Alabama's public schools earned their highest score ever on the state report card, rising from 86.67 to 88.27 (B) on the 2025-26 report card released during the State Board of Education's Nov. 12 work session. The statewide score on the federal report card also climbed to 88. Every indicator improved over last year, except academic growth, which held steady at 97, led by gains in academic achievement, college and career readiness, and progress in English language proficiency. 

 The board celebrated these significant gains during Thank Alabama Teachers Month and emphasized keeping the accountability system stable. "Nothing has changed about the metrics – this is pure teaching," said State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey. The board credited sustained implementation of and continued investments in the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts as the state digs "deeper and deeper each year." Mackey and the board applauded Alabama's steady gains as evidence of the importance of using the same academic standards and assessment system for the last eight years, allowing for authentic data analyses.

What Drove the Gains

• Academic achievement rose from 67 to 69.2 on the state report card (13.84 of 20 possible points, up from 13.4). Mackey called this the most meaningful gain because achievement is the hardest measure to move: students must climb from one performance level to the next on ACAP, not just gain points. A student can move from a 435 to a 485, for example, and still land in the same level.
• College and career readiness jumped nearly three points to 90.7%. The 2025-26 graduating class was the first for which earning a CCR indicator was a graduation requirement. Mackey noted some systems have asked for CCR to carry more weight in the state's report card calculation due to this mandate.
• Graduation rate rose to 92.77%.
• Chronic absenteeism fell from 12.05% to 10.54%. Mackey noted that if this indicator were removed from the calculation, nearly as many schools would see their scores go down as go up.
• Progress in English language proficiency rose from 45.65 to 49.92.

Schools and Systems

• School systems: 60 earned an A, 63 a B, 24 a C, 7 a D, and none an F. Thirteen systems earned their first A: Baldwin County, Calhoun County, Demopolis City, Guntersville City, Henry County, Huntsville City, Jackson County, Leeds City, Marengo County, Marion County, Scottsboro City, Talladega County, and Tallapoosa County.
• Schools: 447 earned an A, more than twice as many as in 2022. Twenty-seven earned a perfect 100 (up from 19 last year), and 277 schools improved by at least one letter grade, including 68 that moved from a D or F to a C or better. Fifteen schools received an F.
• State intervention: For the first time since letter grades began, Bessemer City Schools, which is under state intervention, had no F schools.

Board Meeting Highlights

The board approved several resolutions in its meeting:

• Commending Northridge Middle School (Tuscaloosa City Schools) and West Point Intermediate School (Cullman County Schools) as 2026 NAESP National Gold Star Schools
• Honoring the 2026 A+ College Ready Schools of Distinction, Schools of Excellence, and the Mary D. Boehm School of Achievement
• Recognizing Inclusion in Alabama Schools Week, Dec. 7-11, 2026

Work Session Highlights

Two proposed courses of study were presented during the board's work session and are now posted on the ALSDE website for a two-week public comment period:

• 2026 World Languages (formerly Foreign Languages) is organized around communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities, with proficiency broken into reading, listening, speaking, and writing. A key revision restructures the course sequence so eighth graders can begin earning high school credit and reach advanced levels. Presenters noted Alabama is home to 847 international companies employing more than 141,000 Alabamians, and 52 school systems now offer the Alabama Seal of Biliteracy, created by a 2022 law and earned through a nationally standardized proficiency test.
• Energy and Natural Resources is an entirely new Career and Technical Education (CTE) course of study for grades 9-12, reflecting a new national career cluster adopted in December 2022. It begins a new cycle of CTE cluster revisions. About 164,000 Alabamians work in the energy sector, and until now no specific courses steered students toward the field. Project-based curriculum will be developed locally.

Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA). The board reviewed a resolution to modify edTPA as a precondition for initial teacher certification. ALSDE said the requirement has been in its current form for years and needs updating to reflect recent legislation affecting educator preparation programs (EPPs), including the Literacy and Numeracy Acts, and the shift to high-quality instructional materials.

Principal Mentoring & Leadership Act. ALSDE provided an update on the law's implementation, with now almost 3,000 principals and assistant principals who have participated in high quality, individualized professional learning specifically designed for Alabama school administrators. Upon successful completion of approved programming that aligns with their professional learning plan, eligible administrators can earn stipends ranging from $2,500-$10,000 upon successful completion of approved programming. 

Resolutions for December board action:

• Webb Elementary School (Houston County Schools) and Danville-Neel Elementary School (Morgan County Schools) as National ESEA Distinguished Schools
• January 2027 as Gifted Education Month
• SBOE 2027 meeting calendar

Next SBOE Meeting and Work Session

The next SBOE meeting is Thursday, Dec. 10, 2026, at 10 a.m. in Montgomery, followed by a work session at 11 a.m. (or immediately after the meeting) in Plaza 103.

• Gordon Persons Building Auditorium
• Livestream viewing:  https://www.youtube.com/user/aldeptofed/live
• Archived meeting and work session recordings:  https://www.alabamaachieves.org/state-board-of-education/meeting-videos/