Across the Board June: Key Takeaways from the ALBOE Meeting

Recapping important State Board of Education policy decisions for you

Here are our key takeaways from the June 11th State Board of Education board meeting and work session. Superintendent Mackey was present at the board meeting, but not the work session due to illness. We wish him a speedy recovery. All other board members were present. Click here to see the agenda for the full meeting and work session.

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Apportionment of RAISE Act funds and the Foundation Program

Each year, the SBOE adopts rules for the education budget. This process now includes both the Foundation Program (rule 290-2-1-.01) and the RAISE Act funds (rule 290-2-1-.01) that are distributed to districts. 

During the work session, Mr. Arthur Watts, Deputy State Superintendent for Finance, highlighted the RAISE Act funding for FY27, which funds the 2026-2027 school year. This year, $191 million will flow to districts to support students in poverty, special education students, English learners, gifted students, and charter school students. Districts can move up to 10% of RAISE funds between student groups, and apply for permission from Dr. Mackey for additional flexibility.

For more information on the RAISE Act, check out our recent webinar series. Funding levels for each district for the 2026-2027 school year can be found here.

2. New Teacher Certification and Preparation Rules Adopted

During the meeting, the board repealed and replaced the administrative code that guides teacher certification professional services (rule 290-3-2). The new rules include the following changes:

• Created a Lifetime Certificate for retired teachers who have completed 25 years of teaching in Alabama schools.
• Lowered the GPA requirement from 2.5 to 2.0 for prospective teachers who can achieve a PRAXIS score 5% higher than required, or for those who complete six hours of advanced coursework in their subject area. 
• Removed the National Counsel Examination (NCE) requirement for prospective school counselors graduating from an accredited school counseling program.
• Allows current speech and language pathologists to apply for the Dyslexia Therapist Endorsement.
• Removed outdated and repetitive information, and aligned the Code with recent legislation and executive orders.

For more detailed information on the changes, check out the April 2026 Across the Board or read through these slides.

3. 2026 Alabama Course of Study: World Languages Presentation

During the work session, the board heard from Mrs. Teresina Vazquez and Dr. Blake Busbin on the World Languages Course of Study. So far, the committee has evaluated research on language curriculum, looked at national trends, revised the current standards, and refocused on proficiency as opposed to grammar in the standards themselves. 

The draft of the Course of Study will be available for public comment on August 3. Experts will also review the Course of Study, and provide feedback. The committee is expecting to present their draft to the board during the November 2026 work session, and the board will likely vote at the December 2026 board meeting.

4. Digital Literacy and Computer Science Textbook Committee

During the board meeting, the board appointed the 2026-2027 textbook committee for the Digital Literacy and Computer Science Course of Study. This committee will review and evaluate textbooks that were submitted to the ALSDE in order to determine whether they effectively teach the new Course of Study standards. Once approved, the list of textbooks will be available to districts. 

During the work session, the board learned that they would have an opportunity to review the textbooks today, prior to the committee’s review process. The board will not have input on the committee’s evaluation, but board members expressed gratitude for the opportunity to see the textbooks. The board briefly discussed the opportunity for Artificial Intelligence tools to support the committee’s evaluation work, and Mrs. Angela Martin, Deputy State Superintendent, shared that leadership would discuss the idea. The textbooks will not be available to the public until after they are approved by the board.

5. Educator Prep Programs (EPP) for Review

During the work session, the board heard from Mrs. Angela Martin and representatives from seven colleges and universities on educator prep programs they would like to pursue. Universities must receive authorization from the board to begin their programs with students that lead to teacher certifications. The board asked each university when they would like to begin their programs, how many students they would like to enroll, and what subjects they are pursuing certification approval for. 

The universities seeking EPP review include Athens State University, the University of Mobile, the University of Montevallo, Troy University, Tuskegee University, Auburn University at Montgomery, and Faulkner University.

The next Board meeting will be on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 10 am at the Auditorium in the Gordon Persons Building in Montgomery, Alabama. The work session will follow at 11 am.

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.