Alabama third grade reading scores show growth

Alabama third grade students appeared to improve on a test of reading comprehension last year despite a slight increase in testing standards, according to numbers released by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) on Thursday.

According to the department, a smaller percentage of students who took the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment of Progress (ACAP) fell below the score considered “sufficient” for grade-level reading. The ALSDE said 11.6% of third graders fell below the mark, known as the cut-off score, in the 2024-25 school year. That was an improvement over the 2023-24 year, when 13% of third graders tested fell below the cut score. 

The state increased the cut score from 435 to 444 in October.

According to a Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) report, a student can score between 270 and 740 on the exam. 473 is the grade level score, but the lowered cut score allows for more statistical confidence that the correct students will be retained.

According to the data, 6,470 third-graders scored below 444 out of the 55,930 that were tested (11.57%). 

“If we take the current cut score and then apply it to last year’s data and the data before, you see that we would have seen growth,” Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey said during a meeting of the Alabama State Board of Education on Thursday. “So that tells me that not only do we have 11.6% below grade level, but we are seeing growth across the board.”

The 2019 Alabama Literacy Act requires students reading on grade level by the end of third grade. Students who fall short on the test and don’t meet an alternative requirement can be held back. The cut score will increase to 454 for the 2026-27 school year. 

The data also showed that 44 schools around the state had no students score below the 444 cut off on the test. Mackey said only two school systems had no students score below a 444.

“So we’re excited to see that,” he said. “A lot of them tested around the mid 90s, but we do have some districts that are around 70% still, and so we’re working on that.”

One of those systems was Orange Beach City Schools in Baldwin County. Randy Wilkes, the superintendent of the system, said in a statement the score reflects the dedication of the system’s teachers and leadership. This is the second year in a row the system had 100% of students scoring above the cut off, even with the increased cut score. 

“It’s a signal that every child in our district is being prepared for long-term academic success,” Wilkes said. “We believe that strong readers become strong learners. Our goal is not only to meet the standard but to set it.”

Satsuma City Schools in Mobile County was the other system to record all students reading at a sufficient level or higher. Superintendent Dana Price said in a statement that the scores directly reflect the work and support that teachers and families put into the students. 

“This accomplishment is a direct reflection of the hard work and commitment of our teachers, the support of our families, and the relentless pursuit of excellence by our students,” Price said. “We are proud to see the results of a system that puts children first every single day.”

Although the number of students scoring above “sufficient” reading improved, Mackey said that the students between the cut score and grade-level scores are not necessarily proficient in reading. 

“They’re reading on grade level statistically, but they are so close that they could easily slip below grade level the next year. So we want parents to know that,” Mackey said. “We don’t want them to think that because their students were promoted to the fourth grade, that they’re in the clear.”

Montgomery County’s Chisholm Elementary School had the highest percentage of third grade students scoring below a 444 at 47.25%. The school reported testing 91 students, so 43 of those scored below the cut score. Huntsville City’s McDonnell Elementary School is the second lowest, with only 75 students tested, at 41.33% of students scoring below a 444. 

Bessemer City’s Charles F Hard Elementary School tested 55 students with 22 scoring below a 444, the third lowest percentage. Bessemer City Schools has been under state intervention for almost a year. 

This story was updated on June 13 at 9:23 a.m. to correct the percentage of students that fell below the cut score in the 2024-25 and 2023-24 school years. It was updated on June 16 at 9:07 a.m. to include a statement from Satsuma’s superintendent.