Across the Board SBOE Retreat

Written by: Sarah Waldinger, A+ Policy Director

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the January 29th State Board of Education retreat, held at the Montgomery Marriott Prattville Hotel and Conference Center – and what they mean for Alabama’s students.

On January 28th, new board members Kelley Mooney from District 3 and Dr. Allen Long from District 7 were sworn in for their four-year terms on the Board of Education. Jackie Zeigler from District 1 and Dr. Tonya Chestnut from District 5 were sworn in as returning members.

Top 4 Takeaways

1. 2024 NAEP Scores Released: Big Gains for Alabama Students!

Dr. Mackey began the board retreat by sharing the 2024 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card. NAEP is an assessment given every two years to a representative group of students from each state, which evaluates student achievement in reading and math, among other subjects, in grades 4, 8, and 12. The results allow us to compare achievement and growth data between states and student groups. During the retreat, board members attended a press conference at Daniel Pratt Elementary School in Prattville to learn about Alabama’s 2024 successes.

At the press conference, Governor Kay Ivey announced that Alabama was ranked 34th in the country for overall reading scores, and 32nd in overall mathematics scores. Dr. Eric Mackey shared that between 2019 and 2024, Alabama had the highest growth rates in the nation in 4th-grade math scores, and the second-highest growth rates in 4th-grade reading scores. Alabama is the only state to exceed pre-pandemic scores in 4th-grade math and is one of two states (Louisiana) to exceed pre-covid scores in 4th-grade reading. Dr. Mackey attributed these successes to the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts.

While Alabama has made great strides in both math and reading for K-5 students, there is much more to be done. NAEP reported Alabama’s math proficiency scores as 37% for 4th graders and 18% for 8th graders. Alabama’s reading proficiency scores are 28% for 4th graders and 21% for 8th graders. While these scores show incredible improvement and growth from 2019 scores, we need to continue to double down on strong implementation of the Literacy and Numeracy Acts. We are moving in the right direction for Alabama students!

2. Overview of the Alabama Numeracy Act

The Board heard a presentation from Dr. Karen Anderson, director of the Alabama State Department of Education’s Office of Mathematics Improvement, on the implementation of the 2022 Alabama Numeracy Act (ANA). The ANA is the state’s comprehensive plan to improve math instruction and support for all students and teachers. The legislation includes intensive support for schools, including math coaches in every K-5 school, implementation of high-quality instructional materials, high-quality professional learning, intensive support for struggling students, accountability to ensure schools are making progress, and adjustments to post-secondary programs for teachers.

In the 2024-2025 school year, Alabama had 51 full-support schools and 159 limited support schools. The state currently has 463 numeracy coaches across those schools, with the goal of allocating coaches to all K-5 schools by fall 2027. Many people have attributed the recent growth in Alabama’s NAEP scores to the Numeracy Act.

3. Alabama Literacy Act Updates

The board heard a presentation from Bonnie Short, the director of the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI). ARI is Alabama’s statewide program that aims to improve reading instruction in K-3 schools by supporting the implementation of high-quality instructional materials and developing research-based professional learning for teachers. The 2019 Alabama Literacy Act (ALA) aims to ensure that every Alabama student is reading on grade level by the end of 3rd grade. The ALA directs funds to ARI to fully implement the shift to high-quality instructional materials, effective professional learning, and the Science of Reading across K-12 and higher education systems.

During the 2024-2025 school year, in addition to full implementation of the ALA, ARI focused on coaching programs, higher education for instructors, and supporting struggling readers beyond grade 3. Coaching programs included interventionist support, as well as programs like the “Coaching a Better Reader” Academy. The Academy, first piloted in Birmingham City in December 2024, works with both parents and students separately and in combined reading activities to help parents support their children in learning to read.

In 2022, The Barksdale Reading Institute found that only 23% of higher education programs for reading were aligned with the Science of Reading, and that 16% of programs were not aligned at all. In the 2024-2025 school year, ARI worked with higher education programs to align their standards, textbooks, and courses with the Science of Reading. In the 2025-2026 school year, ARI will be reviewing syllabi and providing feedback to higher education programs to prioritize the Science of Reading.

4. FY 2026 Proposed ALSDE Budget

The board and Dr. Mackey discussed the ALSDE budget request for Fiscal Year 2026. Governor Ivey will present her recommended budget to the Legislature during the first week of the 2025 Legislative Session, which begins next Tuesday, February 4. Dr. Mackey will be presenting the SBOE’s budget request at a legislative budget hearing on Wednesday, February 5th at 2:30pm. Last October, the Board unanimously approved the budget request, which includes increases for the Alabama Literacy Act, Struggling Readers beyond Grade 3, and the Alabama Numeracy Act. An outline of the budget request can be found in the August 2024 Across the Board publication, and the full request is linked here.

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.