More Alabama students are reading and doing math on grade level, and fewer are scoring at the lowest level, according to new statewide test results released Tuesday.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey called the results “good news” and said the progress reflects years of effort by schools across the state. Still, he acknowledged that challenges remain — particularly in the middle grades.
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“It’s not all positive, but this does tell us the work y’all are doing — investing in basic instruction, high-quality instructional materials, good professional development and extra help for those students — is moving students,” Mackey told state board of education members during a work session.
The results come from the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, or ACAP, administered in the spring to students in grades two through eight in English language arts and math, and in grades four, six and eight in science.
High school juniors took the ACT with writing, and their scores in English, math and science were also reported.
While individual students aren’t graded on their test results, schools are. The outcomes play a major role in determining scores on both state and federal report cards, typically published each November.
Mackey said he wants to see better longitudinal data and hopes the state sticks with this version of the test for at least 10 years to give schools and families a clearer sense of long-term trends. This is the third year of fully comparable results from the current version of ACAP, which was updated in 2023 to reflect new reading and math standards.
The results
English language arts scores improved across the board. Every grade saw more students reaching proficiency compared to last year, and fewer students scored at Level 1, the lowest performance level. The chart below shows ELA scores by grade and level of proficiency for this year and last year.
Math scores showed both improvement and ongoing concerns. As in reading, the percentage of students scoring at Level 1 declined in nearly every grade — except for eighth, where it rose slightly. Proficiency rates increased in all grades except seventh, where they remained the same. The chart below shows math scores by grade and level of proficiency.
Grade-level results also highlight a familiar pattern: Fewer students reach proficiency as they move up in grade level. This decline is more gradual in reading but more pronounced in math. About half of second and third graders scored proficient in math, compared to just over 25% of seventh and eighth graders.
Science scores were mixed. Proficiency levels improved in sixth and eighth grades, held steady in fourth grade, and declined slightly in 11th grade.
The chart below shows science scores by grade and level of proficiency for this year and last year.
Mackey noted that strong reading skills likely contributed to science performance, especially in younger grades.
“Yes, that means science teachers are doing a good job,” he said. “But I would point more back to our reading teachers, because of the focus on teaching students to read in the content level.”
ACT results showed a similar mix. English language arts proficiency increased slightly, math remained flat, and science dipped slightly. The state’s overall composite score dropped from 17.4 — where it had stayed the past two years — to 17.3.
Alabama is one of just under 20 states that requires all students to take the ACT with writing. The chart below shows ACT with writing results from this year and last year.
Mackey said a committee is reviewing whether Alabama should continue using the ACT as its high school accountability test or develop its own assessment.
“Our surveys have shown that we have a declining number of local principals and superintendents that want to stick with the ACT for high school,” he told the board. “Ultimately, that will be up to you.”
For English-language learners, the ACCESS test results also showed progress. A higher percentage of students scored well enough to exit EL programs — meaning they no longer require language support services.
Of the roughly 50,500 English learner students across the state, 2,700, or 5.3%, met exit criteria. That’s up from 4.6% last year and 4.8% the year before.
“If you talk to these teachers, that’s really hard work,” Mackey said. “Because they are teaching them to speak English and read and write English, while also teaching them everything else.”
The number of English learners continues to grow each year. Mackey said he expects enrollment to reach 55,000 by next year.
District- and school-level results will be released after the board work session in August, Mackey said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Trisha Powell Crain and originally published by Alabama Daily News.
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