State education officials briefed the Alabama State Board of Education on the literacy act, the new ACAP statewide assessment and the timetable for cut-score setting that will determine grade-level reading and potential third-grade retention under state law.

Key takeaways

- Timing and data: Department staff said schools will receive score data under embargo in mid-August and the board will get a full presentation during the September work session. Staff warned that this year’s scores reflect pandemic-related disruptions and the state is moving to a new test, a combination that complicates standard setting.

- Benchmarks and rulemaking: The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and vendor panels are meeting to set cut-score recommendations for level categories and the literacy task force will provide advice on grade-level reading measures the board must adopt. Staff said the board is expected to consider recommended cut scores and grade-level reading determinations once TAC completes its statistical work.

- Student options and due process: The literacy law requires steps beyond a single test. Staff summarized alternatives for students who do not meet a grade-level reading cut point: (1) a second summer assessment developed from the same standards, (2) promotion via a reading portfolio showing sufficient evidence of progress, and (3) individualized determinations by IEP teams for students with disabilities. Staff said the department would contract with its test vendor to produce a focused summer retest and make materials available for portfolio review.

- Legislative and legal context: The governor vetoed a bill to delay retention, but said she would consider postponement if fall data show a significant COVID-related slide. Department staff said they did not believe they had authority to unilaterally suspend statutory retention requirements and that any delay likely would require legislative action or explicit legal authority.

Why it matters: Implementation choices about cut scores, retest timing and whether to seek a legislative delay will directly affect promotion decisions for large numbers of early-grade students and will shape instructional priorities this school year.

Board next steps

Staff will present embargoed school-level data in mid-August, bring a full technical presentation in September and provide a recommended timeline for board consideration of grade-level reading cut scores and options for responding to pandemic-related learning loss. Several board members said they expect to weigh policy recommendations to the legislature before the next session if data warrant a delay in statutory retention.