State board adopts requirement that graduates earn a college-or-career credential; debate centers on equity and special‑needs pathways

The Alabama State Board of Education voted to adopt an amendment to Alabama Administrative Code Rule 290-3-1-.02 that would require students graduating in 2028 to earn at least one college- or career-readiness (CCR) indicator.

Board members and Department of Education staff spent more than an hour questioning how the change would be implemented, who would pay for expanded programs, and how the state would accommodate students with disabilities and English learners. The board’s action follows department modeling that shows a 16-percentage-point gap between the statewide graduation rate (92%) and the college-and-career readiness rate (76%) for recent cohorts, a gap proponents said the rule is intended to close.

Superintendent Eric Mackey told the board the department intends the requirement to take effect for the cohort that enters ninth grade in 2023 and graduates in 2028, and that the department is working with the community college system, the Alabama Workforce Council and industry partners to expand options such as dual enrollment, AP/IB, ACT benchmarks and career-technical credentials. “This would not affect until the class of 2028,” Mackey said, adding the department is developing pathways for students who take alternate assessments.

Several board members urged caution. Members repeatedly raised concerns about unequal access across school districts, the availability of dual-enrollment and career-technical programs in rural counties, and whether sufficient funding will exist to scale programs where offerings are limited. A board member cited family calls and principal concerns and said she planned to vote against the measure in its present form; others said they supported the policy’s goals but wanted more detail on special-education accommodations and supports for English learners.

Mackey and department staff told the board there is an existing committee that evaluates new credentials and that the department has roughly 150 credential options on the list, though most high schools offer only a fraction of them. Mackey described a two-pronged approach the department is pursuing: expanding academic options such as AP and ACT prep while accelerating dual-enrollment and career-technical opportunities statewide. He said the legislature currently provides a $26 million appropriation to cover community college tuition for some dual-enrollment students and that additional funding would be needed to scale services.

Board members asked about special-education students who do not qualify for alternate assessments but still struggle academically; Mackey said the department is exploring separate credentialing options for students on individualized programs of study but warned that federal law limits creating separate diplomas. He pointed to districts that have achieved high CCR rates, including two districts where 100% of graduates earned a CCR, including substantial special-needs enrollments, as evidence that pathways can be created.

The board moved and seconded the amendment and took a roll-call vote. The motion carried. Multiple board members voiced lingering concerns and asked for continued outreach to superintendents and written guidance describing the pathways and implementation timeline.

What happens next: the rule is subject to the department’s public-notice process; the department said the earliest the board could adopt a final rule is November, and it would be open for the 45-day public-comment period required for rulemaking.