New Data Shows Progress on Third Grade Reading Continues
Due to a new higher standard, the number and percentage of third graders who failed to meet the grade-level reading benchmark rose in 2025. However, taking the higher standard into account, this year’s third graders showed continued improvement, indicating that the state’s focus on improving early grades literacy is continuing to pay dividends. This spring, […]
Alabama High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Rates Reached Record Levels in 2024
Alabama’s public high school graduation rate tied its all-time high in 2024, while the Class of 2024 also set a new record for the percentage of graduates designated ready for college and career, according to new data released by the Alabama Department of Education. Among 2024’s senior class, 88% had earned a college and career-ready (CCR) […]
A Varied Pattern of Population Growth and Decline across Alabama Counties
According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Jefferson and Mobile counties grew, and Montgomery narrowed its population losses in 2024 thanks to an increase in international migration. International immigration also padded growth in Madison and Baldwin Counties, though growth there was largely driven by domestic migration—new residents moving in from other counties […]
Alabama High School Class of 2024 Improves on ACT
Alabama’s 2024 high school graduates posted improved performance on the ACT compared to prior years, continuing a positive trend at a time when scores have continued to drift down nationally. The ACT is a standardized test designed to measure a student’s readiness to succeed academically in college. Printable PDF available here. Nationally, the composite score […]
Alabama Makes Notable Early Grade Gains on Nation’s Report Card
Alabama public school fourth graders are scoring higher in both reading and math than they did prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Alabama and Louisiana are the only two states where that is true, according to an analysis of the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Printable PDF available here. In fact, in […]
Alabama Grows through Domestic and International Migration
Alabama’s population increased by more than 40,000, between July 2023 and July 2024, reaching a total of 5,157,699, according to estimates issued in December by the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama ranked 22nd in percentage population increase and No. 24 in numeric population change. Printable PDF available here. The number of new Alabama residents arriving from […]
New Business Education Alliance Report Examines Investments in Alabama’s Education System, Immediate Outcomes, and Future Needs
Today, the Business Education Alliance of Alabama (BEA) is releasing Alabama Can Improve Student Achievement and Prepare a Future Workforce: Here’s How-Part 2, a follow-up to the Governor’s Commission on Teaching and Learning’s report issued in December of 2023. The Alabama Legislature financially supported many of the Commission’s recommendations, and today’s release by the BEA follows up on what […]
English Scores Jump with Full Implementation of Literacy Act; Math and Science Mixed Results
Alabama student performance in English Language Arts improved significantly in 2024, with the largest spike coming in third grade as the Alabama Literacy Act came into full effect. That’s according to a PARCA analysis of results of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP), the state’s suite of standardized tests for students in grades 3-8. ELA […]
Major Gains on Reading Scores, More 3rd Graders Reading Sufficiently
Alabama third graders showed major improvement in reading performance in 2024, as the percentage of Alabama students reading sufficiently by the end of third grade jumped by 8 percentage points compared to the previous year. The number of 3rd graders scoring “below grade level” on reading decreased from over 9,000 in 2023 to under 5,000 […]
Most Alabama Cities Grow; Losses Moderate
After being hit hard with declines during the Covid-19 pandemic, Birmingham and Mobile saw an ebb in population declines, while Huntsville and cities in Baldwin County, along with Auburn-Opelika and Tuscaloosa, continued to grow at a rapid pace. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this month point to widespread growth in cities in the northern […]