of an assistant principal to handle other

important aspects of maintaining a school atmosphere conducive to learning. Among

those aspects is maintaining discipline.

The Commission also urged the continuation of the academic intervention and

support directed to select high-poverty schools with a record of low academic

performance, the Governor's Turnaround Schools.

For a school to be successful, the mental health of students must be addressed.

Mental health challenges are a pervasive concern, and additional personnel are

needed.

FY 2024

FY 2025

Assistant Principals

Funding to add an

assistant principal

at every

elementary school

$125 million

$131 million

Principal

Mentoring

Incentivizing

participation in

program for new

principals and

assistant principals

with a principal

mentor

$850,000

$31 million

Governor's

Turnaround

Schools

Intensive state

support for 15

high-poverty

schools

$10 million

Mental Health

(School Safety,

Security, and

Climate)

Funding to employ

a mental health

coordinator at

each school

system

$5 million

Broadband

Expansion

Expand highspeed

internet to reach

underserved

regions

$433 million in

grants awarded

Assistant Principals for All Schools

Recognizing the need for additional highly trained school administrators, the

Commission called for the Legislature to support the Alabama Principal Leadership

and Mentoring Act (Act 2023-340) and expressed support for a proposal to add an

assistant principal at every public school.

The Legislature responded with increased support for the Mentoring Act. The

Mentoring Act creates a program for pairing new principals with a mentor principal

who will guide the new principal through a leadership development program.

The

Legislature also passed Act 2024-296, which calls for every school with an

enrollment of 250 students or more to employ an assistant principal.

ACT 2024-296

is not yet fully funded and will require increased investment.

In combination, the two programs should increase the number of well-trained and

supported principals and assistant principals. The Mentor Act also provides salary

https://arc-sos.state.al.us/ucp/L1274792.AI1.pdf

https://arc-sos.state.al.us/ucp/L1542700.AI1.pdf

supplements for program participants and additional incentives for principals or

assistant principals working in high-poverty or low-performing schools.

Develop a Model for Turning Around Low-performing Schools

The Governor's Turnaround Schools initiative provides intensive support from state

experts at 15 chronically underperforming schools.

The specialists working with the schools track performance records and regularly

share information about successful innovations and best practices.

The accumulating data and experience should inform research on what practices and

resources increase success while at the same time identifying common barriers that

hinder performance. Intervention blueprints can be developed and deployed using

the developing research. The Commission recommended using this knowledge to

build intervention teams that can spread this work to other schools experiencing

persistent underperformance.

Increase Support for Student Mental Health

The Commission recommended Alabama continue expanding its support for student

mental health and overall wellness. Act 2022-442 established the School System

Mental Health Services Coordinator Program. In FY 2024, the Legislature and

Governor funded a coordinator in each school system at $40,000 per coordinator

position.

The Commission recommended increasing the funding per coordinator to increase

the attractiveness of the position as well as other enhancements. In its 2025 budget,

the Legislature maintained the same level of funding for the program, $4.9 Million

annually.

• The Legislature did not act on the Governor's Commission proposal to

increase the number of teachers per pupil in the middle school grades.

• The Legislature did not act on the Governor's Commission's recommendation

to create an incentive program to reward schools for decreasing the rate of

chronic absenteeism in schools.

Spread Universal Broadband Access

In education today, schools and students need universal access to high-speed

internet.

The Governor's Commission recommended that Alabama expand broadband to all

areas without such service at the most rapid rate possible, prioritizing areas with high

poverty and low-performing schools. The necessity of expansion was made

especially clear during the pandemic when learning moved online, and students

needed high-speed internet to participate effectively.

The federal government has prioritized expansion and has provided a surge of

federal funding to incentivize private companies to expand the system. The Alabama

Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) has been charged with

administering the federal funds available for this purpose.

In 2024, ADECA announced or is expected to announce grants totaling $433 million

to spread broadband internet to underserved areas.

• Twenty-one conditional grant awards totaling over $188 million in federal

funds to deploy approximately 4,287 miles of middle-mile broadband

infrastructure to serve an estimated 793 community anchor institutions (e.g.,

hospitals, schools, public safety entities) and support last-mile connections in

the state (e.g., homes, businesses).

• Announced conditional grant award totaling over $53 million in federal funds

to deploy approximately 1,095 miles of middle-mile broadband infrastructure

to serve an estimated 120 community anchor institutions and support last-mile

connections in the state.

• Announced 66 conditional grant awards from the Alabama Capital Projects

Fund (CPF) totaling over $148 million in federal funds to deploy approximately

5,429 miles of last-mile broadband infrastructure in the state.

• CPF Program Phase 2 conditional grant awards, expected before the end of

2024, totaling at least $44.7 million in federal funds.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Commerce has allocated over $1.4 billion to the

State of Alabama to support broadband deployment through the Broadband Equity,

Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

ADECA is awaiting final Commerce approval for its BEAD Program proposals and

expects to announce more details regarding the BEAD Program in 2025. Additional

information regarding BEAD Program planning can be found on ADECA's website

and in the accompanying summary presentation.

https://adeca.alabama.gov/alipv1v2/

https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fadeca.alabama.gov%2F

wp-content%2Fuploads%2FADECA-Initial-Proposal-Public-Announcement-

Webinar.pptx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK

Section 4. Supporting Students from Early Childhood to

Career

The Governor's Commission issued a series of recommendations to support student

preparation from the time they begin their educational journey through to

graduation and entry to college or career. The Legislature acted on many of these

recommendations.

FY 2024

FY 2025

PreK

Continue

expansion of First

Class Pre-K

$182 million

$185 million

Increase

Kindergarten

participation

Instituted a

kindergarten entry

test.

Passed Act 2024-

347

Career Coaches

Increased the

number of Career

Coaches serving K-

12 Schools.

$13 million

$16 million

College and Career

Readiness Funding

Aid to schools

expanding career

education options

$25 million

$17 million

Expand Dual

Enrollment

The number of

high school

students taking

community college

courses has

increased by 65%

since 2015

$30 million

$40 million

Jobs for Alabama

Graduates

Expanded to serve

500 students at 62

sites

$4 million

$5 million

Continue Pre-K Expansion

The Commission voiced support for the continuing effort to expand Alabama's

nationally recognized First Class Per-K program to all families who wish to

participate. Pre-K provides care and learning opportunities for children, ensuring

they are ready to start kindergarten. The Commission underlined the importance of

reaching high-poverty areas of the state and urged funding for extended day

programs to accommodate working parents.

The Legislature continued to increase funding. The Department of Early Childhood

plans to ultimately increase the number of children served using the additional funds,

but the Department is also dedicated to maintaining quality by investing in First

Class Pre-K sites that are meeting standards and filling classrooms. By the end of the

2023-24 school year, First Class Pre K supported 1,524 classrooms with an enrollment

of 23,999 children. At the beginning of the 2024-205 school year, the program

ended support for some providers not meeting standards. Despite supporting fewer

classrooms (1,483), the overall enrollment has increased to 24,236 children. As the

school year progresses, the Department plans to continue adding classrooms at

high-quality sites with demand and capacity.

Table 6. First Class Pre-K classrooms, appropriations

Increase Kindergarten Participation

The Commission endorsed a proposal to make kindergarten mandatory for Alabama

children. Twenty states and the District of Columbia require kindergarten, and

seventeen states and the District of Columbia require full-day kindergarten. Arkansas,

Tennessee, South Carolina, and Louisiana require kindergarten. Children who attend

kindergarten have the academic foundation needed to succeed in first grade.

In 2024, the Alabama Legislature addressed the issue but stopped short of requiring

kindergarten attendance. Alabama Act 2024-347, which began as Rep. Pebblin

Warren's House Bill 113, provides for a readiness assessment for first graders who did

not attend kindergarten, ensuring early educational intervention for children who

need it.

The readiness assessment, developed by ALSDE, will test children who did not

attend kindergarten for crucial developmental and physical skills necessary for first

grade. Students who are found to have deficits will be matched with the services and

extra attention they will need to catch up with peers.

The readiness assessment will first be administered in the 2025-26 school year.

Computer Science for All (CS4AL)

Computer literacy is essential for all students, no matter their academic or career

path. Students who study computer science gain essential skills and open doors of

opportunity in a host of fields. The Computer Science for Alabama Act (Act 2019-

389) requires that all K-12 schools offer courses in computer science.

ALSDE has

been working to implement the law. The Governor's Commission suggested setting

an implementation and compliance deadline to ensure more rapid adoption.

While the Department did not adopt the approach suggested by the Commission, it

made progress toward offering computer science in every school.

In 2023, 95% of Alabama public high schools offered a computer science class, up

from 86.5% in 2022, according to Code.org, a national advocacy organization for

computer science education.

Under the stricter definition established under the Computer Science for Alabama

Act (Act 2019-389), the ALSDE found that 78% of high schools complied with the

requirements of the Act in its 2023 report.

The 2024 report is due out in

December.

Since 2019, the Legislative appropriation for computer science teacher training has

grown from $3 million to $6 million. In the summer of 2024, the number of teachers

trained increased with a special emphasis on training teachers and system leaders

where adequate computer science education is not yet offered.

Working with state support staff, the systems now have a clearer picture of what it

takes to comply with the Act. Systems were asked to set goals for meeting the

compliance deadline and written goals.

https://arc-sos.state.al.us/ucp/B19157AA.AJI.pdf

“Snapshot,” accessed September 18, 2024, https://code.org/promote/al.

“Alabama HB216 | 2019 | Regular Session,” LegiScan, accessed September 18, 2024,

https://legiscan.com/AL/text/HB216/id/2050016.

“Alabama CS Expansion Data Report,” accessed September 18, 2024,

https://sites.google.com/view/alcsexpansiondatareport/home.

The State Department maintains an online dashboard presenting data on the

progress of implementation.

Table 7. Alabama high school and middle school compliance with computer science requirements.

Expand Opportunities for College and Career Readiness

In response to the passage of Act 2023-365, the Alabama State Board of Education

adopted a rule stipulating that every student earning a high school diploma,

beginning in 2026 and beyond, must be College and Career Ready (CCR). The

Governor's Commission recommended that the Legislature continue providing

additional funding to help high schools comply.

For the 2023-24 school year, the Legislature provided $25 million to help high

schools provide the courses and facilities to help students meet those goals ($15

million from the ETF and $10 million from the supplemental spending bill.) For the

2024-25 school year, the Legislature provided $17 million through a supplemental

spending bill. In the 2025 legislative session, the Legislature should maintain the $17

million level of funding, continuing that enhanced support in the first year of full

implementation of Act 2023-365.

https://public.tableau.com/shared/PD8MBHFK6?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link&:

embed=y

High schools with the greatest implementation challenges are given priority for

receiving those funds. With these funds, many high schools and Career Tech Centers

can improve and expand their offerings, improving high school CCR completion rates

by expanding access to CTE programs and credentials.

Expand Dual Enrollment

In another measure to improve student opportunities to become college and career-

ready, the Governor's Commission recommended increasing funding for dual

enrollment. In the 2025 budget, the Legislature increased funding for dual enrollment

by $10 million from $30 million to $40 million.

Through dual enrollment, high school students can take college-level academic and

skills training courses, most often through the Alabama Community College Systems.

Students earn both high school and college credit. Participating students do not pay

tuition and can graduate from high school college-ready with a head start on earning

an associate or bachelor’s degree.

During the 2023-24 school year, 33,281 Alabama high school students were enrolled

in dual enrollment classes. This represents a 65% increase from 2015.

Table 8. Students concurrently enrolled in high school and college

Add Career Coaches

The Governor's Commission underlined the value of the state-funded career coaches,

a position that works both with students and with local employers to help students

connect with in-demand career paths. The Commission recommended that more

coaches be deployed so that every school has a career coach and larger schools be

provided with more than one.

At the same time, the Commission recommended an evaluation by an independent

reviewer to determine how successful the career coaches program is and where

improvements are needed. Career coaches should avail themselves of technology

procured by the state to connect students and employers.

In the 2025 budget, the Legislature increased funding for career coaches from $15

million to $17 million a year, which will allow for growth.

Expand Jobs for Alabama's Graduates (JAG)

The Governor's Commission recommended increased funding for the JAG program,

which provides students at risk of not completing high school with the support

needed to graduate on time, become college—and career-ready, and enter

postsecondary education and/or the workforce.

In the 2025 budget, the Legislature increased funding for the program from $4

million to $5 million.

Thanks to the increase, the JAG Program added 12 sites and now operates 62 sites

across Alabama.

The FY 2025 legislative funding allows approximately 500 additional students to be

served in the 2024-25 school year. The Alabama State Department of Education

remains committed to providing the support, guidance, and technical assistance

needed to operate and to continue expanding the Jobs for Alabama's Graduate

Program.

Figure 5. Sites Providing Jobs for Alabama Graduates services

Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for All Students

The Governor's Commission recommended that Alabama establish a target date for

having all high school seniors complete the FAFSA, which qualifies students to

receive federal aid and loans to pay for higher education.

In the spring of 2021, the state school board approved a resolution requiring every

graduating senior to complete the application. Research shows that completing the

form increases the chances a student will go on to college or a community college

for skills training. The Commission further recommended support for a statewide

publicity campaign to make students and parents aware of the benefits.

The nonprofit Alabama Possible has partnered with the state in an effort to increase

awareness and track completion rates. The Alabama Possible outreach includes

connecting with schools to help them track their students' status toward application

and completion. One complicating factor in 2024 was that the U.S. Department of

Education experienced numerous delays and technical issues in pushing out this

year's application. The delays led to a nationwide drop in FAFSA applications and a

failure to provide students with the information needed to evaluate their financial

decisions about college.

As expected, the delays and confusion led to a drop in the number and percentage

of Alabama students completing the application. According to Alabama Possible, the

completion rate, which has been rising, dropped this year. Despite the drop, Alabama

still ranked among the top 20 states for FAFSA completion.

• Class of 2022: 64.4%, 10th (as of 9/30/22)

• Class of 2023: 63.6%, 11th (as of 9/30/23)

• Class of 2024: 53.4%, 17th (as of 9/13/24)

Alabama Terminal on Linking and Analyzing Statistics (ATLAS)

The Governor's Commission urged fully implementing the state's longitudinal data

system, ATLAS. The system, built with secure procedures to protect privacy, makes it

possible to match data from various state agencies and programs over time to create

reports that may then be aggregated and analyzed to assist policymakers with

developing strategies to improve education and workforce outcomes.

Through ATLAS, the state can evaluate initiatives that prepare students for college

and career, tracing participation, achievement, and career outcomes.

In 2024, ATLAS produced its first report, which measured progress toward Governor

Ivey's Success+ goal of adding 500,000 first-time credential earners to the

workforce by 2025.

Five partners shared individual-level data to the ATLAS on Career Pathways for this

research project: Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Community

College System, Alabama Commission on Higher Education, Adult Education, and the

Alabama Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division, which

manages WIOA training programs.

The data from these sources was matched to ensure that individuals appearing in

multiple programs were counted only once. That produced an unduplicated count of

credential earners progressing from K-12 through higher education and into the

workforce.

Conclusion

In the face of great challenges, Alabama schools are improving thanks to increased

and sustained investment from the state, research-based initiatives to improve

teaching, and targeted support for high-poverty and low-performing schools.

The state has increased compensation for teachers and raised starting salaries above

the levels of surrounding states, improving recruitment and retention in the

profession. Sustained and targeted investments are being made to attract teachers

to vacancies in hard-to-fill subject areas and hard-to-staff schools. Avenues to enter

the teaching profession are being improved to facilitate the flow of well-trained

teachers to classrooms where they are needed.

Efforts to improve the educational environment in schools are being made, adding

administrative and instructional support. Additional staff are being deployed to

attend to the mental health needs of students. Model practices are being identified to

turn schools around when they are challenged by high poverty and low performance.

Broadband access is being expanded to schools and families in hard-to-reach areas.

More students are receiving access to high-quality early childhood preparation for

school. More students are receiving opportunities and guidance on their journeys

through high school and into college and their careers. Data and analysis are being

developed to provide better insight into what approaches are succeeding in

producing the best outcomes for schools and students.

Historically, large investments have been made thanks to a strong economy and

supplemental federal funds for recovery from the pandemic.

As budgets return to normal levels and federal funds are spent, Alabama lawmakers

must identify and sustain essential investments producing results, particularly in

high-poverty schools and systems.

Appendix

Members of the Governor’s Commission on Teaching and Learning

• Joe Morton, Ph.D., Chair, President, Business Education Alliance of Alabama,

State Superintendent of Education, 2004-2011

• Representative Alan Baker, Alabama State House of Representatives, District

• Dicky Barlow, Ed.D., Superintendent, Mountain Brook School System

• Melvin J. Brown, Ed.D., Superintendent of Schools, Montgomery Public Schools

• Senator Donnie Chesteen, Alabama State Senate, District 29

• Representative Barbara Drummond, Alabama State House of Representatives,

District 103

• Ben Wallerstein, Founder, Whiteboard Advisors

• Kyle Futral, Principal, Wetumpka High School Elmore County Schools, 2022

Alabama High School Principal of the Year

• Derek Henderson, Vice President, Alabaster City School Board

• Carey M. Wright, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education for Mississippi,

2013-2022

• Eric G. Mackey, Ed.D., State Superintendent of Education, Alabama State

Department of Education

• Donna McCurry Immediate Past President, Alabama Parent Teacher

Association

• Reggie White, Teacher, Booker T. Washington K-8 School Birmingham City

Schools, 2023 Alabama Teacher of the Year

Governor Kay Ivey's Commission on Teaching and Learning Supporting Staff

• Nick Moore

Director of the Governor's Office of Education and Workforce Transformation,

Office of the Governor, State of Alabama

• Mary Kate Hillis

Policy Advisor Education and Workforce

Transformation

• John Gilchrist

Policy Analyst Education and Workforce

Transformation

Literacy Update

In its October 2024 meeting, the Alabama State Board of Education raised the bar

students must clear to be considered reading on grade level. In the spring of 2025,

students will have to score higher on the reading portion of the state’s standardized

reading test to qualify for automatic promotion to fourth grade under provisions of

the Alabama Literacy Act.

This raising of the bar aligns with recommendations made by the Governor’s

Commission on Teaching and Learning. The change will continue the path to

assuring that all children are reading on grade level as they enter the fourth grade.

Why the change?

The reading score is based on a subset of questions in the third-grade ACAP English

Language Arts test. A student who achieves a scale score of 473 or above on that

subset of questions is considered to be reading on grade level state.

However, the State Board of Education followed the advice of testing experts and

set a score of 435 as the definition of “reading sufficiency,” the threshold for

promotion.

That lower threshold score was two standard errors of measurement below the

grade level reading score. Setting the lower bar provided high confidence that a

student scoring below that benchmark was

not

reading on grade level and needed

intervention before progressing to fourth grade. Without adequate reading skills in

fourth grade, students are much more likely to fall behind and fail to graduate,

according to educational research.

The Board has now raised the threshold score to 444, 1.5 standard errors below

grade-level reading. After two years at 444, the threshold will rise to one standard

error of measure below the grade-level mark, according to the action taken by the

Board.

Scores show progress

There was a valid concern that in 2024, the reading sufficiency bar was set too low,

allowing children not ready to read at the fourth-grade level to be promoted.

However, that concern had to be weighed against the uncertain impact of the higher

threshold: 2024 was the first year students were subject to being held back if they

weren’t reading sufficiently.

The good news is that student reading scores improved significantly in 2024.

Applying the same definition of reading sufficiency to both years, the third graders in

2024 performed significantly better than third graders in 2023, cutting the number of

students reading below grade level almost in half.

A deeper analysis finds that not only are more students clearing the sufficiency

threshold, but also, more students are scoring at or above the higher bar of grade-

level reading.

Grade 3

Benchmarks

2023

2024

435*

82.6%

91.0%

473**

67.8%

77.2%

* 2023 "On or Above Grade Level" measure per August 2023 ALSDE

** 2023 Level as "Recommended by Educators" measure per August 2023 ALSDE

Multiple factors likely contributed to the rise.

• Because of the retention provision, the test matters. That inspires more

attention and effort from students, teachers, and parents.

• Schools were given access to practice tests, which allowed students to

become more familiar with the format before taking it.

• Third graders in 2024 had grades 1-3 uninterrupted by Covid-19-related

closures. That contrasts with the 2023 cohort, whose kindergarten and first-

grade years saw substantial disruptions.

But arguably, the most important contributor is that schools and teachers now have

more time to learn, coach, and practice research-based reading instruction.

Approximately 15,000 teachers have been trained in LETRS, the state's selected

provider of professional development and training in teaching based in the science of

reading.

Of those who started the training, 10,800 (or 70%) have completed it, and 4,300,

30%, are still in the process. Elementary school administrators are also receiving

training. Principals, who are instructional leaders and are an essential ingredient in

successful schools, are also completing LETRS training.

More good news: the schools receiving the most instructional support are seeing

disproportionate improvement in reading scores and proficiency gains. Teachers in

"Full-support schools" have received multiple years of extra attention from Alabama

Reading Initiative regional specialists, in addition to working with their building-

based coaches.

At full support schools, the percentage of students reading on grade level improved

by an average of 20 percentage points, compared to an average improvement of 10

percentage points across all systems.

Obviously, those schools had more ground to gain, but it is not just basic reading

sufficiency that is increasing. Across the state and in most schools, students' rates of

grade-level English Language Arts proficiency are increasing as well.

Proficiency is a higher standard and equates more closely to grade-level

expectations. Not only is proficiency increasing, but a higher share of students also

score in the more advanced tier, well above grade level.

Figure 6. ACAP, 3rd Grade ELA, Percentage of students in each performance level. Level 4 is the

highest.

As with reading, the highest ELA gain rate occurred among economically

disadvantaged students. By deploying the state expertise and resources most

intensively to economically disadvantaged schools, the state's literacy effort appears

to be helping narrow the performance gap, addressing a key challenge identified by

the Governor's Commission on Teaching and Learning.

PARTNERS OF THE BUSINESS EDUCATION ALLIANCE

State Partners

P.O. Box 38

Montgomery, AL

36101-0038

info@beaalabama.com

www.beaalabama.com

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