Alabama signals reading recovery stall

Alabama education officials are warning that the state’s reading rebound is losing momentum for some students even as most third graders continue to clear the state’s promotion benchmark. Preliminary data presented to the Alabama State Board of Education this month showed 88.3% of third graders scored at or above the cutoff on the spring ACAP reading test, essentially unchanged from 88.4% a year earlier. Eric Mackey, Alabama’s state superintendent, told board members the flat result did not surprise him because the students still below the line are among the hardest to move with broad, statewide gains. ABC 33/40 reported on May 22 that state officials described the slowdown as concentrated among struggling readers rather than a reversal across the board. (aldailynews.com) ### Why are officials calling this a stall if most students still passed? The May 14 state board work session data showed 47,956 of about 54,300 third graders met the current reading benchmark of 444. That left about 6,350 students below the cutoff, a figure that was only slightly better than last spring, when just under 6,500 students missed the mark. (aldailynews.com) ABC 33/40 said educators at the board’s May work session focused on a “stubborn group” of students who remain behind despite broader post-pandemic improvement in Alabama schools. Mackey said those students would need continued, intensive help. ### Who are the students officials are worried about? State officials said the concern is not the statewide average alone but the students clustered below grade level who may not respond to lighter-touch intervention. (aldailynews.com) Alabama Daily News reported Mackey saying districts were already notifying families whose children were on or above grade level and those who were not, along with what that means for summer support. (abc3340.com) The Alabama Literacy Act requires summer reading camps and other interventions for students who fall short of the benchmark. The Alabama Reading Initiative says the law, signed in 2019, was designed to ensure public-school students can read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. ### Does missing the benchmark automatically mean a child is retained? Under the Alabama Literacy Act, students who do not hit the spring cutoff can still move on through a retest, a reading portfolio, or a good-cause exemption. (aldailynews.com) That means the spring benchmark is an early warning sign, not a final retention count. Legislative reports cited by Alabama Daily News show 836 third graders were retained specifically because of the Literacy Act at the end of the 2024-25 school year, while 3,454 were promoted through good-cause exemptions. (alabamaachieves.org) In 2023-24, 452 students were retained under the act after later reviews and exemptions. ### Why does next year matter more? Mackey told board members the current numbers may look less favorable next year because Alabama is scheduled to raise the third-grade reading cut score from 444 to 454 for the 2026-27 school year. (aldailynews.com) That higher bar could increase the number of students initially flagged for intervention even if instruction does not worsen. The Alabama Reading Initiative site also shows the state is updating approved programs, assessments and literacy guidance for the 2026-27 school year as districts prepare for the next round of implementation. ### What happens now in Alabama classrooms? May 22 coverage from ABC 33/40 said educators warned that statewide gains can obscure local pockets of students who need more explicit support. (aldailynews.com) That reporting framed the next phase as less about celebrating aggregate recovery and more about identifying the children still not catching up. Districts are now moving into summer reading camps, parent notifications and promotion reviews under the Literacy Act. (ari.alsde.edu) Final outcomes will become clearer after retesting, portfolio reviews and exemptions are processed ahead of the 2026-27 school year. (aldailynews.com) (abc3340.com)