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# Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama

## Sitemaps
- [XML Sitemap](https://parcalabama.org/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [On the Ballot: PARCA’s Guide to Alabama’s 2026 Statewide Amendments ](https://parcalabama.org/on-the-ballot-parcas-guide-to-alabamas-2026-statewide-amendments/): 36 more amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot 
- [What’s on Your County’s Ballot: Alabama’s 2026 Local Amendments](https://parcalabama.org/whats-on-your-countys-ballot-alabamas-2026-local-amendments/): During the Nov. 3 general election, voters across Alabama will vote on four statewide constitutional amendments. But voters in certain counties will also be deciding on amendments that apply only to the county in question. There are 32 of those local amendments. 
- [Alabama’s Electorate Is Changing More Slowly, and Differently, Than Its Population](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-electorate-is-changing-more-slowly-and-differently-than-its-population/): Alabama’s population looks noticeably different than it did in 2010, but its electorate has changed more slowly, and in different ways. Over the past 15 years, the state’s Hispanic and Asian populations have grown far faster than Alabama as a whole, its share of residents 65 or older has jumped from 13.8% to 19.4%, and its growth has concentrated in suburban and smaller metro counties while many rural counties have stagnated or declined.1
- [Issues and Agencies: The Alabama Department of Corrections](https://parcalabama.org/issues-and-agencies-the-alabama-department-of-corrections/): Since 2021, Alabama has spent about $1.25 billion building a flagship mega-prison — the Governor Kay Ivey Correctional Complex, located in Elmore County — and lawmakers have authorized another $885 million to build a second, the Escambia Men’s Prison Facility in Escambia County.
- [Issues and Agencies: The State of Alabama’s Health](https://parcalabama.org/issues-and-agencies-the-state-of-alabamas-health/): According to PARCA’s 2026 survey of public opinion, health care is now tied with education as Alabamians’ top priority for state government to address. Rising health care costs and an ongoing decline in federal support for health insurance coverage have raised anxiety about how they will pay for care.
- [Alabama’s School Choice Landscape, Explained: New PARCA Report Traces a Decade of Growth](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-school-choice-landscape-explained-new-parca-report-traces-a-decade-of-growth/): Over the past thirteen years, Alabama has built a set of publicly supported alternatives to the traditional neighborhood public school. Today, Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) scholarships support about 4,000 private-school students each year. Around 7,000 students attend public charter schools. And more than 34,000 students have applied for Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) under the CHOOSE Act for the 2026–27 school year. 
- [Tool for Comparing Performance on Alabama Public School Standardized Testing](https://parcalabama.org/tool-for-comparing-performance-on-alabama-public-school-standardized-testing/): The State Department of Education released the results of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) in August. PARCA provides this internet-based data visualization tool to help educators and the general public to view their local results and to understand them in the context of peer school systems and the state as a whole.
- [How Alabama Education Spending Compares](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-education-spending-compares/): According to PARCA’s annual Public Opinion Survey, Alabamians of all political identities regularly cite education as the most important service provided by the state government. Better K-12 educational outcomes are correlated with stronger individual economic outcomes and more productive economies overall.
- [ New PARCA Education Research Center opens with statewide survey on school funding and choice – Alabamians say schools are underfunded and split evenly on the CHOOSE Act.](https://parcalabama.org/new-parca-education-research-center-opens-with-statewide-survey-on-school-funding-and-choice-alabamians-say-schools-are-underfunded-and-split-evenly-on-the-choose-act/): The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama has launched the PARCA Education Research Center, a dedicated center within PARCA that houses the organization’s longstanding education analysis and expands it into a sustained, independent research program on the questions now facing Alabama’s policymakers and school leaders.
- [“Low-hanging fruit” or “blood out of a turnip”? As tax revenue slows, lawmakers in Alabama and across the United States may turn to court costs.](https://parcalabama.org/low-hanging-fruit-or-blood-out-of-a-turnip-as-tax-revenue-slows-lawmakers-in-alabama-and-across-the-united-states-may-turn-to-court-costs/): Sluggish tax collections could set the stage nationally for new hikes in court costs, fines, and fees. That’s according to a recent article by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which observes that “many of the fiscal conditions that in recent decades led to this heavy reliance on fines and fees—federal retrenchment, slowing state tax revenue, and widespread property tax cuts—are reemerging.” In Alabama, that could mean people whose disputes only a court can resolve will face steeper filing fees and larger financial penalties.
- [Joint Interim Court Cost Study Commission Recommends Standardization, Transparency, and Reform to “Patchwork” System of Fees](https://parcalabama.org/joint-interim-court-cost-study-commission-recommends-standardization-transparency-and-reform-to-patchwork-system-of-fees/): For over a decade, PARCA has documented the role of court costs as they exist at the intersection of public finance and public safety, sometimes providing the only analysis of this important source of revenue. In a report sent to lawmakers earlier this week, Chief Justice Sarah Stewart writes that Alabama lawmakers should standardize court costs statewide, revise old rules to create flexibility as to how court cost revenue can be spent, and identify more sustainable ways to fund local services that is “separate from the courthouse filing counter.”
- [SNAP Error is Not SNAP Fraud](https://parcalabama.org/snap-error-is-not-snap-fraud/): The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, helps people with low incomes buy food.
- [Special Congressional Primary Continues Trend of Declining Political Participation in Alabama](https://parcalabama.org/special-congressional-primary-continues-trend-of-declining-political-participation-in-alabama/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [PARCA Research Wins National Awards](https://parcalabama.org/parca-research-wins-national-awards/): New research led by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34 jail detentions per 100,000 people at the county level. This small but significant increase suggests that fee increases could increase detention rather than deter it. 
- [Local Court Fee Increases Associated with Increased Jail Detention, New Research Finds](https://parcalabama.org/local-court-fee-increases-associated-with-increased-jail-detention-new-research-finds/): New research led by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34 jail detentions per 100,000 people at the county level. This small but significant increase suggests that fee increases could increase detention rather than deter it. 
- [Alabama Sees Third-Grade Reading Progress Slow](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-sees-third-grade-reading-progress-slow/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [Graduation and Readiness Rates Continue to Rise](https://parcalabama.org/graduation-and-readiness-rates-continue-to-rise/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [Cities in the north, south, and east grow fastest; Central cities continue to see population flow to suburbs](https://parcalabama.org/cities-in-the-north-south-and-east-grow-fastest-central-cities-continue-to-see-population-flow-to-suburbs/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [How a Change in Federal Regulations Could Threaten Life-Saving Progress in Alabama’s Opioid Crisis](https://parcalabama.org/how-a-change-in-federal-regulations-could-threaten-life-saving-progress-in-alabamas-opioid-crisis/): PARCA’s 2026 Annual Forum, “From Crisis to Collaboration: How Data, Policy, and Partnership Saved Lives in Alabama,” spotlighted the multiagency collaboration and bold policy decisions that underpinned a sharp decline in overdose deaths in 2024 and 2025 in Alabama. But an April 24 decision by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- [Primary Election: Proposed Statewide Amendments Analysis](https://parcalabama.org/primary-election-proposed-statewide-amendments-analysis/): Beyond the Democratic and Republican primary elections scheduled for May 19, voters will decide the fate of two statewide amendments to the Alabama Constitution.
- [Fewer 2025 High School Grads Passed Workplace Readiness Test](https://parcalabama.org/fewer-2025-high-school-grads-passed-workplace-readiness-test/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [2026 PARCA Annual Forum Review](https://parcalabama.org/2026-parca-annual-forum-review/): Deaths from drug overdose dropped sharply in 2024 and 2025, due in part to bold policy decisions, the deployment of overdose reversal treatments, and the strategic use of data to target addiction prevention and recovery outreach.    
- [Houston County: Building A System for Success](https://parcalabama.org/houston-county-building-a-system-for-success/): The Houston County School System ranks 129th out of 140 school systems in Alabama in per-pupil expenditures. More than half its students — 57% — qualify as economically disadvantaged, slightly above the state average.
- [Drop in International Migration Slows Net Population Growth in Most Alabama Counties](https://parcalabama.org/use-the-tabs-to-move-between-different-views-of-the-data-and-use-the-menus-to-focus-in-on-the-systems-schools-or-subjects-that-you-are-most-interested-in/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [ACT Scores Edge Down; Struggle to Recover from the Pandemic Continues](https://parcalabama.org/act-scores-edge-down-struggle-to-recover-from-the-pandemic-continues/): Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in.
- [Population Growth Slows As Immigration is Curtailed](https://parcalabama.org/population-growth-slows-as-immigration-is-curtailed/): Population growth in Alabama and across the country has slowed, particularly when it comes to immigrants coming from abroad, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The estimates cover the period between July 2024 and July 2025.
- [Keys to Success in College and Career Readiness](https://parcalabama.org/keys-to-success-in-college-and-career-readiness/): This spring, all Alabama high school graduates will have to earn a marker of college and/or career readiness in order to graduate.1 
- [PARCA Partners with VOICES on the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book](https://parcalabama.org/parca-partners-with-voices-on-the-2025-alabama-kids-count-data-book/): VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book yesterday. For the 10th year in a row, PARCA worked with VOICES as a data partner for the project.
- [Higher Expectations Set and Met](https://parcalabama.org/higher-expectations-set-and-met/): The Business Education Alliance of Alabama (BEA), with PARCA as its research partner, has released its 2026 report, HIGHER EXPECTATIONS SET AND MET: A Decade of Improving Public Education and Workforce for a Better Alabama.
- [How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2025](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-taxes-compare-2025/): Each year, PARCA uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Finances to compare Alabama’s tax collections with those of all 50 states. The most recent data are from fiscal year 2023.
- [New Form Clouds Picture of Public School Enrollment Trends](https://parcalabama.org/new-form-clouds-picture-of-public-school-enrollment-trends/): A federally required change in reporting on student race and ethnicity in Alabama public schools has led to a precipitous drop in the reported number and percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in Alabama public schools in the 2025-2026 school year.
- [Mapping Alabama’s Public-Nonprofit Partnership](https://parcalabama.org/mapping-alabamas-public-nonprofit-partnership/): Mapping Alabama’s Public–Nonprofit Partnership examines how Alabama’s nonprofit sector functions as an essential partner in the delivery of public services. The report is a collaboration between Alabama Association of Nonprofits and the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, with research conducted by PARCA.
- [Lower Fines and Fees Raise MORE Revenue than Higher Fines and Fees, Study Finds](https://parcalabama.org/lower-fines-and-fees-raise-more-revenue-than-higher-fines-and-fees-study-finds/): New research indicates that lower fines and fees raise more revenue than higher ones, and that a “collections fee” that is supposed to incentivize payment is instead associated with greater debt.
- [College-Going Patterns for Recent Alabama Public High School Graduates Shifting](https://parcalabama.org/college-going-patterns-for-recent-alabama-public-high-school-graduates-shifting/): More Alabama public high school graduates than ever are going to four-year colleges directly after graduation, according to the most recent figures provided by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE). The picture for two-year colleges is different: a smaller percentage of high school graduates are enrolling in two-year colleges after graduation, but far more of those high school graduates have already taken classes in the community college system during high school through dual enrollment.
- [State Tax Revenues Cool in FY 2025](https://parcalabama.org/state-tax-revenues-cool-in-fy-2025/): Tax revenues flowing into Alabama state government returned to a more normal rate of growth in 2025, after several years of unusually high gains. Revenue flowing into both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund grew at about the rate of inflation.
- [Alabama Public School Students Continue Gains in English and Math in both Elementary and Middle School](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-public-school-students-continue-gains-in-english-and-math-in-both-elementary-and-middle-school/): Alabama students continued steady improvement in English and math across all grade levels on the state’s suite of standardized tests, the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP).
- [Underdog Wilcox County Scores Near the Top in Reading](https://parcalabama.org/underdog-wilcox-county-scores-near-the-top-in-reading/): This is the first in our new Keys to Success series. The series spotlights schools and school systems that outperform their peers or show remarkable improvement and asks, "What is driving performance, and what can be replicated?" The series is supported by the generosity of Bedsole Foundation, Charles & Estelle Campbell Foundation, Daniel Foundation, Hugh Kaul Foundation, Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Robert Meyer Foundation, Susan Mott Web Foundation, and Wells Fargo Foundation.
- [Jefferson County Sees Lower Homicides and Drug Overdose Deaths So Far in 2025](https://parcalabama.org/jefferson-county-sees-lower-homicides-and-drug-overdose-deaths-so-far-in-2025/): Halfway through 2025, Birmingham’s homicide total is half what it was midyear 2024, a dramatic turnaround after a year of record-setting violence.   
- [New Data Shows Progress on Third Grade Reading Continues](https://parcalabama.org/new-data-shows-progress-on-third-grade-reading-continues-2/): 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.
- [Alabama High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Rates Reached Record Levels in 2024](https://parcalabama.org/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.
- [Alabama’s $60 Billion Question: Potential Reductions in Payments?](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-60-billion-question-potential-reductions-in-payments/): Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) in the U.S. House has sparked discussions about the impact of reductions in federal funding across the U.S. KFF, a nonprofit policy analysis organization formerly known as Kaiser Family Foundation, estimates that the House Budget Committee’s reconciliation bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $791 billion without accounting for interactions that would lower estimates to $723 billion. Almost 85% of the total savings derived from five features:
- [Huntsville Continues to Surge, Remaining Big 3 Cities Jockey for Position, while Rural Areas Lose Population in 2024](https://parcalabama.org/huntsville-continues-to-surge-remaining-big-3-cities-jockey-for-position-while-rural-areas-lose-population-in-2024/): New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau place Mobile as the state's second-largest city, behind booming Huntsville and ahead of Birmingham and Montgomery, both of which saw population declines according to the most recent estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- [Data-informed Decision Making Helps Drive Down Overdose Deaths in 2024](https://parcalabama.org/data-informed-decision-making-helps-drive-down-overdose-deaths-in-2024-2/): The sharp drop in overdose deaths in 2024, both nationally and in Jefferson County, wasn't an accident, according to members of the task force that works to combat the epidemic of drug-related deaths. Instead, it resulted from public policy changes and the geographically targeted deployment of resources.
- [Alabama’s $60 Billion Question](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-60-billion-question/): Alabama relies on federal spending—Alabama residents do, too.
- [2025 PARCA Annual Forum Review](https://parcalabama.org/2025-parca-annual-forum-review/): PARCA held its 2025 PARCA Annual Forum - State of Mind: Navigating Alabama's Mental Health Dilemma on March 7, 2025 at The Harbert Center.
- [A Varied Pattern of Population Growth and Decline across Alabama Counties](https://parcalabama.org/a-varied-pattern-of-population-growth-and-decline-across-alabama-counties/): var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1742566549144'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object'); vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);
- [Alabama High School Class of 2024 Improves on ACT](https://parcalabama.org/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.
- [Alabama Makes Notable Early Grade Gains on Nation’s Report Card](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-makes-notable-early-grade-gains-on-nations-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).
- [PARCA Annual Forum 2025 – State of Mind: Navigating Alabama’s Mental Health Dilemma](https://parcalabama.org/parca-annual-forum-2025/): Mental health is more than a personal challenge—it’s a community concern with profound impacts on education, workforce productivity, and Alabama’s future.
- [The Alabama Constitution’s Impact on Taxes and Spending](https://parcalabama.org/the-alabama-constitutions-impact-on-taxes-and-spending/): PARCA is re-examining Alabama’s Constitution in light of the 2022 passage of a revised and reorganized version of the state’s fundamental law.
- [Birmingham-Jefferson County Justice Governance Partnership Launched to Strengthen Justice and Opportunity  ](https://parcalabama.org/birmingham-jefferson-county-justice-governance-partnership-launched-to-strengthen-justice-and-opportunity/): Leaders from city and county government, education, philanthropy, social services, and community are launching a new partnership to decrease violence and increase health and opportunity in Jefferson County.  
- [How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2024](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-taxes-compare-2024/): Each year, PARCA uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Finances to compare Alabama’s tax collections to the other 50 states. The most recent data comes from the 2022 Fiscal Year. 
- [Alabama Grows through Domestic and International Migration](https://parcalabama.org/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.
- [The Government Closest to the People?](https://parcalabama.org/the-government-closest-to-the-people/): Alabama voters adopted a revised and reorganized Constitution in 2022.
- [Exploring Seed Investing in Alabama](https://parcalabama.org/exploring-seed-investing-in-alabama/): Economic development—using public funds to incentivize private economic investments—is a core government function practiced by both parties and at all levels of government.
- [A Final Upside Surprise, Signs of Slower Growth Ahead, Alabama Tax Collections, 2024](https://parcalabama.org/a-final-upside-surprise-signs-of-slower-growth-ahead-alabama-tax-collections-2024/): Alabama tax revenues continue to trend toward more normal patterns after a wild post-pandemic ride. The Education Trust Fund, powered by state income and sales taxes, grew modestly, collecting 2.2% more than the previous year. Meanwhile, growth in the General Fund cooled but still posted an unusually high increase of 7%, boosted by high interest earned on state deposits and continued growth in tax revenue from online sales, insurance, and property taxes.
- [New Business Education Alliance Report Examines Investments in Alabama’s Education System, Immediate Outcomes, and Future Needs](https://parcalabama.org/new-business-education-alliance-report-examines-investments-in-alabamas-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 remains to be done.
- [An Analysis of the Proposed Statewide Amendment for the 2024 General Election](https://parcalabama.org/an-analysis-of-the-proposed-statewide-amendment-for-the-2024-general-election/): When Alabamians vote on November 5, they will be asked to vote on one statewide amendment.
- [English Scores Jump with Full Implementation of Literacy Act; Math and Science Mixed Results](https://parcalabama.org/english-scores-jump-with-full-implementation-of-literacy-act-math-and-science-mixed-results/): var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1724429455324'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object'); vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.80)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);
- [PARCA Speaker Series featuring Larry Sabato](https://parcalabama.org/parca-speaker-series-featuring-larry-sabato/): PARCA will be hosting our fifth annual Speaker Series event on the evening of Thursday, September 12th at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus.
- [Major Gains on Reading Scores, More 3rd Graders Reading Sufficiently](https://parcalabama.org/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 in 2024, from 17% to 9% of third graders, according to results released earlier this month by the Alabama State Department of Education.
- [How Alabama Democracy Compares](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-democracy-compares/): In recent years, Alabamians' rate of participation in elections has lagged behind other states as electoral competition has decreased and as the state has failed to adopt measures other states have that increase the convenience and access to voting. According to political scientists, Alabama "cost of voting" is among the highest in the country, ranking No. 46 among the 50 states. Meanwhile, most other states now provide measures like early in-person voting and no-excuse absentee voting, measures that correlate with increased participation.
- [Most Alabama Cities Grow; Losses Moderate](https://parcalabama.org/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 tier of the state, and in the Wiregrass.
- [Graduation and College and Career Readiness](https://parcalabama.org/graduation-and-college-and-career-readiness/): More Alabama high school students graduated ready for college or careers in 2023, according to data recently released by the Alabama Department of Education.
- [PARCA Partners with VOICES on 30th Edition of Alabama Kids Count Data Book](https://parcalabama.org/parca-partners-with-voices-on-30th-edition-of-alabama-kids-count-data-book/): VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2023 Alabama Kids Count Data Book today, marking the 30th edition of the book published by the nonprofit. For the 8th year in a row, PARCA worked with VOICES as a data partner for the project.
- [Huntsville and Baldwin Continue Population Gains, Birmingham Remains in Top 50 of U.S. Metros](https://parcalabama.org/huntsville-and-baldwin-continue-population-gains-birmingham-remains-in-top-50-of-u-s-metros/): The Huntsville area and Baldwin County continue to add more new residents, while growth in Shelby County and St. Clair County helped the Birmingham Metro Area return to positive growth after two years of population loss. That's according to new estimates of population change in U.S. counties and metro areas published by the U.S. Census Bureau. The new estimates identify population totals and components of population change as of July 1, 2023.
- [Revisiting PARCA’s Annual Forum](https://parcalabama.org/revisiting-parcas-annual-forum/): Housing inventory continues to fall, and prices continue to rise. Pressures on the housing market ripple across the economy but may have the most significant impact on middle-income workers – those earning between 80% and 120% of the median income. As housing prices increase, middle-income workers often struggle to live where they work. The shortage of affordable housing complicates hiring and threatens our economic health and community vitality. 
- [Alabama Public Opinion Survey](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-public-opinion-survey-2023/): PARCA’s most recent public opinion survey finds, once again, aversion to certain taxes, support for public education, and mistrust in state government. At the same time, the survey finds a lack of consensus on how the state should respond to other critical issues.
- [More Students Workforce Ready in the Class of 2023](https://parcalabama.org/more-students-workforce-ready-in-the-class-of-2023/): The number and percentage of high school seniors graduating workforce-ready rose with the Class of 2023, according to the results of ACT's WorkKeys Assessment, a test of skills given to public high school seniors. The results are another sign that student performance is recovering from post-pandemic lows, though the recovery is not complete.
- [Alabama ACT Scores Climb](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-act-scores-climb/): ACT Scores for Alabama public high school students improved in 2023, bucking a downward trend nationally and providing another clue that Alabama schools began recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic more quickly than schools nationally. Students in the graduating class of 2023 were in ninth grade when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the U.S.
- [Proposed Statewide Amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 2022](https://parcalabama.org/proposed-statewide-amendment-to-the-alabama-constitution-of-2022/): Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to amend Section 71.01 authorizing the Legislature to sign and transmit local laws or constitutional amendments before the transmission of basic appropriations.
- [The Alabama Constitution Reformed: Is There Still Work to Do?](https://parcalabama.org/introduction-to-parcas-series-on-the-constitution-of-2022/): In 2022, Alabama adopted a “new” constitution, an improved and reorganized version of the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The vote was the culmination of decades of advocacy and was rightly celebrated.
- [PARCA Annual Forum 2024: Housing Alabama’s Workforce](https://parcalabama.org/parca-annual-forum-2024-housing-alabamas-workforce/): We know about Alabama’s workforce challenges. We might not know how housing contributes to that challenge. As housing prices increase, middle-income workers—like firefighters, nurses, police officers, teachers, and others essential to our communities— often struggle to live where they work. The shortage of affordable housing complicates hiring and threatens our economic health and community vitality. PARCA’s 2024 Annual Forum will explore this issue. Engage with experts and leaders in the field as we define workforce housing and explore innovative solutions. We will learn what Alabama is doing and what Alabama could be doing to enable our workforce to live where they work and how that fosters vibrant, inclusive communities.
- [Shifts in Public School Enrollment Seen in the 2023-2024 Fall Attendance Data](https://parcalabama.org/shifts-in-public-school-enrollment-seen-in-the-2023-2024-fall-attendance-data/): var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1703112839487'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object'); vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);
- [Alabama’s Population Growth Accelerating](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-population-growth-accelerating/): Alabama's population increased by 34,000 last year to 5.1 million, driven by increased domestic migration and a decreasing number of deaths, according to the latest population estimates published by the U.S. Census Bureau, covering the period between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023.
- [How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2023](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-taxes-compare-2023/): Despite the wild gyrations in the economy since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, the latest comparative data from the U.S. Census Bureau finds Alabama in a familiar position: at or near the bottom in state and local government tax collections.
- [Alabama State Tax Collections, 2023](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-state-tax-collections-2023/): Increases, Decreases, and Trends in the Revenue Supporting State Government
- [Data Collection for Hispanic and Latino Alabamians with HICA](https://parcalabama.org/data-collection-for-hispanic-and-latino-alabamians-with-hica/): According to the 2020 Census, Alabama's Hispanic and Latino community represented just 5% of Alabama's population, but between 2010 and 2020, the growth in that demographic accounted for 32% of the state's total population growth. That's according to a new analysis prepared by PARCA for the Hispanic Interest Coalition of Alabama (HICA).
- [Changes to the State Standardized Test and its Scoring](https://parcalabama.org/changes-to-the-state-standardized-test-and-its-scoring/): The Alabama State Board of Education voted on Thursday to change the test score students must earn to be considered reading on grade level by the end of third grade. The change was recommended by testing experts due to changes made in the content of the 2023 test and shifts in results.
- [Alabama Standardized Test Scores Rise in 2023](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-standardized-test-scores-rise-in-2023/): Alabama public school students improved their performance on statewide standardized tests in 2023, with the percentage of students testing proficient rising across most of the tested grades (3-8) and subjects (English Language Arts (ELA), math, and science).
- [New Reading Scores Released As Schools Head Toward Full Literacy Act Implementation](https://parcalabama.org/new-reading-scores-released-as-schools-head-toward-full-literacy-act-implementation/): About one-quarter of Alabama third graders were not reading on grade level by the end of third grade, leaving them vulnerable to academic struggles as they progress in school, according to data from the reading subsection of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program released Thursday.
- [2022 City and MSA Population Estimates](https://parcalabama.org/2022-city-and-msa-population-estimates/): Huntsville continued to surge ahead as Alabama's three other largest cities lost population to surrounding suburbs. However, the pace of decline slowed in Birmingham and Montgomery, as it did in many cities nationwide that were hit hard by pandemic-driven change.
- [E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment](https://parcalabama.org/e-commerce-and-taxation-questions-of-efficiency-and-equal-treatment/): PARCA's new report, titled E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment, questions whether changes are needed to the state’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT).
- [Grad Rate Dipped, but Career Readiness Climbed for Class 2022](https://parcalabama.org/grad-rate-dipped-but-career-readiness-climbed-for-class-2022-2/): As graduation approaches for the Class of 2023, there's new data available allowing us to look back on last spring's graduates.
- [Most Alabama Counties Grew in 2022, Reversing Trend](https://parcalabama.org/most-alabama-counties-grew-in-2022-reversing-trend/): People are moving to Alabama, and according to most recent population estimates, the growth is more widespread than it has been. Out of 67 counties, 36 saw population growth between July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022, the period covered in the latest Census Bureau release. In the prior year, only 29 counties saw positive growth. Throughout the 2010s, only 24 counties grew.
- [ACT Scores Fall for the Class of 2022](https://parcalabama.org/act-scores-fall-for-the-class-of-2022/): var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1679090418105'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object'); vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);
- [Who Cares About Childcare? PARCA Annual Forum, 2023](https://parcalabama.org/who-cares-about-childcare-parca-annual-forum-2023/): Gov. Kay Ivey identified affordable and high-quality child care as a key priority in her speech to the Public Affairs Research Council's Annual Forum, held Friday, March 10, at the Harbert Center in Birmingham.
- [Alabama’s Population Growth Driven by Changing Factors](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-population-growth-driven-by-changing-factors/): Alabama's population grew faster in 2022 than in any year in more than a decade, with changing factors producing the growth, according to estimates generated by the U.S. Census Bureau.
- [Alabama’s College-Going Rate Begins Recovery; Still Below Pre-Pandemic Rates](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-college-going-rate-begins-recovery-still-below-pre-pandemic-rates/): var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1674250537341'); var vizElement = divElement.getElementsByTagName('object'); vizElement.style.width='100%';vizElement.style.height=(divElement.offsetWidth*0.75)+'px'; var scriptElement = document.createElement('script'); scriptElement.src = 'https://public.tableau.com/javascripts/api/viz_v1.js'; vizElement.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, vizElement);
- [Alabama’s College-Going Rate Begins Recovery; Still Below Pre-Pandemic Rates](https://parcalabama.org/alabamas-college-going-rate-begins-recovery-still-below-pre-pandemic-rates-2/): Alabama’s 2021 public high school graduates entered higher education at a slightly higher rate than the Class of 2020, according to new data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. However, with only 55% of graduates entering higher education the year after graduation, the 2021 rate was still much lower than in the years before the pandemic.
- [How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2022 Edition](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-taxes-compare-2022-edition/): PARCA’s How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2022 Edition, uses data published by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Finances to compare tax revenues across the state. This most recent set of revenue and expenditure data cover state and local fiscal years ending between July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, identified as the fiscal year 2020. That means the state of Alabama’s data is from the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2019.
- [Another Banner Year in Alabama Tax Collections, but Inflation Will Take a Bite](https://parcalabama.org/another-banner-year-in-alabama-tax-collections-but-inflation-will-take-a-bite/): Alabama tax collections grew at an eye-popping rate in the 2022 fiscal year, with particularly strong growth in income tax collections (up 27% over 2021) and online sales (up more than 20%). The strong collections produced surpluses in both primary state accounts, the Education Trust Fund (ETF) and the General Fund (GF).
- [Despite Headwinds, Alabama Gains in 4th Grade Reading and Math](https://parcalabama.org/despite-headwinds-alabama-gains-in-4th-grade-reading-and-math/): Alabama 4th-grade students performed better in both reading and math between 2019 and 2022, leading to improved national rankings for Alabama on The Nation's Report Card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). That progress came despite the pandemic, which took a heavy toll on academic performance nationwide. Nationally, NAEP scale scores recorded their worst drops ever.
- [A New Constitution Plus Additional Amendments on the Nov. 8 Ballot](https://parcalabama.org/a-new-constitution-plus-additional-amendments-on-the-nov-8-ballot/): Beyond the political contests on the November  8th ballot, Alabama voters will decide whether to adopt the Alabama Constitution of 2022, a recompiled version of the current constitution, as well as 10 statewide constitutional amendments. There will also be 19 other state constitutional amendments appearing on the ballots only in the county where those amendments apply.
- [Demographic Change in Alabama, its Counties, and Cities, 2010-2020](https://parcalabama.org/demographic-change-in-alabama-its-counties-and-cities-2010-2020/): Alabama's population became more diverse over the past decade as the number of non-Hispanic Whites declined and more Alabamians identified as being of a different race, a mixture of races, or of Hispanic descent. In 2010, 67% of Alabama's population identified as non-Hispanic White; By 2020, that percentage was down to 63%. That's according to 2020 Census data released earlier this year.
- [State Test Results Showed Across-the-Board Improvement; Gaps Widened Though](https://parcalabama.org/state-test-results-showed-across-the-board-improvement-gaps-widened-though/): Alabama public school students showed increased proficiency in math, science, and English at all grade levels and across virtually all demographic groups in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the recently released results of the statewide standardized test, the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP).
- [How Alabama Compares in the Percentage of the Population Lacking Health Insurance](https://parcalabama.org/how-alabama-compares-in-the-percentage-of-the-population-lacking-health-insurance/): The percentage of Alabamians without health insurance rose between 2019 and 2020, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2020, 11.8% of the population under 65 was uninsured, compared to 11.6% in 2019.
- [Alabama Population Dynamics and Workforce](https://parcalabama.org/alabama-population-dynamics-and-workforce/): Absent immigration from other states or from abroad, Alabama's working-age population is on track to shrink in coming years, according to a PARCA analysis of new population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
- [Progress Made But Over 20% of Alabama 3rd Graders Not Reading on Grade Level](https://parcalabama.org/progress-made-but-over-20-of-alabama-3rd-graders-not-reading-on-grade-level/): Fewer third graders scored below grade level in reading in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to results released by the Alabama Department of Education. Still, 22% or 11,725 students statewide failed to meet that critical educational milestone.
- [Success Plus Initiative – Halfway to Success](https://parcalabama.org/halfway-to-success/): Halfway to 2025, Alabama is slightly behind pace to meet its goal of adding 500,000 new skilled workers to its workforce by 2025, according to a new study commissioned by Gov. Kay Ivey’s office.

## Pages
- [Communication Student Internships](https://parcalabama.org/communication-student-internships/): The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, PARCA, is Alabama’s trusted source for non-partisan, non-ideological research, founded in 1988 by former Governor Albert Brewer. 
- [Research Student Internships](https://parcalabama.org/research-student-internships/): The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, PARCA, is Alabama’s trusted source for non-partisan, non-ideological research, founded in 1988 by former Governor Albert Brewer. 
- [Career Opportunities](https://parcalabama.org/career-opportunities/): If you are interested in news about future job opportunities at PARCA, please check this page and join our  email list.
- [Survey](https://parcalabama.org/survey/): Most Recent Survey
- [About You](https://parcalabama.org/about-you/)
- [Research Archive](https://parcalabama.org/research-archive/): PARCA Research Archive Tool for Comparing Performance on Alabama Public School Standardized Testing ByThomas Spencer September 30, 2026 Education Research Center The State Department of Education released the results of the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) in August. PARCA provides this internet-based data visualization tool to help educators... Read More How Alabama Education Spending Compares ByPARCA Staff September 22, 2026 Education Research Center According to PARCA’s annual Public Opinion Survey, Alabamians of all political identities regularly cite education as the most important service provided by the state government. Better K-12... Read More  New PARCA Education Research Center opens with statewide survey on school funding and choice – Alabamians say schools are underfunded and split evenly on the CHOOSE Act. ByPARCA Staff September 16, 2026 Education Research Center The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama has launched the PARCA Education Research Center, a dedicated center within PARCA that houses the organization’s longstanding education analysis and... Read More “Low-hanging fruit” or “blood out of a turnip”? As tax revenue slows, lawmakers in Alabama and across the United States may turn to court costs. ByLeah Nelson September 10, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Public Safety Sluggish tax collections could set the stage nationally for new hikes in court costs, fines, and fees. That’s according to a recent article by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which observes that “many of... Read More Joint Interim Court Cost Study Commission Recommends Standardization, Transparency, and Reform to “Patchwork” System of Fees ByLeah Nelson August 27, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management For over a decade, PARCA has documented the role of court costs as they exist at the intersection of public finance and public safety, sometimes providing the only analysis of this important source of... Read More SNAP Error is Not SNAP Fraud ByJoe Adams August 20, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Public Health The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, helps people with low incomes buy food. In FY2025, approximately 740,300 Alabamians, or about 14.3% of... Read More Special Congressional Primary Continues Trend of Declining Political Participation in Alabama ByPARCA Staff August 18, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Only 5% of registered voters in the Alabama... Read More PARCA Research Wins National Awards ByMarci Smith July 27, 2026 News & Events New research led by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34... Read More Local Court Fee Increases Associated with Increased Jail Detention, New Research Finds ByLeah Nelson July 7, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Public Safety New research led by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34... Read More Alabama Sees Third-Grade Reading Progress Slow ByPARCA Staff June 30, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. After multiple years of progress, Alabama... Read More Graduation and Readiness Rates Continue to Rise ByThomas Spencer June 22, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Seniors in the graduating class of 2025 set... Read More Cities in the north, south, and east grow fastest; Central cities continue to see population flow to suburbs ByThomas Spencer May 20, 2026 Special Studies,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Growth moderated across most of Alabama... Read More How a Change in Federal Regulations Could Threaten Life-Saving Progress in Alabama’s Opioid Crisis ByLeah Nelson May 14, 2026 Public Health,Special Studies PARCA’s 2026 Annual Forum, “From Crisis to Collaboration: How Data, Policy, and Partnership Saved Lives in Alabama,” spotlighted the multiagency collaboration and bold policy decisions that... Read More Primary Election: Proposed Statewide Amendments Analysis ByMarci Smith May 12, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management Beyond the Democratic and Republican primary elections scheduled for May 19, voters will decide the fate of two statewide amendments to the Alabama Constitution. One would prevent local district... Read More Fewer 2025 High School Grads Passed Workplace Readiness Test ByThomas Spencer May 4, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Special Studies,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Despite the increasing emphasis on college... Read More 2026 PARCA Annual Forum Review ByMarci Smith April 7, 2026 News & Events,Public Health Deaths from drug overdose dropped sharply in 2024 and 2025, due in part to bold policy decisions, the deployment of overdose reversal treatments, and the strategic use of data to target addiction... Read More Houston County: Building A System for Success ByThomas Spencer April 2, 2026 Education Research Center The Houston County School System ranks 129th out of 140 school systems in Alabama in per-pupil expenditures. More than half its students — 57% — qualify as economically disadvantaged, slightly above... Read More Drop in International Migration Slows Net Population Growth in Most of Alabama Counties ByThomas Spencer March 31, 2026 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. Decreasing immigration from abroad slowed... Read More ACT Scores Edge Down; Struggle to Recover from the Pandemic Continues ByThomas Spencer March 16, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center Use the tabs to move between different views of the data and use the menus to focus in on the systems, schools, or subjects that you are most interested in. The average ACT score for 2025 Alabama... Read More Population Growth Slows As Immigration is Curtailed ByThomas Spencer January 29, 2026 Special Studies,Workforce Development Population growth in Alabama and across the country has slowed, particularly when it comes to immigrants coming from abroad, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. The... Read More Keys to Success in College and Career Readiness ByThomas Spencer January 27, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Workforce Development This spring, all Alabama high school graduates will have to earn a marker of college and/or career readiness in order to graduate.1  In this installment of PARCA’s Keys to Success series, we... Read More PARCA Partners with VOICES on the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book ByMarci Smith January 23, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Health,Special Studies VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2025 Alabama Kids Count Data Book yesterday. For the 10th year in a row, PARCA worked with VOICES as a data partner for the project. Since... Read More Higher Expectations Set and Met ByMarci Smith January 6, 2026 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education The Business Education Alliance of Alabama (BEA), with PARCA as its research partner, has released its 2026 report, HIGHER EXPECTATIONS SET AND MET: A Decade of Improving Public Education and... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2025 ByMarci Smith December 30, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Each year, PARCA uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Financesto compare Alabama’s tax collections to all 50 states. The most recent data comes from the2023 Fiscal... Read More New Form Clouds Picture of Public School Enrollment Trends ByThomas Spencer December 19, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education A federally required change in reporting on student race and ethnicity in Alabama public schools has led to a precipitous drop in the reported number and percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in... Read More Mapping Alabama’s Public-Nonprofit Partnership ByMarci Smith December 2, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies Mapping Alabama’s Public–Nonprofit Partnership examines how Alabama’s nonprofit sector functions as an essential partner in the delivery of public services. The report is a collaboration between... Read More Lower Fines and Fees Raise MORE Revenue than Higher Fines and Fees, Study Finds ByLeah Nelson November 20, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Safety New research indicates that lower fines and fees raise more revenue than higher ones, and that a “collections fee” that is supposed to incentivize payment is instead associated with greater debt. The... Read More College-Going Patterns for Recent Alabama Public High School Graduates Shifting ByThomas Spencer November 18, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center More Alabama public high school graduates than ever are going to four-year colleges directly after graduation, according to the most recent figures provided by the Alabama Commission on Higher... Read More State Tax Revenues Cool in FY 2025 ByThomas Spencer October 28, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Tax revenues flowing into Alabama state government returned to a more normal rate of growth in 2025, after several years of unusually high gains. Revenue flowing into both the General Fund and the... Read More Alabama Public School Students Continue Gains in English and Math in both Elementary and Middle School ByThomas Spencer August 26, 2025 Education Research Center,Public Education Alabama students continued steady improvement in English and math across all grade levels on the state’s suite of standardized tests, the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP). The tests are... Read More Underdog Wilcox County Scores Near the Top in Reading ByThomas Spencer August 19, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education This is the first in our new Keys to Success series. The series spotlights schools and school systems that outperform their peers or show remarkable improvement and asks, “What is driving... Read More Jefferson County Sees Lower Homicides and Drug Overdose Deaths So Far in 2025 ByThomas Spencer July 29, 2025 Public Safety,Special Studies Halfway through 2025, Birmingham’s homicide total is half what it was midyear 2024, a dramatic turnaround after a year of record-setting violence.    According to data from the Jefferson... Read More New Data Shows Progress on Third Grade Reading Continues ByThomas Spencer June 24, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Special Studies,Workforce Development 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... Read More Alabama High School Graduation and College and Career Readiness Rates Reached Record Levels in 2024 ByThomas Spencer June 12, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education 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... Read More Alabama’s $60 Billion Question: Potential Reductions in Payments? ByJoe Adams June 3, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies Passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) in the U.S. House has sparked discussions about the impact of reductions in federal funding across the U.S. KFF, a nonprofit policy analysis... Read More Huntsville Continues to Surge, Remaining Big 3 Cities Jockey for Position, while Rural Areas Lose Population in 2024 ByThomas Spencer May 21, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development New population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau place Mobile as the state’s second-largest city, behind booming Huntsville and ahead of Birmingham and Montgomery, both of which saw... Read More Data-informed Decision Making Helps Drive Down Overdose Deaths in 2024 ByThomas Spencer May 19, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Health,Special Studies The sharp drop in overdose deaths in 2024, both nationally and in Jefferson County, wasn’t an accident, according to members of the task force that works to combat the epidemic of drug-related... Read More Alabama’s $60 Billion Question ByJoe Adams April 10, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Alabama relies on federal spending—Alabama residents do, too. Alabama residents receive over $60 billion from the federal government—23% of all personal income. These figures are based on a September... Read More 2025 PARCA Annual Forum Review ByMarci Smith April 7, 2025 News & Events PARCA held its 2025 PARCA Annual Forum – State of Mind: Navigating Alabama’s Mental Health Dilemma on March 7, 2025 at The Harbert Center. Mental health is a statewide concern that... Read More A Varied Pattern of Population Growth and Decline across Alabama Counties ByThomas Spencer March 25, 2025 Education & Workforce Development 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... Read More Alabama High School Class of 2024 Improves on ACT ByThomas Spencer February 18, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center 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... Read More Alabama Makes Notable Early Grade Gains on Nation’s Report Card ByThomas Spencer February 3, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Uncategorized 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... Read More PARCA Annual Forum 2025 – State of Mind: Navigating Alabama’s Mental Health Dilemma ByMarci Smith January 31, 2025 News & Events Join us for the 2025 PARCA Annual Forum! March 7, 2025 at The Harbert Center in Birmingham – 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Mental health is more than a personal challenge—it’s a community concern with... Read More The Alabama Constitution’s Impact on Taxes and Spending ByMarci Smith January 30, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management PARCA is re-examining Alabama’s Constitution in light of the 2022 passage of a revised and reorganized version of the state’s fundamental law. The approval of the Constitution of 2022 was the... Read More Birmingham-Jefferson County Justice Governance Partnership Launched to Strengthen Justice and Opportunity   ByMarci Smith January 29, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies Leaders from city and county government, education, philanthropy, social services, and community are launching a new partnership to decrease violence and increase health and opportunity in Jefferson... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2024 ByThomas Spencer January 27, 2025 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance Each year, PARCA uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Finances to compare Alabama’s tax collections to the other 50 states. The most recent data comes from the 2022... Read More Alabama Grows through Domestic and International Migration ByThomas Spencer January 7, 2025 Education & Workforce Development,Special Studies 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... Read More The Government Closest to the People? ByMarci Smith December 13, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management Alabama voters adopted a revised and reorganized Constitution in 2022. However, the “new” Constitution preserved the fundamental attitudes and mechanics of the previous Constitution... Read More Exploring Seed Investing in Alabama ByMarci Smith December 5, 2024 Public Finance,Workforce Development Economic development—using public funds to incentivize private economic investments—is a core government function practiced by both parties and at all levels of government. Numerous public and... Read More A Final Upside Surprise, Signs of Slower Growth Ahead, Alabama Tax Collections, 2024 ByThomas Spencer November 20, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance Alabama tax revenues continue to trend toward more normal patterns after a wild post-pandemic ride. The Education Trust Fund, powered by state income and sales taxes, grew modestly, collecting 2.2%... Read More New Business Education Alliance Report Examines Investments in Alabama’s Education System, Immediate Outcomes, and Future Needs ByMarci Smith November 5, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development 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... Read More An Analysis of the Proposed Statewide Amendment for the 2024 General Election ByMarci Smith October 30, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management When Alabamians vote on November 5, they will be asked to vote on one statewide amendment. “Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to grant certain sixteenth section and... Read More English Scores Jump with Full Implementation of Literacy Act; Math and Science Mixed Results ByThomas Spencer August 30, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education 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... Read More PARCA Speaker Series featuring Larry Sabato ByMarci Smith July 29, 2024 News & Events PARCA will be hosting our fifth annual Speaker Series event on the evening of Thursday, September 12th at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus. Join us for an unforgettable evening of cocktails and... Read More Major Gains on Reading Scores, More 3rd Graders Reading Sufficiently ByThomas Spencer June 27, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education 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... Read More How Alabama Democracy Compares ByThomas Spencer June 10, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies In recent years, Alabamians’ rate of participation in elections has lagged behind other states as electoral competition has decreased and as the state has failed to adopt measures other states... Read More Most Alabama Cities Grow; Losses Moderate ByThomas Spencer May 21, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Special Studies,Workforce Development 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... Read More Graduation and College and Career Readiness ByThomas Spencer May 6, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Workforce Development More Alabama high school students graduated ready for college or careers in 2023, according to data recently released by the Alabama Department of Education. Printable PDF available here. Students in... Read More PARCA Partners with VOICES on 30th Edition of Alabama Kids Count Data Book ByMarci Smith April 11, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Health,Special Studies,Workforce Development VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2023 Alabama Kids Count Data Book today, marking the 30th edition of the book published by the nonprofit. For the 8th year in a row, PARCA... Read More Huntsville and Baldwin Continue Population Gains, Birmingham Remains in Top 50 of U.S. Metros ByThomas Spencer March 25, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies The Huntsville area and Baldwin County continue to add more new residents, while growth in Shelby County and St. Clair County helped the Birmingham Metro Area return to positive growth after two years... Read More Revisiting PARCA’s Annual Forum ByRyan Hankins March 21, 2024 Government and Operations Management,News & Events,Workforce Development Housing inventory continues to fall, and prices continue to rise. Pressures on the housing market ripple across the economy but may have the most significant impact on middle-income workers – those... Read More Alabama Public Opinion Survey ByMarci Smith March 20, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance,Special Studies PARCA’s most recent public opinion survey finds, once again, aversion to certain taxes, support for public education, and mistrust in state government. At the same time, the survey finds a lack of... Read More More Students Workforce Ready in the Class of 2023 ByThomas Spencer March 14, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The number and percentage of high school seniors graduating workforce-ready rose with the Class of 2023, according to the results of ACT’s WorkKeys Assessment, a test of skills given to public... Read More Alabama ACT Scores Climb ByThomas Spencer March 4, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education ACT Scores for Alabama public high school students improved in 2023, bucking a downward trend nationally and providing another clue that Alabama schools began recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic... Read More Proposed Statewide Amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 2022 ByThomas Spencer February 26, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management Statewide Amendment 1 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, to amend Section 71.01 authorizing the Legislature to sign and transmit local laws or constitutional amendments... Read More The Alabama Constitution Reformed: Is There Still Work to Do? ByThomas Spencer February 19, 2024 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management In 2022, Alabama adopted a “new” constitution, an improved and reorganized version of the Alabama Constitution of 1901. The vote was the culmination of decades of advocacy and was rightly celebrated... Read More PARCA Annual Forum 2024: Housing Alabama’s Workforce ByMarci Smith January 30, 2024 Uncategorized Join us for the 2024 PARCA Annual Forum! March 8, 2024 at The Harbert Center in Birmingham – 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. We know about Alabama’s workforce challenges. We might not know how housing... Read More Shifts in Public School Enrollment Seen in the 2023-2024 Fall Attendance Data ByThomas Spencer January 9, 2024 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Alabama’s public school enrollment is down slightly for the 2023-2024 school year, with a decline in the number of white students enrolled, partially offset by a growing enrollment of Hispanic... Read More Alabama’s Population Growth Accelerating ByThomas Spencer January 4, 2024 Public Health,Special Studies,Workforce Development Alabama’s population increased by 34,000 last year to 5.1 million, driven by increased domestic migration and a decreasing number of deaths, according to the latest population estimates... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2023 ByMarci Smith December 13, 2023 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance Despite the wild gyrations in the economy since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, the latest comparative data from the U.S. Census Bureau finds Alabama in a familiar position: at or near... Read More Alabama State Tax Collections, 2023 ByPARCA Staff November 15, 2023 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance Increases, Decreases, and Trends in the Revenue Supporting State Government The 2023 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, was a mixed year for Alabama revenue collections. After several years of... Read More Data Collection for Hispanic and Latino Alabamians with HICA ByThomas Spencer September 15, 2023 Special Studies,Special Studies According to the 2020 Census, Alabama’s Hispanic and Latino community represented just 5% of Alabama’s population, but between 2010 and 2020, the growth in that demographic accounted for... Read More Changes to the State Standardized Test and its Scoring ByThomas Spencer September 15, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education The Alabama State Board of Education voted on Thursday to change the test score students must earn to be considered reading on grade level by the end of third grade. The change was recommended by... Read More Alabama Standardized Test Scores Rise in 2023 ByThomas Spencer August 11, 2023 Education Research Center,Public Education Alabama public school students improved their performance on statewide standardized tests in 2023, with the percentage of students testing proficient rising across most of the tested grades (3-8) and... Read More New Reading Scores Released As Schools Head Toward Full Literacy Act Implementation ByThomas Spencer June 13, 2023 Education Research Center,Public Education About one-quarter of Alabama third graders were not reading on grade level by the end of third grade, leaving them vulnerable to academic struggles as they progress in school, according to data from... Read More 2022 City and MSA Population Estimates ByThomas Spencer June 1, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies Huntsville continued to surge ahead as Alabama’s three other largest cities lost population to surrounding suburbs. However, the pace of decline slowed in Birmingham and Montgomery, as it did in... Read More E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment ByThomas Spencer May 22, 2023 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Public Finance PARCA’s new report, titled E-Commerce and Taxation: Questions of Efficiency and Equal Treatment, questions whether changes are needed to the state’s Simplified Sellers Use Tax (SSUT). Executive... Read More Grad Rate Dipped, but Career Readiness Climbed for Class 2022 ByThomas Spencer April 20, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development As graduation approaches for the Class of 2023, there’s new data available allowing us to look back on last spring’s graduates. The Class of 2022 faced particular challenges due to the... Read More Most Alabama Counties Grew in 2022, Reversing Trend ByThomas Spencer April 6, 2023 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development People are moving to Alabama, and according to most recent population estimates, the growth is more widespread than it has been. Out of 67 counties, 36 saw population growth between July 1, 2021, and... Read More ACT Scores Fall for the Class of 2022 ByThomas Spencer March 21, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center In Alabama and across the country, average scores on the ACT, the widely-used college readiness test, dropped for the pandemic-plagued Class of 2022, with Alabama scores reaching their lowest point... Read More Who Cares About Childcare? PARCA Annual Forum, 2023 ByThomas Spencer March 14, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development Gov. Kay Ivey identified affordable and high-quality child care as a key priority in her speech to the Public Affairs Research Council’s Annual Forum, held Friday, March 10, at the Harbert... Read More Alabama’s Population Growth Driven by Changing Factors ByThomas Spencer February 8, 2023 Special Studies,Workforce Development Alabama’s population grew faster in 2022 than in any year in more than a decade, with changing factors producing the growth, according to estimates generated by the U.S. Census Bureau. Printable... Read More Alabama’s College-Going Rate Begins Recovery; Still Below Pre-Pandemic Rates ByThomas Spencer January 26, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Alabama’s 2021 public high school graduates entered higher education at a slightly higher rate than the Class of 2020, according to new data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education... Read More Alabama’s College-Going Rate Begins Recovery; Still Below Pre-Pandemic Rates ByThomas Spencer January 26, 2023 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Workforce Development Alabama’s 2021 public high school graduates entered higher education at a slightly higher rate than the Class of 2020, according to new data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. However... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2022 Edition ByMarci Smith December 8, 2022 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Public Finance PARCA’s How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2022 Edition, uses data published by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of State and Local Finances to compare tax revenues across the state. This most recent... Read More Another Banner Year in Alabama Tax Collections, but Inflation Will Take a Bite ByThomas Spencer November 29, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Alabama tax collections grew at an eye-popping rate in the 2022 fiscal year, with particularly strong growth in income tax collections (up 27% over 2021) and online sales (up more than 20%). The... Read More Despite Headwinds, Alabama Gains in 4th Grade Reading and Math ByThomas Spencer October 28, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Alabama 4th-grade students performed better in both reading and math between 2019 and 2022, leading to improved national rankings for Alabama on The Nation’s Report Card, the National Assessment... Read More A New Constitution Plus Additional Amendments on the Nov. 8 Ballot ByThomas Spencer October 26, 2022 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management Beyond the political contests on the November  8th ballot, Alabama voters will decide whether to adopt the Alabama Constitution of 2022, a recompiled version of the current constitution, as well... Read More Demographic Change in Alabama, its Counties, and Cities, 2010-2020 ByThomas Spencer October 19, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Special Studies,Workforce Development Alabama’s population became more diverse over the past decade as the number of non-Hispanic Whites declined and more Alabamians identified as being of a different race, a mixture of races, or of... Read More State Test Results Showed Across the Broad Improvement; Gaps Widened Though ByThomas Spencer October 13, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Alabama public school students showed increased proficiency in math, science, and English at all grade levels and across virtually all demographic groups in the 2021-2022 school year, according to the... Read More How Alabama Compares in the Percentage of the Population Lacking Health Insurance ByThomas Spencer August 18, 2022 Public Health,Special Studies The percentage of Alabamians without health insurance rose between 2019 and 2020, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2020, 11.8% of the population under 65 was... Read More Alabama Population Dynamics and Workforce ByThomas Spencer August 5, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Special Studies,Workforce Development Absent immigration from other states or from abroad, Alabama’s working-age population is on track to shrink in coming years, according to a PARCA analysis of new population estimates from the... Read More Progress Made But Over 20% of Alabama 3rd Graders Not Reading on Grade Level ByThomas Spencer July 21, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Fewer third graders scored below grade level in reading in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to results released by the Alabama Department of Education. Still, 22% or 11,725 students... Read More Success Plus Initiative – Halfway to Success ByThomas Spencer July 19, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Workforce Development Halfway to 2025, Alabama is slightly behind pace to meet its goal of adding 500,000 new skilled workers to its workforce by 2025, according to a new study commissioned by Gov. Kay Ivey’s office. The... Read More Alabama Public Opinion Survey 2022 ByMarci Smith July 14, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance,Special Studies With elections for governor and legislature pending in the fall, Alabamians are united in support for public investment in education and healthcare, divided on how to raise money for new investments... Read More 2021 Population Change in Alabama Cities ByThomas Spencer June 6, 2022 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Uncategorized,Workforce Development Each year, PARCA analyzes population estimates issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. Visualizations of the population estimates and change for the state, counties, and metro areas can be found on our data... Read More State Parks Constitutional Amendment on May Primary Ballot ByThomas Spencer May 13, 2022 Government and Operations Management When voters go to the polls on May 24, they will be asked to vote on a single amendment to the Alabama Constitution of 1901, a proposal to borrow $85 million to pay for repairs and upgrades at... Read More Graduation and College and Career Readiness Rates Steady, Gap Persists ByThomas Spencer May 3, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center With graduation season now upon us, new data allows us to look back at statistics for last May’s public high school graduates, Alabama’s Class of 2021. In 2021, 92% of seniors graduated... Read More PARCA Report Highlights Challenges of Municipal Financial Comparison, Examines City Tax Collections ByThomas Spencer April 28, 2022 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Our 2022 edition of How Alabama Cities Compare (the tenth edition of PARCA’s study of Alabama city finances) introduces a new methodology, highlights the challenges of comparing municipal finances... Read More 2021 Kids Count Data Book provides roadmap for helping Alabama children ByMarci Smith April 25, 2022 Education Research Center,Public Education,Public Health,Special Studies,Special Studies VOICES for Alabama’s Children published the 2021 Alabama Kids Count Data Book this month. For the 6th year in a row, PARCA provided the data and analysis for the project. Since 1994, the Alabama... Read More ACT Scores Down Only a Fraction For the Class of 2021, Despite Pandemic ByThomas Spencer April 7, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The average ACT score for students graduating from Alabama’s public high schools in 2021 was down only slightly, while the national average score fell more steeply, a fact that could be... Read More Deaths outnumber births, but population grows through domestic migration ByThomas Spencer March 31, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Special Studies,Workforce Development New estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that more than half of Alabama counties lost population between July 1, 2020, and July 1, 2021, losses driven by an aging population, a declining... Read More PARCA Annual Forum Resources ByThomas Spencer March 11, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education PARCA’s Annual Forum on March 11, 2022, focused on efforts to improve math and reading education instruction for students in Alabama and Mississippi. The program featured the Superintendents of... Read More New Business Education Alliance Report Calls for Historic Investments in Education and Workforce ByThomas Spencer March 4, 2022 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The recovery from the pandemic presents an opportunity for Alabama to regain momentum by investing in proven strategies for improving reading, math, and college & career readiness argues a new... Read More The Economic Impact of Expanding Medicaid in Alabama ByRyan Hankins January 12, 2022 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance,Public Health Expanding Medicaid coverage in Alabama could save the state almost $400 million per year over the next six years – more than enough to cover the cost of expansion – and have an average positive... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2021 Edition ByThomas Spencer December 21, 2021 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Alabama had the nation’s second-lowest tax collections per capita in 2019. Only Tennessee had lower state and local tax revenue per resident than Alabama. Since the early 1990s, Alabama had the... Read More Fewer Freshmen Assigned to Remedial Education ByThomas Spencer November 9, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Despite the disruptions of the pandemic, Alabama high school graduates who entered college in 2020 were less likely to be assigned to remedial education and thus should be in a better position to... Read More Alabama’s College-Going Rate Down Again for Class of 2020 ByThomas Spencer November 5, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The college-going rate for Alabama public high school graduates declined substantially in 2020, reaching a seven-year low, more than 10% below the rate in 2014. A drop was expected considering the... Read More PARCA Believes ByMarci Smith October 28, 2021 FP - What People Say PARCA BELIEVES Alabama can do better. Sound public policy is essential. It requires open, transparent and responsive government. It is based on fact, pursues a clear goal, and is assessed honestly... Read More Alabama Tax Revenues Surge in 2021 ByThomas Spencer October 26, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Finance By the end of FY 2021, Alabama tax collections had grown at their fastest pace in recent history, fueled by economic recovery from pandemic shutdowns and by unprecedented injections of federal... Read More Results of New Statewide Tests Tell Both Familiar and Alarming Story ByThomas Spencer October 19, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education After a year and a half of Covid-clouded schooling, only about half of Alabama students, grades 3-8, scored proficient in reading, and less than a quarter reached the proficient level in math on the... Read More Remembering Don Dailey, 1955 – 2021 ByRyan Hankins October 12, 2021 Uncategorized PARCA Senior Research Analyst Dr. Don Dailey died October 9, 2021. A graduate of Birmingham’s Banks High School, Don earned a bachelor’s and masters from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. from... Read More Experience with Digital Learning Helped Piedmont Exceed Expectations Despite Covid ByThomas Spencer October 5, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Print full analysis here. When the pandemic closed schools in March 2020, Piedmont City Schools didn’t have to scramble to purchase laptops. The system didn’t have to figure out how to get their... Read More Due to Covid, Fewer High School Grads Rate as College and Career Ready ByThomas Spencer August 3, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Despite the pandemic, Alabama public schools maintained a high on-time graduation rate in 2020. However, the number and percentage of students meeting the state’s definition of college and... Read More Work Readiness Test Results Affected by Covid and the Now-Optional Nature of the Test ByThomas Spencer May 27, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Between 2015 and 2019, an increasing number and percentage of Alabama students earned high marks on the ACT’s WorkKeys, a standardized test designed to measure skills in workplace applications... Read More Alabama Public Opinion Survey 2021 ByMarci Smith May 25, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance PARCA’s 2021 public opinion survey finds a growing majority of Alabamians support spending more on education but a lack of consensus on how to pay for the increase. Among the findings: Taxes 61% of... Read More Deaths Exceed Births but Surge in Domestic Migration Powers Alabama Population Growth ByThomas Spencer May 18, 2021 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate a growing number of people moving to Alabama prior to the Covid pandemic, which helped offset population loss due to a rising death rate and declining... Read More ACT Scores Down for the Class of 2020 ByThomas Spencer April 29, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Workforce Development Average ACT scores for Alabama public high school graduates declined with the graduating class of 2020, with students now scoring lower than they did five years ago. The results mirror a national... Read More Fewer Alabama Students Assigned to Remedial Education ByThomas Spencer April 20, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The number and percentage of Alabama public high school graduates assigned to remedial courses upon entering college continued to decline in 2019, one measure of academic progress for K-12 schools and... Read More Stop the Slide, Start the Climb: Concepts to Enable Alabama Students to Achieve Their Fullest Potential ByMarci Smith April 5, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education In March, the nonprofit Business Education Alliance commissioned PARCA to provide research describing the unprecedented challenges and opportunities in education faced by the state in this moment. For... Read More Alabama’s College-Going Rate Declines With the Class of 2019 ByThomas Spencer March 9, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Even before the arrival of the Coronavirus, the number and percentage of Alabama high school graduates entering higher education after graduation was falling. According to new data from the Alabama... Read More Corporal Punishment in Alabama and the US ByThomas Spencer February 24, 2021 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education Significantly fewer students are receiving corporal punishment in Alabama, according to a new dataset released by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and analyzed by the Public... Read More A Congressional Seat in Danger ByThomas Spencer January 11, 2021 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management The big count with major consequences for Alabama continues, and it looks like it will come down to a very tight margin. The decennial census for 2020, the official count of people living in the... Read More Jefferson County Mayors Study Municipal Cooperation on Jails ByThomas Spencer January 5, 2021 Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management Taking population into consideration, Jefferson County may have more jails than any other major county in the U.S., and the county’s mayors are investigating options for decreasing the liability... Read More 2020 Kids Count Data Book provides roadmap for helping Alabama children ByMarci Smith December 17, 2020 Education Research Center,Public Education,Public Health,Special Studies,Special Studies VOICES for Alabama’s Children recently released its 2020 Alabama Kids Count Data Book last month. This annual statistical portrait is meant to provide a roadmap for policymakers who seek to... Read More 2019 Likely a High Point for High School Graduation and Readiness ByThomas Spencer December 15, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development Alabama’s high school seniors of 2019 graduated at the highest rate the state has ever reported, 92%. And, a greater proportion of those students, 80%, were rated college and career ready than... Read More Cooperating for Growth in the Wiregrass ByThomas Spencer December 3, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Government and Operations Management,Workforce Development Before the Coronavirus pandemic, economic developers in Southeast Alabama recognized the advantages of pulling together as a region rather than each city and county trying to recruit new industry... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2020 Edition ByThomas Spencer November 5, 2020 Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Alabama had the nation’s second-lowest tax collections per capita in 2018, the first time since the 1990s that any other state — in this case Tennessee — had lower state and local... Read More Alabama Tax Revenues Remarkably Resilient in 2020 ByThomas Spencer October 15, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Finance Tax revenue flowing into Alabama’s General Fund and Education Trust Fund held up surprisingly well in 2020 fiscal year in spite of the Coronavirus pandemic, thanks to an extremely strong state economy... Read More Proposed Statewide Amendment Analysis for November 3 ByMarci Smith October 8, 2020 Government and Operations Management When voters go to the polls on November 3, they will not only be voting in the primary race for President, Vice-President, one U.S. Senate seat, seven U.S. House of Representatives, multiple state... Read More Raising Educational Attainment by Keeping College Graduates ByThomas Spencer September 30, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Workforce Development Only about half the students who earn four-year degrees from Alabama colleges are found to be working in the state five years after graduation, according to a new study by the Alabama Commission on... Read More Agenda for Alabama’s Third Century: Raising Educational Attainment for All ByThomas Spencer September 1, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Workforce Development While Alabama continues to gain on other states in the percentage of adults with a high school diploma, it is falling further behind the national average when it comes to the percentage of the... Read More Alabama First Class Pre-K Research Gains National Exposure ByMarci Smith August 7, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education The National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER) at Rutgers University has recognized research on the persistence of the impact of First Class Pre-K. Researchers from the University of... Read More The 2020 Census: Is Alabama Census Falling Short? ByRyan Hankins August 6, 2020 Government and Operations Management The 2020 Census is nearing its end—and apparently earlier than expected. NPR first reported that the U.S. Census Bureau plans to end the door-to-door count at the end of September rather than at the... Read More COVID-19 and Public Education: Lessons Learned Last Spring ByMarci Smith July 21, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Public Health Alabama schools are set to re-open in August, with plans for local systems to offer educational services through traditional on-campus schools, remote on-line education, and a hybrid of traditional... Read More School Discipline and Race in Alabama ByMarci Smith July 1, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education Black students face harsher disciplinary measures than white students for similar offenses, a PARCA review of public school disciplinary records has found. Meanwhile, Alabama is one of few states... Read More A Statement from PARCA ByRyan Hankins June 18, 2020 News & Events PARCA—the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama— works to inform and improve state and local government in Alabama through independent, objective, nonpartisan research. We pursue this work to... Read More New estimates show Huntsville as the state’s second-largest city. ByThomas Spencer June 8, 2020 Special Studies Huntsville’s population grew past Montgomery’s and crossed the 200,000 mark in 2019, making the Rocket City the second largest city in Alabama. If those estimates are accurate and current... Read More 2019 ACT WorkKeys: Preparing Students for Work in a Time of Uncertainty ByMarci Smith May 20, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Public Education,Workforce Development High school seniors and recent graduates are preparing to enter a workforce that has been disrupted, hopefully only temporarily. In a matter of weeks, the nation has gone from record low unemployment... Read More College Freshmen in Need of Remedial Education ByMarci Smith May 4, 2020 Education & Workforce Development The percentage of first-time college students from Alabama public high schools assigned to remedial courses in math and English has continued to drop overall and, in the most recent data available... Read More Billions Coming to Alabama through the CARES Act ByRyan Hankins May 1, 2020 Public Finance,Uncategorized Alabama is in line to receive more than $2.47 billion from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act signed into law by President Trump on March 27. A supplemental act passed... Read More Re-Opening Alabama: Congressional Recommendations ByRyan Hankins April 28, 2020 Government and Operations Management,Public Health Alabama’s seven congressional representatives issued recommendations on re-opening Alabama’s economy to Governor Ivey last week. Governor Ivey plans to announce her decision on April 28. Guidelines... Read More Alabama ACT Scores for the Class of 2019 ByMarci Smith April 20, 2020 Education & Workforce Development Alabama public high school students’ performance on the ACT was down slightly in 2019 for the second straight year, after hitting a high point in 2017. Alabama students’ average score was 18.9 on a... Read More Alabama Public Opinion Survey 2020 ByMarci Smith April 9, 2020 Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Public Finance PARCA’s 2020 Public Opinion Survey, completed before the onset of the COVID-19 in the U.S., hints at the challenges state policymakers will face in responding to the pandemic.   The... Read More 2018 College-Going Rates for Alabama High Schools ByMarci Smith April 6, 2020 Education & Workforce Development PARCA is sensitive to the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic. We are responding with reports we hope are helpful. It is also important to continue moving forward. History tells us that disease has... Read More COVID-19: Data and Resources ByRyan Hankins April 2, 2020 Government and Operations Management In support of the work of the government and health care professionals involved in the Coronavirus containment effort, PARCA is gathering information and resources as the situation unfolds. Check back... Read More COVID-19: The Alabama Legislature’s Response ByRyan Hankins March 31, 2020 Government and Operations Management The Alabama Legislature’s two-week recess is over, but the session will not resume on March 31. No date has been set to reconvene either house. The Legislature is constitutionally mandated to... Read More 2019 Alabama County and MSA Population Trends ByThomas Spencer March 30, 2020 Government and Operations Management The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show a more broadly distributed pattern of population growth in 2019 with continued and accelerating strength in north Alabama counties and a surge... Read More The 2020 Census: Alabamians Are Responding ByRyan Hankins March 26, 2020 Government and Operations Management While the COVID-19 pandemic rightly consumes so much of our attention, it is important—and perhaps comforting—to remember that other important aspects of public life continue. One of these is... Read More Emergency Virus Containment Measures Extended Statewide ByThomas Spencer March 19, 2020 Uncategorized State Health Officer Scott Harris, on March 19, issued a statewide ban on gatherings of 25 people or more, ordered restaurants to cease dine-in service, prohibited visitation at nursing homes, closed... Read More Alabama State and Local Resources for following Coronavirus COVID-19 ByThomas Spencer March 17, 2020 Special Studies See the menu at the top of the PARCA homepage: Updated information available at PARCA’s Coronavirus Resource page Responding to the spread of Cornavirus, Alabama’s State Health Officer ordered... Read More Help Wanted: Alabama’s Labor Force Participation Problem ByThomas Spencer March 6, 2020 Education & Workforce Development Alabama has record low unemployment, one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And yet, the percentage of Alabamians actually working is lower than almost any other state. This seeming... Read More 2019 Test Results for State Schools Show Little Change in Student Proficiency Levels ByMarci Smith March 2, 2020 Education & Workforce Development Alabama is scheduled to implement its new state education tests this spring. In the meantime, statewide results from the Scantron assessment in 2019 have been released by the Alabama State Department... Read More Analysis of Amendment One: Proposing an Appointed State Board of Education ByMarci Smith February 18, 2020 Public Education Before each election, PARCA provides an analysis of proposed statewide amendments to the Alabama Constitution. When voters go to the polls on March 3, they’ll not only be voting in the primary... Read More Newly released “Education Matters” report assesses the progress of public education in supporting Alabama’s workforce initiative ByMarci Smith February 10, 2020 Public Education In 2020, Alabama is in the midst of one of the most significant workforce initiatives in the state’s history. Reports have highlighted the need for 500,000 additional highly skilled workers by 2025... Read More Alabama’s Third Century ByThomas Spencer February 4, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Government and Operations Management,Public Education,Special Studies Alabama spent 2019 looking back at its first 200 years of statehood. In 2020, it seems appropriate to look forward to the next 100. PARCA’s annual meeting, held Friday at Birmingham’s... Read More PARCA Roundtable Announces Class of 2020 ByMarci Smith January 6, 2020 News & Events The PARCA Roundtable Class of 2020 was announced in late December. The PARCA Roundtable is a member-based organization of young, civic and business leaders interested in broadening their understanding... Read More Alabama May be Catching on but Not Enough to Catch up ByThomas Spencer January 3, 2020 Education & Workforce Development,Special Studies New estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show Alabama attracting more migrants from other U.S. states, but the state likely doesn’t have enough population momentum to avoid losing a congressional... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2019 Edition ByThomas Spencer December 19, 2019 Government and Operations Management Despite gaining some ground in 2017, Alabama state and local governments still collected less in taxes than state and local governments in any other state on a per capita basis. That’s been true... Read More The 2020 Census: What’s at Stake for the State of Alabama ByMarci Smith November 12, 2019 Government and Operations Management Alabama is at risk of losing federal funding, a congressional seat, and an Electoral College vote. These outcomes are based on projected results of the 2020 Census. The 22nd decennial census, mandated... Read More Mississippi’s Progress Not a Surprise; It was Part of a Plan ByThomas Spencer November 7, 2019 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Public Education When the 2019 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were released last week, the good news was that fourth-grade students in our neighbor state, Mississippi, scored at the... Read More Another Year of Strong Growth in Alabama Tax Collections ByThomas Spencer November 5, 2019 Government and Operations Management The thriving economy produced another year of surging tax collections for Alabama’s General Fund and Education Trust Fund (ETF), the two primary accounts that provide state funding for government... Read More ACT WorkKeys – An Assessment of Workforce Readiness Among High School Graduates in Alabama ByMarci Smith October 22, 2019 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development The WorkKeys Assessment is a standardized test given to 12th graders in Alabama public schools. The assessment is meant to measure skills relevant to many of today’s work environments. In 2018:... Read More Cooperating for the Sake of Self-interest ByThomas Spencer October 16, 2019 Government and Operations Management Any effort to promote cooperation between governments quickly runs into skepticism. Cities and their citizens are self-interested, the thinking goes. They are not going to give up their advantages... Read More College and Career Readiness in Alabama ByMarci Smith September 23, 2019 Education & Workforce Development,Education Research Center,Public Education,Workforce Development In 2012, the Alabama State Board of Education adopted Plan 2020, which embraced a vision for the state education system led by the motto: “Every child a graduate. Every graduate prepared.” The plan... Read More Local Government 3.0 ByThomas Spencer September 18, 2019 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies The following feature, which describes an alliance between the City of Montevallo, The University of Montevallo (UM), and Shelby County, marks the launch of an occasional series on creative... Read More First Class Pre-K lowers discipline rates for students middle and high school years ByMarci Smith July 26, 2019 Education & Workforce Development Children who have participated in Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program, a voluntary, public early education program are about half as likely to be involved in disciplinary problems throughout their... Read More Population Change in Alabama Cities 2018 ByThomas Spencer July 1, 2019 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies,Workforce Development Huntsville continues its trajectory towards becoming Alabama’s largest city, while Birmingham, Montgomery, and Mobile continue to drift lower, according to the most recent city population... Read More Practices of Top Gaining Schools on the ACT ByThomas Spencer May 29, 2019 Education & Workforce Development After publishing ACT results for the graduating Class of 2018, PARCA contacted several of the schools and systems in Alabama that showed the largest improvement in average composite ACT scores between... Read More Alabama County and MSA Population Trends ByThomas Spencer May 21, 2019 Government and Operations Management The latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show continued strong growth in the Huntsville metropolitan statistical area (MSA), slightly positive growth in the Birmingham MSA, and slight declines... Read More How Do States Choose State Boards of Education and State Superintendents? ByMarci Smith May 20, 2019 Public Education The Alabama Legislature is currently considering a bill that would potentially overhaul state education governance and policymaking as it relates to K—12 public schools in the state. The bill, which... Read More Alabama High School ACT Scores for the Class of 2018 ByThomas Spencer April 15, 2019 Education & Workforce Development Alabama public high school students’ performance on the ACT was down slightly in 2018, after hitting a high point in 2017. Alabama students’ average score was 19.1 on a 36-point scale, compared to... Read More Revisiting How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2018 ByThomas Spencer April 15, 2019 Government and Operations Management With just a few hours remaining to file state and federal taxes, revisit our 2018 analysis of state and local taxes, originally published in December 2018. Alabama’s state and local governments... Read More Prisons, education, taxes, trust in government. What do Alabamians think? ByRyan Hankins April 10, 2019 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management See the Full Survey A slight majority of Alabamians oppose building new prisons, but an overwhelming majority support expanding rehabilitation and re-entry programs for people leaving prison... Read More Jefferson County Mayors Cooperate on Pact to Prevent Intercity Business Poaching ByThomas Spencer April 3, 2019 Government and Operations Management Mayors from 22 cities in Jefferson County signed a “Good Neighbor Pledge” Wednesday, committing their cities to a set of economic development ground rules designed to prevent incentive... Read More Lower Percentage of College Freshmen in Need of Remedial Education ByThomas Spencer March 27, 2019 Education & Workforce Development The percentage of first-time college students assigned to remedial education before embarking on college courses continues to drop, according to the latest data provided by the Alabama Commission on... Read More College-Going Rates for Alabama High Schools ByThomas Spencer March 26, 2019 Education & Workforce Development The college-going rate for Alabama public high school graduates declined in 2017, and for the first time in three years, the number of high school graduates who went on college declined as well... Read More Leaders in the Shoals Seek Greater Collaboration ByThomas Spencer March 18, 2019 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies Energized by a climate of opportunity and a burst of positive attention for the region, civic leaders in the Shoals have launched a new effort to improve the economy and quality of life through... Read More Making the Workforce System Work for Alabama ByThomas Spencer March 13, 2019 Education & Workforce Development Alabama has a record low unemployment rate, with employers hungry for employees. It is a moment of great opportunity to move more Alabamians into the workforce with the skills and education... Read More Alabama’s Prison System: A Crisis in Corrections ByRyan Hankins March 5, 2019 Government and Operations Management How we view, value, and fund the justice system generally, and prisons, in particular, is complex and value-laden, particularly in Alabama. Our prisons have been marked by violence, overcrowding, poor... Read More The Lasting Effect of Alabama First Class Pre-K ByMarci Smith January 28, 2019 Education & Workforce Development Students who attended the First Class Pre-K program in Alabama are more likely to be proficient in reading and math compared to other students — and this academic advantage persists over time. This is... Read More At 199, Alabama Still Growing, but Slowly ByThomas Spencer January 22, 2019 Special Studies As Alabama approaches its 200th birthday, the state is still adding population but at a slower rate than most of its Southeastern neighbors. The U.S. Census Bureau released new state-level population... Read More PARCA collaborates on new research showing Alabama’s First Class Pre-K students are performing better on academic assessments than others ByMarci Smith January 7, 2019 Education & Workforce Development Alabama public school students who participated in the state’s publicly funded First Class Pre-K program performed better on academic assessments than those who did not, and the improved performance... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare, 2018 Report ByMarci Smith December 12, 2018 Government and Operations Management Alabama’s state and local governments collect less per capita in taxes than state and local governments in any other state in the union, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Annually... Read More Surging economy boosts Alabama 2018 General Fund and ETF Revenues ByThomas Spencer October 24, 2018 Government and Operations Management Thanks to a booming economy, Alabama saw significantly increased revenue to both the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund (ETF) in 2018, with collections far exceeding expectations. By the... Read More PARCA Statewide Constitutional Amendment Analysis ByMarci Smith October 23, 2018 Government and Operations Management When voters go to the polls on November 6, they’ll not only be electing a governor, legislators, and other state and local officials, they’ll also be asked to vote on 19 new amendments to... Read More K-12 Education Ranks as the #1 Priority Among Alabama Voters ByMarci Smith October 19, 2018 Education & Workforce Development In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Healthcare Ranks #2 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith October 17, 2018 Special Studies In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Government Corruption and Ethics Ranks #3 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith October 4, 2018 Government and Operations Management In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Mental Health and Substance Abuse Ranks #4 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith September 26, 2018 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Poverty and Homelessness Ranks #5 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith September 17, 2018 Special Studies In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More PARCA Annual Survey Addresses Representation in State Government, Public Education and Payday Loans ByMarci Smith September 12, 2018 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies PARCA collaborated with Samford University to conduct our annual telephone survey of Alabama citizens between June 4 and July 18, 2018. The survey was directed by Dr. Randolph Horn and was under the... Read More Jobs and the Economy Ranks #6 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith September 6, 2018 Education & Workforce Development In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Crime and Public Safety Ranks #7 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith August 28, 2018 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Job Training and Workforce Development Ranks #8 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith August 21, 2018 Education & Workforce Development In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More PARCA Wins National Award for Research on Regional Cooperation ByMarci Smith August 17, 2018 Government and Operations Management The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama’s research report Together We Can: Charting a Course to Cooperation for Greater Birmingham received national recognition by the Governmental... Read More An Evening with The Capitol Steps ByMarci Smith August 17, 2018 News & Events Join us for an uproarious night of musical political satire with The Capitol Steps, benefiting the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 AT 7:30 P.M. AT BIRMINGHAM’S... Read More Newly released “Leadership Matters” report examines reinventing schools through key leaders ByMarci Smith August 14, 2018 Education & Workforce Development Last weekend at the Business Council of Alabama’s Governmental Affairs Conference, the Business Education Alliance unveiled its latest report, produced by the Public Affairs Research Council of... Read More The State’s Image Ranks #9 among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith August 9, 2018 Government and Operations Management,Special Studies In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most concern them... Read More Tax Reform Ranks #10 Among Alabama Voter Priorities ByMarci Smith July 19, 2018 Government and Operations Management Background In late 2017, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) surveyed Alabama voters to determine their thoughts about the general direction of the state and the issues that most... Read More Alabama Class of 2017 High School Graduation, College and Career, ACT and WorkKeys Results ByThomas Spencer June 21, 2018 Education & Workforce Development In this graduation season, we take a look back at some encouraging educational statistics for last year’s graduating class, the Class of 2017. For the Class of 2017, the final tally for the state high... Read More The Priorities of Alabama Voters ByMarci Smith June 15, 2018 Education & Workforce Development,Government and Operations Management,Special Studies In 2018, Alabamians will elect a governor and five other statewide executive branch officers, 140 legislators, and scores of local officials. Those elected will lead Alabama for the next four years... Read More Thank God For Mississippi: They’re Leading the Way on Educational Progress ByThomas Spencer May 24, 2018 Education & Workforce Development At least in terms of education, it’s time to retire the old Alabama catchphrase, “Thank God for Mississippi.” It’s an easy response when the latest list comes out that finds... Read More ACT Aspire: 2017 Results and a Final Look Back ByThomas Spencer May 22, 2018 Education & Workforce Development The ACT Aspire, a suite of standardized tests given statewide to students in grades 3-8 and 10, has been the State of Alabama’s primary tool for measuring the academic progress of Alabama public... Read More PARCA Gubernatorial Candidate Forum Brings Leaders Together to Discuss Alabama Priorities ByMarci Smith May 18, 2018 Government and Operations Management,News & Events This past Wednesday, May 16th, PARCA held a 2018 Gubernatorial Candidate Forum at Woodrow Hall in Birmingham. The event was hosted by the PARCA Roundtable, PARCA’s young professionals’... Read More Population Change in Alabama Counties and Metro Areas ByThomas Spencer April 24, 2018 Special Studies As a follow-up to PARCA’s previous post on estimated changes to Alabama’s population in comparison to other states, we now present recent U.S. Census estimates of population change in... Read More Alabama Grows, but Slowly, Weighed Down by High Death Rate and Low Rate of International Migration ByThomas Spencer March 15, 2018 Special Studies Alabama’s pace of population growth increased in 2017, but the state remains slow-growing compared to most of its Southeastern neighbors, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau... Read More College-Going Rates for Alabama High Schools ByThomas Spencer February 8, 2018 Education & Workforce Development With population growth and a rising high school graduation rate, Alabama’s high schools are producing more graduates and they are sending more graduates, in absolute numbers, to higher education... Read More Alabama Priorities makes its debut ByMarci Smith February 6, 2018 Government and Operations Management What issues most concern Alabamians? What options do policy makers have to address these issues? These are the questions behind Alabama Priorities – a new initiative of the Public Affairs Research... Read More Better Revenue in 2017 Means Easier Budgeting in the New Year ByThomas Spencer January 9, 2018 Government and Operations Management As the Alabama Legislature returns to Montgomery today, it faces an unusual situation: a relatively stable financial picture. Both the state’s main checking accounts, the General Fund and the... Read More How Alabama Taxes Compare ByMarci Smith December 19, 2017 Government and Operations Management Since late 1988, the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama has produced an analysis of Alabama’s tax revenues. Relying on the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual survey of state and local... Read More Progress Made on Remedial Education ByThomas Spencer December 11, 2017 Education & Workforce Development The latest statistics from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) show that Alabama high schools are making progress in producing graduates who are ready for college-level coursework... Read More How Alabama Roads Compare, 2017 ByMarci Smith December 4, 2017 Special Studies PARCA’s latest report, How Alabama Roads Compare, provides an in-depth analysis of the conditions, funding and future of our state’s roads and bridges. Data presented in the report can... Read More Student Achievement Matters: The Future of Student Assessment in Alabama ByMarci Smith August 25, 2017 Education & Workforce Development In June 2017, the Alabama State Board of Education voted to cancel its contract with ACT for the administration of the ACT Aspire, a suite of standardized tests which, for the past four years, has... Read More Together We Can – Charting a Course to Cooperation for Greater Birmingham ByMarci Smith June 21, 2017 Government and Operations Management PARCA’s latest report, commissioned by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, focuses on the fragmentation of the Birmingham region, the challenges it causes, and potential solutions... Read More PARCA Roundtable Legislative Symposium ByMarci Smith June 5, 2017 News & Events The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama and the PARCA Roundtable will be hosting the PARCA Roundtable Legislative Symposium on June 23, 2017 from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. at The Harbert Center in... Read More PARCA compares municipal finances in Alabama, gets mayors’ perspective ByMarci Smith April 21, 2017 Government and Operations Management How Alabama Cities Finances Compare How Alabama City Finances Compare is the ninth edition of PARCA’s study of Alabama city finances. This report provides basic information on municipal... Read More PARCA’s 2017 Public Opinion Survey Results are Here ByMarci Smith April 18, 2017 Government and Operations Management Today, PARCA released the results of its annual public opinion survey. The poll of over 350 Alabama residents was conducted by Randolph Horn, Samford University, Professor of Political Science and... Read More Number and Percentage of Workforce Ready Graduates Increased in 2016 ByMarci Smith April 10, 2017 Education & Workforce Development Just over 60 percent of Alabama’s 2016 high school graduates scored “workforce ready” in 2016, according to new results from ACT’s WorkKeys assessment. The Class of... Read More Remembering PARCA Founder Former Governor Albert Brewer ByThomas Spencer January 3, 2017 News & Events We at the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama remember our founder, Governor Albert P. Brewer, who died January 2, 2017, at the age of 88. Gov. Brewer was a lifelong champion of equitable... Read More 2016 Aspire Results for the Schools and Systems ByThomas Spencer November 10, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Click here to print New data show Alabama students improving performance in math, reading, and science on the ACT Aspire, the year-end standardized tests given to students across Alabama. In all three... Read More 2016 ACT Results by System and School ByThomas Spencer November 7, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Click here to print Alabama’s 2016 school and system-level results for the ACT, the widely-known test of college readiness, are now available. With the interactive charts posted below, you can... Read More What is the Budget Reform Task Force Studying? ByThomas Spencer November 7, 2016 Government and Operations Management The Alabama Legislature’s Joint Legislative Task Force on Budget Reform met for a third time this week in Montgomery continuing its search for solutions to Alabama’s perennial problems... Read More Lackluster 2016 Receipts to General Fund and ETF ByThomas Spencer October 31, 2016 Government and Operations Management Both the accounts that pay for state government operations, the General Fund and the Education Trust Fund (ETF), ended the 2016 Fiscal Year basically flat when compared to the previous year, a... Read More Constitutional Amendments on the November Ballot ByThomas Spencer October 20, 2016 Government and Operations Management When Alabama voters go to the polls on November 8, they will be asked to consider adding 35 more amendments to the Alabama Constitution. PARCA has compiled a summary of each of the 14 amendments that... Read More New College-Going Rates by High School ByThomas Spencer October 13, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Click here to print What percentage of the graduates from your local high school go on to college? Where do they go? To four-year universities or two-year colleges? In-state or out-of-state? Private... Read More First Meeting of Task Force on Budget Reform Wednesday ByThomas Spencer September 26, 2016 Government and Operations Management A newly formed Joint Legislative Task Force on Budget Reform meets for the first time this week in Montgomery: a group of House and Senate members tasked with studying and recommending changes to the... Read More Exceeding Expectations: Keys to Alabama’s Student Success ByMarci Smith August 17, 2016 Education & Workforce Development The latest report by PARCA was released last week at the Business Council of Alabama’s 2016 Governmental Affairs Conference. The report, entitled “Exceeding Expectations: Keys to Alabama’s... Read More PARCA Wins National Award for Education Research ByMarci Smith August 1, 2016 Education & Workforce Development,News & Events PARCA’s research reports on education funding, Alabama’s education performance, and plans for its improvement received national recognition by the Governmental Research Association (GRA) at... Read More 2016 Tuscaloosa Education Summit ByMarci Smith June 9, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Tuscaloosa’s annual Education Summit, organized by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, was held on Wednesday, June 8th at the Bryant Conference Center at the University of Alabama. The... Read More 2015 WorkKeys Assessments for Alabama Schools and Systems ByThomas Spencer March 21, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Click here to print this post In 2015, for the first time, all high school seniors took a new assessment test, WorkKeys, designed to determine whether students are learning the skills they need to... Read More 2015 ACT Results by System and High School ByThomas Spencer March 15, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Click here to print this post. We now have the 2015 results for the ACT, the widely-known test of college readiness. With interactive charts posted below, you can explore how well your local public... Read More 2015 Aspire Results for Systems and Schools ByThomas Spencer February 25, 2016 Education & Workforce Development Want to explore how your local public school system or school performed on the statewide benchmark test, the ACT Aspire? Using Aspire results, PARCA works with local school systems to analyze... Read More PARCA Annual Meeting Additional Materials ByThomas Spencer February 5, 2016 Government and Operations Management PARCA’s Annual Meeting was held in Birmingham on Friday, February 5. Its focus was Alabama’s process for formulating budgets. PARCA’s description of current budget issues can be... Read More Resources for Understanding Alabama's Budget Process ByThomas Spencer February 1, 2016 Government and Operations Management As February approaches, the Legislature is preparing to return to Montgomery for yet another tough session of struggling with Alabama’s budgets. The Governor’s Office is in the process of... Read More PARCA Annual Survey of Public Opinion 2016 ByThomas Spencer January 29, 2016 Government and Operations Management In January 2016, The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama conducted its annual poll of public opinion. This is the 10th year of the survey. This year, the survey focuses on revenue and spending... Read More College-Going Rates by High School ByThomas Spencer December 17, 2015 Education & Workforce Development The Alabama Commission on Higher Education has produced a new set of data that gives a more complete picture of the college-going rate statewide and for individual high schools. According to the data... Read More Lowest Per Capita Tax Collections in the Nation ByThomas Spencer December 4, 2015 Government and Operations Management Alabama once again ranks last in per capita state and local tax collections, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama has consistently maintained its No. 50 ranking since the... Read More Education Trust Fund Grows but School Spending Still Behind ByThomas Spencer November 20, 2015 Education & Workforce Development,Public Finance Receipts to Alabama’s Education Trust Fund grew by 4.2 percent in FY2015, according to year-end revenue reports, allowing the state to finish repaying the education’s borrowing from the... Read More From Governing: How Mobile, Alabama, Used Instagram to Address Blight ByThomas Spencer November 20, 2015 Government and Operations Management Like many cities, Mobile, Ala., didn’t even know how many blighted properties it had. Instagram offered a cheap and simple way to start figuring that out. Mobile’s use of social media... Read More General Fund Sputters Along ByThomas Spencer November 12, 2015 Government and Operations Management Despite the healthy economy, the state’s General Fund posted its usual sputtering performance in 2015, according to the state’s year-end revenue collection reports. The General Fund, which supports... Read More Alabama Brings Home Disappointing Results on Nation’s Report Card ByThomas Spencer October 30, 2015 Education & Workforce Development The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) is a battery of tests given every two years to a representative sample of students in all 50 states. The test is designed to serve as a national... Read More Measuring Performance in Higher Education ByThomas Spencer October 26, 2015 Education & Workforce Development K-12 education has been, in recent years, the subject of a massive amount of data-gathering and analysis. From individual classrooms to state boards of education, data is being used to evaluate, to... Read More PARCA Talks State Budget ByMarci Smith September 30, 2015 Government and Operations Management With the passage of the state’s general fund budget last week, PARCA Senior Research Associate Tom Spencer took a moment to sit down with WBHM’s Andrew Yeager to provide an overview of the... Read More Alabama Statewide ACT Results for 2015 ByThomas Spencer September 25, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Alabama’s 2015 graduating class was the first in which all students took the well-known college readiness test, the ACT. New state-level reports on the 2015 results provide a wealth of information... Read More Back to the Basics on Taxes and Budgeting ByThomas Spencer August 25, 2015 Government and Operations Management With the Governor and Legislature still at odds over how to solve a $250 million shortfall in the state’s General Fund, we thought it would be useful to again call attention to two essential... Read More Alabama Strategies for National Problem of Teacher Shortages ByThomas Spencer August 19, 2015 Education & Workforce Development PARCA’s new Teachers Matter report, commissioned by the Business Education Alliance, identifies Alabama-specific strategies for recruiting and retaining teachers. The report’s release... Read More PARCA Briefs BCA on Teacher Quality and Progress in Public Education ByThomas Spencer August 16, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Alabama public schools have made substantial progress in raising high school graduation rates, but must continue to improve student performance on measures of college and career readiness. To do... Read More The Poverty vs. Performance Challenge ByThomas Spencer June 30, 2015 Education & Workforce Development PARCA continues to explore the results of the state’s new standardized test, the Aspire, and is developing new ways of looking at the data. Aspire was developed by the same testing company that... Read More Setting the Course for Continuous Improvement in Tuscaloosa City and County Schools ByThomas Spencer June 30, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Thanks to Plan 2020, the state’s strategic plan for improving the state’s public schools, schools and the communities they serve have increased access to data on school performance... Read More PARCA Director Jim Williams Retires, Search for New Director Begins ByMarci Smith June 10, 2015 News & Events Jim Williams, who has served as PARCA’s executive director since its founding, plans to step down from that position later this year after 27 years of dedicated service. PARCA’s Board of... Read More How does your school compare on the Aspire? ByThomas Spencer May 21, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Take a look at the 2014 ACT Aspire results for Heard Magnet Elementary school in Dothan. The following images show the percentage of students at each grade level scoring proficient on the Aspire, the... Read More PARCA’s school analysis for Dothan ByThomas Spencer May 8, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Each year, PARCA travels to Dothan to present data on the city school system to educators, parents, and the public. The PARCA analysis, sponsored by the Dothan-based Wiregrass Foundation... Read More How does your school system compare with state averages? ByThomas Spencer May 1, 2015 Education & Workforce Development PARCA has been working on a new system for presenting information about Alabama’s public schools. In the next few posts, we will be rolling out some tools that we hope educators, parents... Read More 2014 Remedial Education Rates by High School ByThomas Spencer March 11, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Alabama public high schools produced more graduates in 2014 than they produced the previous year, and more of them enrolled in Alabama public two-year and four-year colleges and universities... Read More State Workforce grew slightly in 2014; Still about 5,000 smaller than 2008 ByThomas Spencer March 6, 2015 Education & Workforce Development Alabama state government employs 4,923 fewer people than it did in 2008, according to the figures provided by the Alabama State Personnel Department. With the exception of 2013, the total number of... Read More Governor Pledges Bold Action on the Budget at PARCA Annual Meeting ByThomas Spencer February 16, 2015 Government and Operations Management Speaking before a sell-out crowd of more than 400 at the Harbert Center on Friday, Feb. 13, Gov. Robert Bentley said he will propose bold solutions in the face of a steep budget shortfall. In his... Read More PARCA Poll of Public Attitudes on Taxes, Education, Corrections and Medicaid ByThomas Spencer February 6, 2015 Government and Operations Management According to a new poll of public opinion commissioned by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama, state residents would be willing to pay more in taxes to avoid budget cuts in key areas like... Read More PARCA Winter Quarterly Tackles Budgeting, Corrections, Medicaid, and Education ByThomas Spencer February 5, 2015 Education & Workforce Development The PARCA Quarterly Winter 2015 edition provides perspective on Alabama’s budget challenges and reform efforts in education, Medicaid, and the state prison system. The Quarterly provides... Read More PARCA has and continues to ByMarci Smith January 24, 2015 Uncategorized WHAT PEOPLE SAY “PARCA has and continues to provide MAEF and our community data as an unbiased third party entity. PARCA’s ability to present layers of data in a public-friendly manner informs... Read More Court cost collections continue to sag ByThomas Spencer December 23, 2014 Government and Operations Management In tough budget years, lawmakers have often looked for alternative ways to bring in revenue to support state government operations. In the case of the judicial branch of government, the... Read More ACT Aspire Statewide Results ByThomas Spencer December 12, 2014 Education & Workforce Development The Alabama Department of Education this week released statewide results of its Grades 3-8 assessment tests, broadly known as the ACT Aspire. The Aspire tests, which were taken statewide for the... Read More The Nation's Longest Constitution Just Got Longer ByThomas Spencer December 10, 2014 Government and Operations Management Enlarge to explore. It’s now official. In 2014, Alabama added 12 more amendments to its constitution, bringing the total number to 892. The State Elections Canvassing Board met the final week in... Read More Budding interest in changing the way we budget in Alabama? ByThomas Spencer November 21, 2014 Government and Operations Management Budget discussion, State Board of Education, Nov. 12 With the General Fund facing an acute shortfall and the education budget still struggling to recover to pre-Great Recession levels, there are... Read More 2014 Education Trust Fund Performance ByThomas Spencer November 12, 2014 Government and Operations Management While the looming shortfall in Alabama’s ailing General Fund has received much attention, the state’s Education Trust Fund (ETF) isn’t exactly enjoying robust growth, according the recently published... Read More A Look at 2014's Anemic General Fund Performance ByThomas Spencer November 7, 2014 Government and Operations Management The final tallies are in for fiscal year 2014 collections to the state’s General Fund. The results are, as usual, lackluster. Collections from the assortment of taxes that feed the Fund grew by just... Read More Alabama’s Corrections Conundrum ByThomas Spencer October 13, 2014 Government and Operations Management The Alabama Department of Corrections has jurisdiction over more than 32,000 individuals who’ve been convicted of a crime and are serving sentences in prisons, work release centers, supervised reentry... Read More A New Prescription for Medicaid ByThomas Spencer October 13, 2014 Special Studies Any attempt to address the perennial shortfalls faced by the state’s General Fund account has to start with attention to Medicaid, the program that pays for the healthcare and long-term care of the... Read More Alabama’s Ailing General Fund ByThomas Spencer October 9, 2014 Government and Operations Management When the new legislature convenes in 2015, it will face an old problem: a shortfall in the state’s $1.8 billion General Fund account. This time, state leaders are expecting as much as a $200 million... Read More While Alabama incomes lag behind other states, so do the prices we pay ByThomas Spencer September 24, 2014 Government and Operations Management Earlier this year, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released a new way of looking at income and prices across the United States. Income levels vary from state to state; but so do prices paid by... Read More The Potential Economic Impact of Raising the High School Graduation Rate ByThomas Spencer August 1, 2014 Education & Workforce Development Raising Alabama’s high school graduation rate to 90 percent would produce an economic impact to the state’s economy similar to landing an industrial mega-project, and that impact would be... Read More Government Services Go Digital: Alabama Making Improvements ByThomas Spencer July 31, 2014 Government and Operations Management New technologies provide opportunities for people to conduct business and allow governments to provide services in more efficient ways as well. Online banking and e-commerce websites have become more... Read More SAIL-ing to academic gains ByThomas Spencer July 1, 2014 Education & Workforce Development Summer Adventures in Learning, the Birmingham-centered collaborative of summer learning programs, has expanded to 30 sites this summer offering academically-enriched summer recreational camps... Read More Tuscaloosa Community Comes Together to Talk About Schools ByThomas Spencer June 26, 2014 Education & Workforce Development The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama hosted an education summit this month, featuring presentations from state Superintendent Tommy Bice, Tuscaloosa City and County School System superintendents... Read More Final look at the Alabama Reading and Math Test ByThomas Spencer May 29, 2014 Education & Workforce Development Use this visualization to explore the results for the Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) over time for the school system you’re interested in. The ARMT, which tested children in grades 3-8... Read More Alabama Gasoline Tax Revenue Continues to Decline ByThomas Spencer May 19, 2014 Government and Operations Management Revenue from the gasoline tax, the money that goes into building and maintaining roads, continues to decline in Alabama. Cars are using less gas, and Alabama’s state gas tax is collected on a per... Read More Roundtable Alumni Make an Impact ByThomas Spencer April 30, 2014 Special Studies Impact Alabama, a statewide service organization that harnesses the energy of college students, deployed more than 570 IRS-certified students and volunteersduring this spring’s tax season... Read More Alabama’s Tax Bargain ByThomas Spencer April 30, 2014 Government and Operations Management April is traditionally the month we think about taxes. National tax comparisons are published, and we were reminded again this year that Alabama has among the lowest taxes in the U.S. In this... Read More
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- [State Government Dashboard](https://parcalabama.org/quality-of-life-data-dashboard/): Explore our most recent analyses of Issues and Agencies
- [Education Dashboard](https://parcalabama.org/state-and-local-government-dashboard/): Explore our most recent analyses of education data.   
- [Education Research Center Dashboard](https://parcalabama.org/education-and-workforce-development/): 2026 PARCA Annual Forum The Harbert Center, Birmingham, Alabama March 6, 2026, 9:00 a.m Buy Tickets Here! 2025 PARCA Annual Forum The Harbert Center, Birmingham, Alabama Friday, March 7, 2025, 9:00 a.m 2024 PARCA Annual Forum The Harbert Center, Birmingham, Alabama Friday, March 8, 2024, 9:00 a.m.
- [News](https://parcalabama.org/news/): PARCA’s work is a critical part of the public conversation, frequently used on both sides of an argument, enriching those debates and discussions with credible facts and analysis. Our research and events are also covered by the news media and our research is relied upon by decision-makers across the state:
- [News From PARCA](https://parcalabama.org/news-from-parca/): News from PARCA News & Events 2025 PARCA Annual Forum Review PARCA Annual Forum 2025 – State of Mind: Navigating Alabama’s Mental Health Dilemma PARCA Speaker Series featuring Larry Sabato
- [Ansley Reed Bio](https://parcalabama.org/ansley-reed-bio/): Ansley Reed is a digital strategy specialist at PARCA, where she helps communicate independent, nonpartisan research through digital strategy, research translation, data visualization, and multimedia storytelling. Prior to joining PARCA, she studied Creative Technologies and Religion & Philosophy at Berry College, where her work focused on the relationship between technology, ethics, and human-centered design. She graduated from Berry College in 2026 with a B.S. in Creative Technologies and Religion & Philosophy.
- [Charles Vaughan Bio](https://parcalabama.org/charles-vaughan-bio/): Charles is a data journalist at PARCA, where he analyzes and visualizes education, public finance, and government performance data. Prior to joining PARCA, he covered politics and sports for several outlets across the Birmingham area. He graduated from William & Mary in 2026 with a B.A. in government and media studies. 
- [Thomas Spencer Bio](https://parcalabama.org/thomas-spencer-bio/): Tom came to PARCA after nearly two decades in journalism, most recently with The Birmingham News. He has a diversified background, researching and writing on a wide variety of topics including the environment, education, economics, governmental and community affairs, politics and civil rights. His work has earned top national, regional and state awards. A Birmingham native, Tom is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
- [Terrika Shaw Bio](https://parcalabama.org/terrika-shaw-bio/): Terrika has more than ten years of experience working in private practice and as a staff attorney for organizations across Alabama. In her work with Legal Services and the University of Alabama’s Elder Law Clinic and Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, she has represented a diverse clientele in various legal matters. Terrika is a member of the Alabama State Bar Pro-Bono Committee Task Force. She serves on boards of the Dr. Donna Turner Education Foundation board and YMCA, among other organizations. Terrika holds an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Alabama and a J.D. from Southern University Law Center.
- [Leah Nelson Bio](https://parcalabama.org/leah-nelson-bio/): Leah Nelson is an experienced qualitative researcher and writer who began her career as a journalist. She spent time as a paralegal and investigator on post-conviction appeals for individuals on Alabama’s Death Row. Prior to joining PARCA, Leah was Research Director at the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, where she designed and led mix-method participatory research action projects seeking to understand how court and justice systems are experienced by the people who run them, as well as the communities they are designed to serve. Her work has been supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Arnold Ventures, Bureau of Justice Assistance, National Institutes of Health, and University of Alabama at Birmingham. Leah holds an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.
- [Teanna Moore Bio](https://parcalabama.org/teanna-moore-bio/): Teanna Moore is a researcher and evaluator with experience in educational research, program evaluation, and data analysis across K–12 and postsecondary settings. She has worked with organizations such as the University of Kansas, Educational Testing Service (ETS), and Auburn University, contributing to assessment design, survey research, and evaluations focused on college and career readiness and outcomes for diverse learners. Her work includes coordinating multi-site studies, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and co-authoring research, policy briefs, and peer-reviewed publications.
- [Jennifer Green Bio](https://parcalabama.org/jennifer-green-bio/): Jennifer Green, Director of Economic Analysis at the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama since December 2024, brings a wealth of experience in economic development and spatial analysis. With an MBA (2013) and an MSGIST (2023) from Jacksonville State University, Jennifer previously led the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) at her alma mater. Her expertise spans economic analysis and development services across local, state, regional, and federal levels. Her innovative integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has revolutionized spatial analysis in tourism and business development, showcasing the power of geographic insights in community growth. A respected leader in her field, Jennifer served as President on the Board of Directors for North Alabama Trails & Recreation (NATR) and Immediate Past President for the Association for University Business and Economic Research.
- [Jason Fulmore Bio](https://parcalabama.org/jason-fulmore-bio/): Jason began his career as a classroom teacher, spending ten years in education before transitioning into higher education and a focus on research —a foundation that continues to inform his approach to inquiry and evaluation. Prior to PARCA, Jason was an Assistant Professor and Research Scientist in the Center for Educational Accountability at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), where he served as a senior research scientist on numerous large-scale, multi-year educational research and reform initiatives. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the Institute for Education Sciences. Jason holds an undergraduate degree in Health Education from the University of Florida, a Master’s in Education from UAB, and a Ph.D. in Health Education also from UAB.
- [Rachel Cochran Bio](https://parcalabama.org/rachel-cochran-bio/): Rachel has more than twenty years of experience in the fields of social science research, measurement and assessment, and educational evaluation, working for diverse organizations such as the University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences, the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, and Houghton-Mifflin’s Riverside Publishing. Formerly the Assistant Director of the Center for Educational Accountability at UAB, she has served as Co-PI for several large-scale, multi-year educational research and reform efforts funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Institutes of Health, and the Institute for Education Sciences. She holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and English from Birmingham-Southern College, a Master’s Degree in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.
- [Joe Adams Bio](https://parcalabama.org/joe-adams-bio/): Joe has 30 years of experience in government research, analysis, and planning, including eight years in state government, as a senior legislative research analyst with the Comptroller of the Treasury’s Offices of Research and Educational Accountability in Tennessee, as a budget and performance analyst for the Texas Legislature with the Legislative Budget Board, and as the first director of planning for the Texas Workforce Commission. Before working in government, he was the research director for Political Research Inc., and a visiting assistant professor at Auburn University. He holds a B.A. from Texas A&M University (political science and history), and a Ph.D. (political science) from Vanderbilt University.
- [Marci Smith Bio](https://parcalabama.org/marci-smith-bio/): Marci is responsible for the coordination and management of PARCA’s projects and communications, as well as financial administration and event planning for the organization. She holds a Master of Public Administration and a B.A. in political science, both from the University of Alabama. She received her Project Management Professional certification in 2021.
- [Ryan Hankins Bio](https://parcalabama.org/ryan-hankins-bio/):  
- [Speaker Series](https://parcalabama.org/events/): Each fall, PARCA brings one of the country's most respected voices in politics, history, or journalism to Birmingham for an evening of insight and civil conversation. The Speaker Series is built on the premise that Alabamians of every political persuasion can sit in the same room, hear a serious argument, and leave better informed.   
- [antimanual-assistant](https://parcalabama.org/antimanual-assistant/)
- [Documentation](https://parcalabama.org/documentation/)
- [PARCA in the News](https://parcalabama.org/parca-news/): PARCA’s work is a critical part of the public conversation, frequently used on both sides of an argument, enriching those debates and discussions with credible facts and analysis. Our research and events are also covered by the news media and our research is relied upon by decision-makers across the state:
- [2026 PARCA Annual Forum](https://parcalabama.org/2026-parca-annual-forum/): Governor Albert Brewer Legacy Lunch
- [Public Finance](https://parcalabama.org/public-finance/): Independent analysis of how Alabama raises, allocates, and manages public funds, from the two state budgets to the property tax bill on a single house. 
- [Quality of Life](https://parcalabama.org/quality-of-life/): Not every important question about Alabama belongs to one policy area. This is where PARCA takes on the ones that cut across several, the ones no agency is responsible for, and the ones that arrive from communities, foundations, and civic groups needing an independent answer.
- [Education Research Center](https://parcalabama.org/education-workforce-development/): Education is Alabama's largest public investment and the one that most determines the state's future. It is also the policy area where debate most often outruns evidence. PARCA has provided independent analysis of school achievement and spending for more than two decades.  
- [State & Local Government](https://parcalabama.org/state-local-government/): Independent research on the structure, performance, and accountability of state and local government, from the constitution down to the county courthouse.
- [Our Research](https://parcalabama.org/our-research/): PARCA conducts objective research on key public policy issues that shape Alabama’s future. Our work is designed to inform decision-making, improve government performance, and support thoughtful public dialogue.
- [Public Agency Members](https://parcalabama.org/public-agency-members/): Cities, counties, departments, boards, commissions, and institutions of higher education perform critical functions in the design and delivery of public services. PARCA is a proud partner with public agencies to formulate research questions, identify policy innovations, and access and interpret crucial data. These agencies are also important audiences for PARCA’s work.
- [Invest](https://parcalabama.org/support-parca/): PARCA receives no state appropriation for its work and has no position to sell. It is funded by tax-deductible contributions from Alabama businesses, foundations, local governments, and individuals — many of whom have, at some point, been on the wrong end of a PARCA finding and continued to give anyway. 
- [Privacy Policy](https://parcalabama.org/privacy-policy/): We understand the importance of protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose your personal information when you use our website. By using our website, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.Collection of Personal Information
- [Justice Governance Partnership](https://parcalabama.org/justice-governance-partnership/): The BJC-JGP brings together community partners, justice system leaders, and service providers across Birmingham and Jefferson County to improve access to justice and support strongeroutcomes for individuals and families. Through collaboration, shared data, and community - driven strategies, the initiative works to address barriers and build a more responsive and equitable system.
- [Contact Us](https://parcalabama.org/contact-us/): Have a question about our research? Interested in partnering, sponsoring, or learning more about PARCA’s work? We welcome conversations with policymakers, community leaders, journalists, educators, and engaged citizens across Alabama.
- [Hire Us](https://parcalabama.org/hire-us/): Governments, school systems, foundations, and nonprofits hire PARCA when a decision needs evidence that will hold up in a budget hearing, a board room, a grant application, or the newspaper. We bring the same independence to contract work that we bring to public research. 
- [PARCA Roundtable](https://parcalabama.org/parca-roundtable/): Founded in January 1998, the PARCA Roundtable gives young business and civic leaders across Alabama a serious education in state and local government, not a speaker series to attend, but a working group that studies the same questions PARCA researches and meets the officials responsible for answering them. 
- [Board of Directors](https://parcalabama.org/board-of-directors/): PARCA is governed by a board of business and civic leaders from across Alabama. The board deliberately spans the state's political spectrum. Its central responsibility is protecting PARCA’s independence. 
- [About Us](https://parcalabama.org/about-us/): PARCA is Alabama’s first and only independent, non-partisan, non-ideological policy research organization, founded in 1988 by former Governor Albert Brewer.  
- [Staff](https://parcalabama.org/staff/): PARCA's research is produced by a small, permanent staff who live and work in Alabama.  
- [Home](https://parcalabama.org/): PARCA exists to strengthen Alabama’s future by informing policy through honest, objective, nonpartisan, nonideological research.  

## ElementsKit items
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