Alabama’s graduation rate continued its years-long climb for the Class of 2019, achieving the nation’s highest graduation rate and beating the national average by nearly 6 percentage points. State education officials both celebrated and expressed caution after the data was announced, with Alabama Department of...
The Alabama State Department of Education has released a new plan outlining measurable goals to improve student achievement, including: “1) Academic Growth and Achievement; 2) College, career, and workforce preparedness; 3) Safe and supportive learning environments; 4) Highly effective educators; 5) and Customer-friendly services.” The...
Even as educators across the state continue to celebrate Alabama’s high marks in the recent release of school report cards, State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey is urging superintendents and education officials to look beyond the letter grades and see “what kind of improvement schools have...
Thanks to ESSA’s financial transparency requirements, the public in Alabama is getting a closer look at how much schools are spending to educate the state’s children. These numbers, writes Trisha Powell Crain for AL.com, are “all over the map, varying widely between districts and between...
According to AL.com, after multiple delays, Alabama education officials released the state’s second round of school letter grades. “Learning Heroes has been working with and listening to parents for several years” to figure out the best way to present the information, required under ESSA, that...
AL.com reports that education officials in Alabama have once again delayed release of the state’s “unified report card,” in part because of “technical problems with the website but also to ensure the data is accurate, according to Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey.” This is the...
Alabama Today reports that the Alabama State Department of Education plans to seek ESSA waivers from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to “allow students with cognitive disabilities to take the Alabama Alternate Assessment.”
The Dept. of Education sent letters to Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming enumerating federal feedback on their ESSA plans.
Approved State Plans Alabama: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Alaska: Final Plan Approved (5/16/18) Arizona: Final Plan Approved (9/6/17) Arkansas: Final Plan Approved (1/16/18) Colorado: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Connecticut: Final Plan Approved (8/15/17) Delaware: Final Plan Approved (8/2/17) District of Columbia: Final Plan Approved (8/28/17) Georgia:...
The Alabama State School Board has approved the state’s ESSA plan, but stated “changes will be needed in the future.” Parents and advocates of special need students have raised concern over the plan, because it “allows any sub-group (such as special needs) with less than...
