Across the Board September 2024: Key Takeaways from the ALBOE Meeting

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the September 12th State Board of Education meeting – and what they mean for Alabama’s students. All board members were present. Dr. Mackey announced the retirement of Dr. Brandon Payne, Deputy State Superintendent of Education for Administration and Finance, and asked the board to approve the hiring of Arthur Watts to fill the role. Mr. Watts is currently the Budget Officer for Montgomery County Public Schools. Click here to view the meeting and work session agendas.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Discussion about Retirement and PEEHIP with RSA

Neah Scott, Legislative Council for the Retirement Systems of Alabama (RSA), presented an update about the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP) and Teacher Retirement System (TRS). Due to changes Congress made in the Inflation Reduction Act that reduced federal funding for this program beginning in 2025, there is an anticipated increase of $129 million that RSA will request from the Legislature. Mrs. Scott said that 72% of the $129 million will need to come from the Education Trust Fund (ETF) for K-12 employees, which is approximately $92 million. PEEHIP was established in 1983 to provide healthcare insurance benefits for public school employees.

Due to higher-than-expected salary increases and retirees living longer, Mrs. Scott explained that RSA will also request an increase for the Teacher Retirement System, which will cover a 1% increase in employer share. She didn’t share a number today, but Dr. Mackey said that the number would be approximately $100 million at the board retreat. To see her full presentation, click here.

2. ACAP Reading Cut Scores

During the work session, Dr. Mackey proposed two potential plans to adjust the ACAP reading cut score for the board to consider. Both plans propose gradually adjusting the cut score, including the current school year, over the next three years. The plan details are as follows: 

• Plan one proposes remaining at the current cut score of 435 (-2 SEM of the current cut score) and then transitioning to 454 (-1 SEM of the current cut score) by spring of 2027.
• Plan two proposes moving to a 444 cut score (-1.5 SEM) and then transitioning to 454 cut score (-1 SEM) by spring of 2027.

Dr. Mackey’s recommendation is to adopt the second plan. When asked what the most important thing to do for students was, Dr. Mackey reflected that he believed the reading cut score was the least essential, but it sends the message that reading is important to school districts. He urged that the most important levers for students are high-quality instructional materials, literacy instruction, and professional learning, all aligned with the science of reading. Under the Alabama Literacy Act, the ACAP reading sub-test determines if students are reading sufficiently by the end of third grade to be promoted to fourth grade. To read more about the reading cut score, click here. A+ would like to see the score to be raised over time to accurately reflect grade level reading and ensure that all struggling students get the extra support they need. This is similar to the approach taken in Mississippi and other states that have laws similar to the Alabama Literacy Act.

3. New Graduate Diploma Administrative Code Change

Dr. Mackey shared the new language for an administrative code change for the new workforce pathways diploma. This proposed change would outline the rules for two pathways to an Alabama diploma:

• Option A: This option lays out the existing diploma requirements.
• Option B: This is the new diploma pathway. It reduces the math and science course requirement from 4 to 2. Additionally, students would have to take three CTE courses in a sequence to qualify for this option. Elective courses increase from 2.5 to 6 credits. Under this pathway, if a student earns 4 CTE credits, they will earn a workforce pathway seal. This will apply to juniors this year, who will be able to switch pathways next year. 

Dr. Mackey explained that students will earn an Alabama high school diploma, regardless of pathway, and the diploma won’t indicate which pathway they selected. Additionally, several minor adjustments were made to clean up this administrative code, including adding charter school boards to the boards that can issue diplomas and cutting distance learning from the requirements.

4.  FY 2026 Proposed ALSDE Budget

The Board discussed a revised draft of the ALSDE budget request for Fiscal Year 2026, based on their conversations at their August board retreat. There weren’t any significant changes, except the increased request of $52 million for Struggling Readers Beyond Grade Three. The Board will vote to send its request to the Governor’s office at the October meeting. After the Governor creates her recommended budget, the legislature will take it up during the 2025 Legislative Session. To check out the proposed budget, click here.

5. #TEACH Alternative Teacher Program approved as an Alternative Teacher Preparation Organization

The board voted to approve #TEACH as an approved Alternative Teacher Prep Organization. Governor Ivey, West, Reynolds, Chestnut, Richardson, Manning, and McRae voted yay, and Ziegler & Bell voted nay.

The Alabama State Board of Education usually meets on the second Thursday of each month, with the exception of the July meeting, to discuss important policies, procedures, and changes for Alabama’s K-12 public schools. The Board takes official action during their monthly meeting and then follows up with a Work Session to get updates and discuss future action that will be voted on at the next board meeting. You can watch them live and see old meetings here.

Contact Your Board Member:

Have feedback on any of the above items – or anything else? Contact your state school board member using the resources below:

-To contact your State Board of Education Member, click here.

-To find out which district you live and/or teach in, click here. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter your address in the “Polling Place Search” box. Once entered, it will take you to a page that shows your polling place and the districts you live in.

-To view a map of the state school board districts, click here.