Eye on Politics
Paul DeMarco
If your commute just got a little longer in the past couple of weeks don’t be surprised, as buses and carpools are back on the road to carry students back for another year of school.
As students return to the classroom, this is a good time to look at where Alabama ranks nationally in public education.
Despite scholastic gains made after years of historic appropriations by the Alabama Legislature, the state continues to rank in the bottom half of education ratings across the board.
Meanwhile neighbors like Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia have made progress in teaching students. Thus, Alabama school leaders are looking back at this past year’s statewide academic assessments to determine what moves the state needs to make next.
It is not like Alabama is not trying. Under the direction of State Superintendent of Education Dr. Eric Mackey there have been marked improvements, such as progress in mathematics, science and language arts. High school students have also made higher scores on the ACT.
The results were a mixed bag with improvement in some areas, while other subjects are still a challenge for students. Reading scores improved for second, fifth and eighth graders, though fourth through seventh grade scores dropped this past year.
There was also good news for science scores as students improved in the fourth, sixth and eighth grade.
Meanwhile, while there was some improvement in math, some 50 to 75 percent of Alabama students are still below proficient in math. Finally, Alabama high school juniors improved their ACT scores slightly after having declines last year.
There is a lot to digest for the Alabama school superintendent and School Board as they work to improve scholastic achievement for students across the state.
There is no question Alabama still has a lot of work to do to ensure its students get the best education, and state leaders need to make it a priority as schoolhouse doors open again.
Paul DeMarco is a former member of the Alabama House of Representatives and can be found on X at @Paul_DeMarco.
