Alabama public school students’ test scores in English language arts, math and science improved from 2021 to 2022, the Alabama State Department of Education said Thursday.
Leaders said the improvements on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program assessments should be celebrated, while acknowledging that continued improvements are needed.
“Our legislature, governor, educators, parents, and communities have truly invested in education in Alabama, and it is crucial that we provide a positive return on that investment in the form of a highly educated citizenry that is prepared to excel in college, the workforce, and business,” State Superintendent Eric Mackey said in a written statement. “Our trajectory is positive, but we continue to stay focused on making sure every student in Alabama receives a quality education that truly prepares them for life after high school.”
The ACAP testing from spring 2022 show:
- Math scores improved in all grades tested with 30% of students meeting proficiency.
- The math proficiency rate was highest for second and third graders, 44% and 40% respectively, and lowest for seventh and eighth graders at 18%.
- Fifty percent of students met proficiency expectations in English language arts, a 3% increase from 2021.
- The ELA proficiency rate is highest for third graders, 55%, and lowest for seventh graders, 45%.
- In Science, the overall proficiency rate for the state increased by 4% for a total of 36% of students considered proficient.
Mackey said that major initiatives approved by the Legislature in recent years, including the 2019 Literacy Act and this year’s Numeracy Act, are spending unprecedented resources, and expectations, into school systems around the state and he expects the impact of these initiatives will show positive results in the coming years.
The state-developed ACAP was first given to students in spring of 2021. Detailed results are available HERE.