Alabama Education System: A Comprehensive Overview

The Alabama education system has a rich history, marked by both progress and challenges. From its early beginnings rooted in land grants and private academies to the complexities of modern public education, Alabama's commitment to schooling has evolved significantly. This article provides an overview of the state's education system, encompassing its historical context, structure, funding, and recent developments.

Historical Foundations

The importance of education has long been recognized in Alabama. The state's constitution emphasizes the encouragement of schools and education. The General Assembly is mandated to preserve lands granted by the United States for school use and to apply the funds raised from these lands in accordance with the grant's objective.

Several institutions of higher learning were established in the early 19th century. Athens State University, initially a private institution known as the Athens Female Academy, was founded in 1822 and transitioned to a public school in 1974. LaGrange College, another private college, was established in 1830 but faced destruction during the Civil War before being reestablished in 1872.

In 1852, Alabama voters approved a referendum to establish free public schools for white children, leading to the passage of the 1854 Public Schools Act. Gabriel B. Du Val, the Superintendent of Education in 1858, noted that the population's attitude toward education was generally favorable, though there was some reluctance toward governmental aid in procuring it. By 1860, approximately a quarter of white school-aged children were enrolled in schools.

The 1868 constitution mandated free, racially integrated public schools funded by the state. However, this period also saw the criminalization of teaching slaves to read. Following the abolition of slavery in 1865, significant disparities persisted, with Black public schools receiving far less funding than white public schools from the end of the Reconstruction era in the 1870s down to the 1940s. Despite this, many private schools for Blacks were supported by Northern philanthropy well into the 20th century. Illiteracy rates were high, with a quarter of all whites over the age of ten being illiterate in 1880. This number decreased to 18.84% in 1890 and 14.8% in 1900.

The 1901 constitution prohibited both racially integrated schools and state aid to religious schools. Mandatory schooling of eighty days per year began in 1915, but waivers were available for the very poor. By 1918, all but ten counties had established a high school, as required by the state. By the mid-1930s, two-thirds of the children of landowners reached high school, compared to only a third of the children of white sharecroppers. "Opportunity Schools" were created in 1920 to reduce illiteracy, enrolling young adults who had not completed fourth grade.

Desegregation and Modern Challenges

In response to the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, Alabama state and local officials took measures to maintain de facto educational segregation. Intelligence and other tests were used to assign students in 1955, effectively keeping schools segregated. Public funds were also allowed to flow to private schools that admitted only students of one race.

Since 2000, several school districts have been formed by breaking away from county schools.

Structure and Governance

Public primary and secondary education in Alabama is overseen by the Alabama State Board of Education, with local oversight provided by 67 county school boards and 60 city boards of education.

Funding

Public school funding is appropriated by the Alabama Legislature through the Education Trust Fund. In FY 2006-2007, Alabama appropriated $3,775,163,578 for primary and secondary education, an increase of $444,736,387 over the previous fiscal year.

Read also: Looking at Alabama's Schedule

Achievement and Progress

In 2007, over 82 percent of schools made adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward student proficiency under the National No Child Left Behind law, using measures determined by the state of Alabama. However, despite improvements, Alabama's public education system lags behind other states in achievement. Concerns about literacy persist, with 130 high schools out of 367 in the state either failing reading or being classified as "borderline" for 11th graders in the 2008-2009 school year.

The state provides education from Kindergarten through grade 12 and has also established a pre-kindergarten program. Alabama's pre-kindergarten program has been recognized for its high quality standards.

Higher Education

Alabama's programs of higher education include fourteen four-year public universities, numerous two-year community colleges, and 17 private, undergraduate and graduate universities. Public, post-secondary education in Alabama is overseen by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.

Addressing Modern Educational Needs

Helping adults earn a postsecondary certificate or degree to prepare for employment is imperative for states. Rapid advancements in automation and artificial intelligence will increasingly displace adults with low levels of education, transforming some positions while eliminating others.

Challenges and Opportunities

Technological progress and low educational attainment in the workforce are not the only challenges facing states. By 2030, every SREB state will have more dependent-age individuals than working age adults. The growing dependent population, rising poverty rates and gaps between attainment and job share seen in 2019 pre-pandemic data will be exacerbated. With fewer people attending and completing college, there are now millions displaced in the workforce pipeline who might need reskilling for future positions.

K-12 teacher shortages have plagued our region and nation for years, limiting districts and states from making crucial educational improvements. The pandemic has only made things worse. Teachers are the number one influence in educational achievement, yet these shortages are also severely limiting our ability to prepare the upcoming workforce, causing economical disadvantages. Shortages in postsecondary faculty in key fields are preventing technical, community and four-year colleges from supplying enough workers to meet demand in high-needs careers.

Postsecondary Education and Financial Aid

Adults with education after high school are more likely to be employed, to earn incomes above the poverty level, and to be able to support their children’s academic growth. Earning a higher education credential is pretty much a requisite for future well-being but paying for one is complex. Most SREB states provide some combination of need-based and merit-based aid. Need-based financial aid remains an important tool to help students and their families overcome the affordability gap between what college costs and what families can afford.

Students from low-income families may also receive Federal Pell Grant funding to help pay for college. Most Pell money goes to students with total family incomes below $20,000 per year. Even though the average Pell Grant award increased in the SREB region, the number of students receiving money declined in all 16 SREB states. The number of Pell Grant recipients fell. The proportion of college costs covered by Pell also declined in every SREB state. Across SREB states, average student loan debt of borrowers ranged from $31,182 to $42,280.

Student Success and Graduation Rates

Key performance outcome measures for states include the six-year graduation rate for four-year colleges and universities and the three-year graduation rate for two-year colleges. In 2020, the SREB region’s six-year college graduation rate was 61%, up 5% from 2014. It trailed the nation by 2 percentage points. The six-year graduation rate for Hispanic students in seven SREB states exceeded the rate for their peers nationwide. In six of these seven states, Black students also exceeded the rates for their respective peer groups nationwide.

The Challenge 2030 adult educational attainment goal calls for more working-age adults in SREB states to earn a postsecondary credential. Postsecondary certificates, as well as associate and bachelor’s degrees, count toward the goal. States and institutions should consider ways to support students better so that more graduate.

High School and College Readiness

Making a successful transition from eighth to ninth grade is key to student success in high school. But this transition proves difficult for many students. Several factors influence both the ninth-grade bulge and high school progression rates.

Between 2015 and 2022, the region’s graduation rate rose. Amid overall gains in graduation rates, significant gaps remain among student groups. Black and Hispanic students, students with disabilities, those from low-income families, and English learners continued to graduate at rates lower than their Asian and white peers.

While increasing high school graduation rates is important, the focus of the SREB 2030 goal for high schools is on college and career readiness. Recently, states have paid increased attention to dual enrollment programs to provide greater access to postsecondary for more students.

ACT and SAT scores are used for college admission decisions and the awarding of merit-based scholarships. States can use various measures to gauge their students’ progress toward the SREB college- and career-readiness goal. SREB states have significantly increased their high school graduation rates since 2002, but ACT and SAT college-readiness results show that too many graduates are leaving high school unprepared for college coursework.

According to ACT results, students are particularly underprepared in STEM - science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Employers have expressed a need for workers who also have essential employability skills like the ability to communicate well, read technical manuals, work in teams and solve complex problems. To prepare more students to graduate with the skills needed to meet workforce needs, states offer career and technical education courses, often as part of defined pathways or programs of study.

Recent Progress and Initiatives

Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show Alabama students are leading the charge in post-covid academic recovery. In 4th grade math, Alabama climbed to 32nd in 2024, from a low point of 52nd in 2019. Alabama’s 6-point scale score increase was the largest increase in the nation when it comes to 4th grade math. Alabama is among a small group of five states to show recovery to pre-covid levels in 4th grade math.

Alabama’s place in 4th grade reading has moved dramatically, moving up to 34th in 2024. Alabama is one of only two states (along with Louisiana) to exceed pre-covid levels in 4th grade reading.

The state’s ranking in 8th grade reading rose from 49th in 2019 to 47th in 2024. Similarly, in 8th grade math, Alabama improved from 52nd in 2019 to 49th in 2024.

Efforts to incorporate the NAEP framework into Alabama’s Course of Study and laws like the Alabama Literacy and Numeracy Acts place Alabama on good footing for continued academic success. Alabama students with special needs saw substantial growth in 4th grade math and reading.

Early Childhood Education

During the 2023-2024 school year, Alabama preschool enrolled 24,640 children. State spending totaled $181,550,866. State spending per child equaled $7,368. During the 2023-24 school year, in response to the ongoing teacher shortage, First Class Pre-K expanded the apprenticeship program to increase the number of qualified teachers. Additionally, in January 2023, the Governor directed the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE) to focus on serving children in and around turnaround schools. For the 2024-25 school year, the ADECE was instructed to reduce the cost burden on families by not allowing programs that receive full grants to charge tuition. The state Education Trust Fund (ETF) budget provided $2.5 million to replace tuition charges to parents.

First Class Pre-K (FCPK) is a grant program administered by the Office of School Readiness within the ADECE, under the Governor’s Office. The program funds full-day preschool education for 4-year-old children in every county in a variety of settings, including public schools, private centers, Head Start programs, community organizations, faith-based centers, colleges and universities, and military agencies. Using a multi-pronged approach, the ADECE Office of School Readiness has implemented evidence-based strategies and methods grounded in research to ensure that all children enrolled in FCPK have access to excellent, high-quality early learning classrooms in their communities.

Funding for FCPK is distributed from the Alabama Education Trust Fund Budget through competitive grants at three levels for pre-K programs. All teachers in FCPK classrooms must center their instructional strategies, classroom environment and activities in accordance with the Alabama First Class Framework. All FCPK classrooms are supported by a coach and monitor to support continuous improvement. Alabama requires each classroom to have a lead teacher with a minimum of a BA/BS in an early childhood-related field. Assistant teachers, required for every classroom, must have a CDA or equivalent. To support the development of a qualified workforce, high school students are encouraged to complete a CDA and can use the FCPK classrooms housed in high schools to satisfy some of the required observation hours.

School Choice and Accountability

School choice options in Alabama included tax credits and online learning opportunities. The state also enacted charter school legislation in March 2015. On March 14, 2013, Governor Robert Bentley signed into law the Alabama Accountability Act. The bill gives tax credits to parents who wish to transfer their children from a failing public school district to another public or private school. On April 2, 2014, Alabama enacted Senate Bill 38, which expressly recognizes home instruction by someone other than a state-certified private tutor as an option for complying with the compulsory attendance requirements and redefines a church school to include either on-site or home programs.

Starting with the 2013-2014 school year, the Alabama Department of Education replaced the No Child Left Behind Act with Plan 2020, a new way of measuring student achievement in the state. In addition to eliminating the Alabama High School Graduation Exam as the only path to graduation and switching to college and career readiness standards to judge student progress, Plan 2020 set achievement goals meant to close the achievement gap between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

Challenges and the Path Forward

Despite the progress made, Alabama's education system continues to face challenges. These include addressing teacher shortages, improving middle school performance, and ensuring equitable outcomes for all student groups.

Teacher Unions and Policy Research

The main union related to the Alabama public school system is the Alabama Education Association (AEA), an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). Alabama Policy Institute (API), a nonprofit organization, conducts research on education and transparency throughout the state.

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