Math achievement, teacher shortages and the new Career and Technical Education Course of Study were the focus of the Alabama State Board of Education’s meeting and work session Thursday.

Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) Director Dr. Sandy Ledwell presented an updateat the work session on how the ALSDE is supporting math proficiency. The board expressed concerns during last month’s meeting with low math proficiency results on the ACAP.

Ledwell explained how AMSTI’s coaching academy is focusing on coaching, leadership and pedagogy. She said AMSTI coaches are being trained with an emphasis on what coaching methods work best and ensuring these practices are making their way back to the classroom through their work with teachers. AMSTI also is equipping the coaches to become math leaders in the school as they transition from classroom teachers. Ledwell added those math coaches are being trained on instructional strategies that will engage students and ultimately increase student achievement. School principals also take part in the training to help them identify effective teaching strategies, Ledwell said.  
State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey said coaching is the key to improve math achievement and reminded the board about plans to increase the number of math coaches by 220 in K-5 schools, if approved in the FY23 budget request. The state currently has 145 elementary math coaches and 32 secondary coaches.  

“I’m hopeful that these supports we have in place and the funding will work together to help scores rise. I don’t like being at the bottom; no one does,” Belinda McCrae (District 7) said.

Teacher Shortages

ALSDE Chief of Staff Chuck Marcum provided an update from the Teacher Preparation and Certification work group he is leading to address the teacher shortage. The group is tasked with exploring short- and long-term recommendations for educator preparation and certification to increase the number of teacher applicants in the state.

“If I had one takeaway, it is this: the shortage is a lot worse than we thought,” Marcum said.

He shared results of the teacher attrition survey administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Survey results indicated 38 percent of Alabama teachers plan to retire in the next five years. Marcum also noted a 40 percent drop in the number of students entering education since 2010, with one institution showing a 60 percent decline.

The group made several recommendations for the ALSDE to consider, some of which will require SBOE approval and others requiring legislative action. Certification processes and standards, teacher testing requirements, incentives to entice retired teachers to come out of retirement and apprenticeships all are being closely reviewed. The ALSDE also is looking at teacher retention and what can be done to improve the culture and environment in the classroom.

Since joining the ALSDE in early October, Marcum said he has fielded near daily calls from superintendents regarding teacher shortage issues they are experiencing. Marcum said “everything is on the table” to help solve this multifaceted problem and one solution alone will not address it.  

The work group includes superintendents, higher education representatives, leaders from the Alabama Association of School Boards, Alabama Education Association, Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools and School Superintendents Association. The group’s next meeting is slated for February 2022.  

Career and Technical Education Course of Study

ALSDE Course of Study Coordinator Dr. Cathy Jones and Lanett City Schools Superintendent and Career and Technical Education (CTE) Course of Study Coordinator Jennifer Boyd, joined by several CTE teachers, led a presentation on the proposed CTE Course of Study for Architecture and Construction, Information Technology, and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.  

The CTE Course of Study Committee, made up of 50 members across the state including teachers, administrators, higher education officials and business partners, was tasked with creating a rigorous course of study covering 100 courses in three cluster areas: Architecture and Construction; Information Technology; and Transportation, Distribution and Logistics.  Progression of rigor in standards was presented for each cluster demonstrating how educators will prepare students for college and/or the workforce.  

The presentation also included total occupations for the state of Alabama, demand, average entry and experienced salary information and top 10 occupation earnings for each cluster to illustrate statewide impact.  

Health and Safety Decisions

The SBOE unanimously approved a resolution supporting local school systems’ ability to make decisions related to COVID-19 protocols, including masking requirements. The resolution comes as legislators prepare for the 2022 regular session with at least one lawmaker prefiling a bill aimed at masking. Rep. Chip Brown (HB18) is proposing legislation to allow parents to “opt out” when masking is required.

Textbook Law

Board members expressed concerns with the textbook adoption law and whether textbooks can be purchased without ALSDE review. Textbooks rejected by the state are not allowed to be purchased, but the law does not clearly state what is permitted when textbooks are not reviewed. The SBOE requested a review of the textbook law with plans to address it in the upcoming legislative session.

Dr. Carolyn Jones, Alabama State Textbook Administrator, Monique Lawrence, Career & Technical Education chairperson, and Kevin Bailius, English Language Arts chairperson, presented an overview of the Alabama State Textbook Adoption Process for their respective areas with plans to bring these textbook recommendations to the SBOE in January 2022.  

The deadline for school systems to submit their textbook and instructional materials selection to the ALSDE is April 15.  

Next SBOE Meeting

The next State Board of Education meeting will take place in Montgomery Thursday, January 13 at 10 a.m., with a work session to follow.