Alabama
U.S.
Rank
- Opportunity
- Innovation
- Policy Environment
Score:
71%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#26
A muddled process undermines growth and the need for a plentiful amount of great charters. Still, Alabama’s score rose from a D to C because of a cap on the number of charter schools expiring.
Law passed: 2015
Most recently amended: N/A
Number of charter schools: 4, 2 more schools slated to open August, 2020
Number of charter students: 1,320
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? No
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts that apply to be authorizers can authorize start-up and conversion charters; the Alabama Public Charter School Commission serves as authorizer for applicants in districts that don’t choose to authorize, but not for conversion schools.
Appeals for denied applications go to the Commission.
While Alabama school districts can register with the state to be authorizers, only five have signed up but none are currently active. Though the Alabama Public Charter School Commission is able to authorize charter schools on appeal if they overturn a district denial, this layered (district and state) approach to authorizing subjects charters to additional, unnecessary, time-consuming processes.
GROWTH: More opportunities for growth now, since the cap on the number of charter schools allowed here expired in April 2020.
OPERATIONS: Charters receive a blanket waiver from regulations that apply to traditional district schools. However, the law also gives control to the State Board of Education to write regulations specific to charter schools, creating a political environment where charter schools can be arbitrarily subject to regulations that harm their ability to operate effectively. This is not a good model – any rules that apply should not be subject to political whims.
EQUITY: The law calls for charter schools to be funded at parity with district schools and even calls for charters to receive local dollars (in addition to state funds) but the money flows through the district when it is the authorizer, which has considerable power over how much money the charter eventually yields for per pupil costs, less than what is expended on traditional schools. The law does not provide per-pupil facilities funds.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#21
Alabama’s two school choice options came available in 2013 and while they don’t have widespread participation, they are experiencing growth.The eligibility limits for the Tax Credit Scholarship Program – 275% of the poverty – are more expansive than most other states.
Law enacted: 2015
Number of programs: 36
Tax Credit Scholarship
Tax-Credit Scholarship Education Scholarship Program
This tax-credit scholarship program allows taxpayers who donate to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations to receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for their contribution, up to $50,000 per donor for a maximum of $30 million total. Statewide, 37 percent of families with children are eligible for scholarships under this program. The scholarships are capped at $6,000 for K–5, $8,000 for 6–8, and $10,000 for 9–12
Individual Tax Credit/Deduction
Accountability Act of 2013 Parent-Taxpayer Refundable Tax Credits
This refundable tax credit is for parents who transfer their children enrolled in or assigned to a “failing” public school to a “non-failing” public or private school. Different from traditional tax credit programs, refundable tax credits have greater utility for parents of more modest incomes. Currently, only five percent of Alabama’s students are eligible for this program because participation is based on whether an entire school is categorized as “failing.” Participation should be expanded to any students who are assigned to a school that is not a good fit.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#33
Meets or exceeds many goals including ensuring student growth is accounted for in teacher evaluations but is lacking in ensuring compensation is tied to performance.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 74%
General Teacher Preparation 70%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 90%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 63%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 75%
Alternate Routes 70%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 71%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 57%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 70%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
71%
Grade:
C
Rank:
#26
A muddled process undermines growth and the need for a plentiful amount of great charters. Still, Alabama’s score rose from a D to C because of a cap on the number of charter schools expiring.
Law passed: 2015
Most recently amended: N/A
Number of charter schools: 4, 2 more schools slated to open August, 2020
Number of charter students: 1,320
Cap on the number of schools allowed:? No
Virtual charters allowed? No
AUTHORIZERS: Local districts that apply to be authorizers can authorize start-up and conversion charters; the Alabama Public Charter School Commission serves as authorizer for applicants in districts that don’t choose to authorize, but not for conversion schools.
Appeals for denied applications go to the Commission.
While Alabama school districts can register with the state to be authorizers, only five have signed up but none are currently active. Though the Alabama Public Charter School Commission is able to authorize charter schools on appeal if they overturn a district denial, this layered (district and state) approach to authorizing subjects charters to additional, unnecessary, time-consuming processes.
GROWTH: More opportunities for growth now, since the cap on the number of charter schools allowed here expired in April 2020.
OPERATIONS: Charters receive a blanket waiver from regulations that apply to traditional district schools. However, the law also gives control to the State Board of Education to write regulations specific to charter schools, creating a political environment where charter schools can be arbitrarily subject to regulations that harm their ability to operate effectively. This is not a good model – any rules that apply should not be subject to political whims.
EQUITY: The law calls for charter schools to be funded at parity with district schools and even calls for charters to receive local dollars (in addition to state funds) but the money flows through the district when it is the authorizer, which has considerable power over how much money the charter eventually yields for per pupil costs, less than what is expended on traditional schools. The law does not provide per-pupil facilities funds.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#21
Alabama’s two school choice options came available in 2013 and while they don’t have widespread participation, they are experiencing growth.The eligibility limits for the Tax Credit Scholarship Program – 275% of the poverty – are more expansive than most other states.
Law enacted: 2015
Number of programs: 36
Tax Credit Scholarship
Tax-Credit Scholarship Education Scholarship Program
This tax-credit scholarship program allows taxpayers who donate to nonprofit scholarship granting organizations to receive a dollar-for-dollar state tax credit for their contribution, up to $50,000 per donor for a maximum of $30 million total. Statewide, 37 percent of families with children are eligible for scholarships under this program. The scholarships are capped at $6,000 for K–5, $8,000 for 6–8, and $10,000 for 9–12
Individual Tax Credit/Deduction
Accountability Act of 2013 Parent-Taxpayer Refundable Tax Credits
This refundable tax credit is for parents who transfer their children enrolled in or assigned to a “failing” public school to a “non-failing” public or private school. Different from traditional tax credit programs, refundable tax credits have greater utility for parents of more modest incomes. Currently, only five percent of Alabama’s students are eligible for this program because participation is based on whether an entire school is categorized as “failing.” Participation should be expanded to any students who are assigned to a school that is not a good fit.
Score:
Grade:
D
Rank:
#33
Meets or exceeds many goals including ensuring student growth is accounted for in teacher evaluations but is lacking in ensuring compensation is tied to performance.
TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT: 74%
General Teacher Preparation 70%
Elementary Teacher Preparation 90%
Secondary Teacher Preparation 63%
Special Education Teacher Preparation 75%
Alternate Routes 70%
STAFFING AND SUPPORT: 71%
Hiring 85%
Retaining Effective Teachers 57%
TEACHER EVALUATION: 70%
TEACHER COMPENSATION: 62%
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#18
Over the years Alabama has implemented various statewide initiatives to promote digital exposure for students. Alabama has a state technology plan, Transform 2020, that provides a roadmap for effectively implementing technology into the classroom to increase students’ digital literacy skills and prepare them for the future.
The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a database filled with high-quality digital lesson plans and classroom resources that reflect state learning standards.
Alabama Technology in Motion (ATiM) is a teacher professional development program where specialists provide training to K-12 educators on how to integrate digital learning and computer science in their everyday instruction, using the Alabama Course of Study: Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards.
ACCESS Virtual Learning is a statewide virtual school that opened in 2004, giving students in grades 8-12 the opportunity to take online advanced placement, elective, credit recovery, and credit advancement courses and more. ACCESS Virtual offers 52 different courses and three models of instruction: web-based instruction led by educators, videoconferencing instruction taught in real-time, and a hybrid model of the two. In the 2019-20 school year, there were 60,740 students enrolled.
Alabama’s Piedmont City School District and Talladega County Schools are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, providing over 8,400 students in the state access to digital learning opportunities. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “89.1% of students in Alabama can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. 79,836 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
While there is no statewide commitment to personalized learning, Alabama has a program in place called Innovative School Systems. This program is composed of a flexibility contract and innovation plan to help schools meet the needs of their diverse student populations.
The state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis was not organized. In the early stages of the virus, the Alabama Department of Education issued guidance to schools about potentially needing to close, including this unfortunate statement: “For most districts, it will make more sense to cancel school altogether than to organize a learning model that cannot be accessed equitably by all students.” A couple of weeks later, though, when the Governor closed all school facilities, she instructed schools to develop alternative methods of instruction, and by March 30, a comprehensive manual with resources was released.
During the initial school closures as districts were planning their movement to remote learning, schools continued to provide essential services to students across Alabama. Schools were closed for two weeks, during which distance learning resources were developed and distributed.
The Montgomery School District, the state’s largest, had an innovative approach to students without wifi access — sending school buses to neighborhoods, providing mobile wifi. The state also created a list of resources for students and teachers, and a virtual learning opportunity about the state’s history.
As of Aug. 6th, schools in Alabama began to reopen in-person, a move that Superintendent Mackey has supported; the state allowed districts to create their own plans for how they will safely reopen. District by district plans can be found here.
Fast Facts
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Score:
Grade:
C
Rank:
#18
Over the years Alabama has implemented various statewide initiatives to promote digital exposure for students. Alabama has a state technology plan, Transform 2020, that provides a roadmap for effectively implementing technology into the classroom to increase students’ digital literacy skills and prepare them for the future.
The Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX) is a database filled with high-quality digital lesson plans and classroom resources that reflect state learning standards.
Alabama Technology in Motion (ATiM) is a teacher professional development program where specialists provide training to K-12 educators on how to integrate digital learning and computer science in their everyday instruction, using the Alabama Course of Study: Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards.
ACCESS Virtual Learning is a statewide virtual school that opened in 2004, giving students in grades 8-12 the opportunity to take online advanced placement, elective, credit recovery, and credit advancement courses and more. ACCESS Virtual offers 52 different courses and three models of instruction: web-based instruction led by educators, videoconferencing instruction taught in real-time, and a hybrid model of the two. In the 2019-20 school year, there were 60,740 students enrolled.
Alabama’s Piedmont City School District and Talladega County Schools are members of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, providing over 8,400 students in the state access to digital learning opportunities. The League of Innovative Schools is a network of school leaders in 114 districts in 34 states that aim to enhance and scale digital learning opportunities for students across the nation.
Bandwidth: “89.1% of students in Alabama can access the Internet at speeds of 100 kbps per student, and many students are connected at higher speeds. 79,836 students still need more bandwidth for digital learning.”
While there is no statewide commitment to personalized learning, Alabama has a program in place called Innovative School Systems. This program is composed of a flexibility contract and innovation plan to help schools meet the needs of their diverse student populations.
The state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis was not organized. In the early stages of the virus, the Alabama Department of Education issued guidance to schools about potentially needing to close, including this unfortunate statement: “For most districts, it will make more sense to cancel school altogether than to organize a learning model that cannot be accessed equitably by all students.” A couple of weeks later, though, when the Governor closed all school facilities, she instructed schools to develop alternative methods of instruction, and by March 30, a comprehensive manual with resources was released.
During the initial school closures as districts were planning their movement to remote learning, schools continued to provide essential services to students across Alabama. Schools were closed for two weeks, during which distance learning resources were developed and distributed.
The Montgomery School District, the state’s largest, had an innovative approach to students without wifi access — sending school buses to neighborhoods, providing mobile wifi. The state also created a list of resources for students and teachers, and a virtual learning opportunity about the state’s history.
As of Aug. 6th, schools in Alabama began to reopen in-person, a move that Superintendent Mackey has supported; the state allowed districts to create their own plans for how they will safely reopen. District by district plans can be found here.
4th Grade Math Proficiency:
8th Grade Math Proficiency:
12th Grade Math Proficiency:
4th Grade Reading Proficiency:
8th Grade Reading Proficiency:
12th Grade Reading Proficiency:
Graduation Rate:
Average SAT Score:
Average ACT Score:
Public School Enrollment:
Percent Enrolled in Charter Schools:
Average Student Funding:
Gov. Kay Ivey (R)
Assumed office in 2017; Elected in 2018 (two-term limit)
A former high school teacher and previous Lt. Governor, Governor Kay Ivey has been consistently strong with her support of all students having access to the education opportunities that work best for them, whether it’s improving traditional district schools, expanding charter schools, or providing private school choice programs through tax credits and vouchers. She led an initiative in 2020 to try to pass Amendment 1, which would have made the State Board of Education an appointed body, but it did not pass at the ballot box. Alabama is one of only six states with an elected state board.
The House and Senate are both favorable to education reform issues, particularly the Senate, but have not passed any reform measures in a few years. There should be a great opportunity for bringing more educational opportunities to Alabama’s families with some leadership from the legislature.
Despite supportive officials, the state ranks near the bottom on national assessments, and impediments to dramatic improvements include lack of ambition among lawmakers and a strong status quo.
“Although the Alabama Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and Blaine Amendment language, the Alabama courts have not interpreted these clauses expansively to prohibit school choice.” (Institute for Justice)
A new charter school authorized by the state commission to open in Montgomery County had been challenged by the school boards association and education unions, but in March 2019 the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of the constitutionality of charter schools.
School data is transparent and easy for parents to access. School report cards can be found in one click under the Data Center subheading on the main page of the Alabama DOE website. Report cards are filled with relevant information and are easy to read and understand. There are also clear options at the top to view individual schools or compare schools, which is a nice feature. Information about educational options are also found from the homepage, which is a plus for transparency.
Alabama does not hold school board elections during the general election cycle, which usually means lower voter turnout.
Gov. Kay Ivey (R)
Assumed office in 2017; Elected in 2018 (two-term limit)
A former high school teacher and previous Lt. Governor, Governor Kay Ivey has been consistently strong with her support of all students having access to the education opportunities that work best for them, whether it’s improving traditional district schools, expanding charter schools, or providing private school choice programs through tax credits and vouchers. She led an initiative in 2020 to try to pass Amendment 1, which would have made the State Board of Education an appointed body, but it did not pass at the ballot box. Alabama is one of only six states with an elected state board.
The House and Senate are both favorable to education reform issues, particularly the Senate, but have not passed any reform measures in a few years. There should be a great opportunity for bringing more educational opportunities to Alabama’s families with some leadership from the legislature.
Despite supportive officials, the state ranks near the bottom on national assessments, and impediments to dramatic improvements include lack of ambition among lawmakers and a strong status quo.
“Although the Alabama Constitution contains both a Compelled Support Clause and Blaine Amendment language, the Alabama courts have not interpreted these clauses expansively to prohibit school choice.” (Institute for Justice)
A new charter school authorized by the state commission to open in Montgomery County had been challenged by the school boards association and education unions, but in March 2019 the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in favor of the constitutionality of charter schools.
School data is transparent and easy for parents to access. School report cards can be found in one click under the Data Center subheading on the main page of the Alabama DOE website. Report cards are filled with relevant information and are easy to read and understand. There are also clear options at the top to view individual schools or compare schools, which is a nice feature. Information about educational options are also found from the homepage, which is a plus for transparency.
Alabama does not hold school board elections during the general election cycle, which usually means lower voter turnout.