Alabama reports preliminary summer reading gains; announces targeted support for struggling fourth‑through‑sixth graders

Dr. Eric Mackey, Alabama State Superintendent, told the State Board of Education work session that preliminary spring and summer assessments show improvement in third‑grade reading and that the department will direct new resources to struggling fourth‑through‑sixth graders.

"We had 53,492 students tested in the spring," Mackey said, describing the department's preliminary numbers and adding that a supplemental retest and summer assessments reduced the statewide percentage of students below grade level from about 9 percent in spring testing to about 6.5 percent after summer retesting. He emphasized the data are self‑reported by districts and still preliminary.

The department framed those preliminary gains as partial and uneven: many districts tested only a subset of students over the summer, regional staff are investigating cases where students identified as below grade level were not retested, and local circumstances (special education placements, English‑learner status, portfolio reviews, or parental conferences) affected whether individual students attended summer intervention programs.

Mackey told the board the department will use a $5 million appropriation to expand supports beyond kindergarten–third grade. "We're gonna hire another person... we'll spend about $150,000 off the top to hire somebody to really focus on supporting our district[s]," he said, describing a specialist to coordinate support for grades 4–6 and a team to prioritize schools with the largest numbers of struggling fourth graders. The department also announced the hiring of Jeffrey Norris to manage summer and after‑school programming.

Officials said planned uses for the $5 million include purchasing universal assessments/screeners for older elementary grades, grants for summer learning and tutoring for fourth and fifth graders, peer‑coaching opportunities, and professional development tied to school priorities. Miss Short, a department professional‑learning lead, said the department is already offering on‑demand and synchronous training modules for teachers and will track registrations to measure takeup.

Mackey and staff repeatedly emphasized that student‑level actions (retention, portfolio promotion, IEP or Section 504 decisions, or ACAP alternate‑assessment promotions) remain local decisions and that the state will follow up to ensure each identified student has a documented reading plan. "We are sending our regional people to find out exactly what happened" for students who were not retested, Mackey said.

The board also discussed a timeline for revisiting the third‑grade cut score used to determine retention. Mackey proposed discussion at the board retreat, a work‑session follow‑up in September and a final board decision in October (with November as a possible fallback), noting the change would affect public reporting and comparisons across years. "There seems to be some growing consensus that over time, we want to move from the minus 2 to the minus 1," he told members, referring to the statistical cut‑score choices under consideration.

Why it matters: third‑grade literacy and related retention policies determine which students receive mandated interventions and which schools and teachers are prioritized for state support. Board members stressed the importance of clear, public timelines and better public versions of district‑level data; Mackey said the department is preparing a redacted public dataset and will continue to provide full, unredacted data to board members.

Board members and staff noted program spotlights from around the state — including arts integration and career‑connected field trips at summer programs — and national recognition for several local summer programs. Staff repeatedly cautioned that the department's reporting is preliminary and final district reports are due in mid‑September. The department said it will continue to combine ARI (Alabama Reading Initiative) and other state funds to support the planned expansion for older elementary grades.

Ending: Department officials asked the board to use the August/September retreat and the September work session to narrow options and return with a recommendation on the cut score and a proposed budget request for additional targeted supports.