Celebration was in the air at Thursday’s State Board of Education meeting, where members recognized Alabama 2026-2027 Teacher of the Year Elizabeth Eubanks Von Hofe of Spanish Fort Elementary School (Baldwin County Schools) and Alternate Teacher of the Year Eshwaa Godfrey of Selma High School (Selma City Schools), along with 14 district finalists. Dale County Schools and Mountain Brook City Schools were both recognized for the highest city and county school system performance on the Alabama State Report Card.

During the board's work session, State Superintendent of Education Eric Mackey showcased increases in both the state's four-year cohort graduation rate and College and Career Readiness Indicator (CCRI) attainment. Bibb County Schools was highlighted for achieving a 3% graduation increase, the largest of any system statewide.

Beginning in the current 2025-26 school year, students must earn at least one CCRI for graduation:

• ACT subtest benchmark score
• ACT WorkKeys Silver or higher level
• Advanced Placement (A.P.) exam qualifying score
• International Baccalaureate (I.B.) exam qualifying score
• Approved college or postsecondary credit in high school (dual enrollment)
• Approved industry credential
• Military enlistment
• Career and technical education (CTE) completer
• In-school youth apprenticeship program 

While a detailed breakdown of data is not yet available, Mackey noted significant increases in the number of students meeting the ACT benchmark and earning CTE credentials and completer status. The state also has double-digit increases in both student enrollment in A.P. and I.B. courses in addition to a gain in qualifying scores on these exams, which can count for college credit.

The board also reviewed the 2026 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) Spring Preliminary Reading Impact Data, with 88.3% of third graders performing at or above the cut score of 444, a statistically insignificant decrease over last year's 88.4%. Over the next three months, the board will receive more detailed state- and system-level data after test scores are validated. ACAP data will be released May 15 for system review and validation. Statewide English Language Arts (ELA), math and science scores by grade level will be made available in the July work session, with system-level data available by the August work session.

Mackey presented Alabama's reading and math gains from the recently published National Education Recovery Scorecard, as one of only two states in the nation performing above 2019 levels in math. Based on data from 2022 to 2025, the scorecard shows Alabama ranks 10th among 38 states in the nation for math growth and 13th among 35 states in reading growth, and is considered "fully recovered" from the pandemic with a chronic absenteeism decrease from 17% to 12%, lower than the 2019 rate of 15%. The scorecard compares state and system-level reading and math results for students in grades 3-8, analyzed by researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College. Mackey noted that SDE is planning a comprehensive analysis of effective strategies utilized at the local and state levels that directly contributed to these gains, specifically reading programs. The scorecard shows some systems remain below 2019 levels in math, while others continue to lag in reading.

Several other systems received recognition for growth and achievement:

• Birmingham City, Coffee County and Muscle Shoals City Schools outperformed similar school systems nationwide in both math and reading.
• Franklin, Geneva and Marion County Schools highlighted for math.
• Cullman City, Homewood City, Hoover City and Houston County Schools highlighted for reading.
• Tuscaloosa City Schools featured as one of the scorecard's "Systems on the Rise."

 View Alabama's ranking on the National Education Recovery Scorecard.

Other Board Meeting and Work Session News

 The SBOE approved a resolution recognizing Alabama’s “Grow Our Own” initiative and “Future Teachers of Alabama” organization. Two high school students currently participating in these programs in Elmore and Calhoun counties shared their experiences and plans for enrolling in educator preparation programs in the fall.

For adoption at next month's board meeting, three resolutions were presented during the work session:

• Revise Business Software Applications I standards to be embedded with statutorily-required financial literacy coursework and career preparation standards;
• Appointment of the 2026-27 State Textbook Committee for Digital Literacy and Computer Science, Grades K-12; and
• Modified Praxis assessment names and cut scores for both Middle School Social Studies and Early Childhood Education Foundational Knowledge, formerly called Pre-Kindergarten Education, as aligned with national recommendations from Educational Testing Services (ETS).

Resolution

• Resolution Honoring Good Hope Primary School (Cullman County Schools) 2026 Alabama Green Ribbon Schools Award Nominee

The board’s next regular meeting will take place Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 10 a.m. in Montgomery with a work session immediately following:

• Gordon Persons Building Auditorium
• Livestream viewing:https://www.youtube.com/user/aldeptofed/live
• Archived meeting and work session recordings: https://www.alabamaachieves.org/state-board-of-education/meeting-videos/