BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama students continued to make gains in math after the pandemic, but reading recovery remains weaker and progress remains uneven across districts, according to a new Education Scorecard analysis released Wednesday.
The scorecard, a collaboration among researchers at Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College, compares state and district reading and math results for students in grades 3 through 8.
Using the scorecard’s measures, Alabama ranked 10th among 38 states in math growth and 13th among 35 states in reading growth between 2022 and 2025.
Researchers said Alabama was one of only two states performing above 2019 levels in math.
The state’s reading results were less strong. The average Alabama student remained below both 2022 and 2019 reading levels, according to researchers.
Because state tests and proficiency definitions vary, researchers converted state test results into estimated average scores, aligned them to the National Assessment of Educational Progress and reported the results in grade-level equivalents. The latest report uses data through spring 2025, but not all states are included in every comparison because of data limitations.
The scorecard measures changes in achievement over time, not the share of Alabama students scoring proficient on state tests. Alabama’s 2025 proficiency rates vary by grade and subject and district, and can be explored in Alabama Daily News’ district-level test score dashboard.
Statewide, Alabama’s chronic absenteeism rate fell from 17.7% in 2022 to 12% in 2025, below the state’s pre-pandemic rate of 15.6%. Nationally, researchers said absenteeism continues to be a drag on recovery, with 23% of students chronically absent in 2024-25.
Researchers also highlighted several Alabama districts. Birmingham City, Coffee County and Muscle Shoals City were identified as districts outperforming similar districts in both math and reading. Franklin, Geneva and Marion counties were highlighted for math, while Cullman City, Homewood City, Hoover City and Houston County were highlighted for reading.
Tuscaloosa City Schools was featured as one of the report’s “Districts on the Rise.”
Researchers pointed to the district’s long-term focus on literacy, numeracy, school culture and college and career readiness, along with expanded instructional coaching, summer learning and regular reviews of student data.
The report also cautioned that recovery has been uneven. Some Alabama districts remain below 2019 levels in math, while others have continued to lose ground in reading. Researchers said Alabama should focus future school improvement dollars on middle- and higher-poverty districts that remain behind their pre-pandemic performance levels.
Researchers prepared downloadable reports for Alabama school districts showing test score averages, test score trends, learning rates and chronic absenteeism. The district-level reports show how each district compares with other Alabama districts and with districts across the country.
The Education Recovery Scorecard is available at edopportunity.org.