Alabama Schools Surge in Reading, Math Proficiency Gains

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama students are showing marked progress in core subjects, with recent state and federal data highlighting gains in English language arts and math across demographic groups. The Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) results, released in 2025, revealed improvements in English and math for nearly all student subgroups, though science saw a slight decline. On the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), fourth-grade math proficiency rose to 37% from 28% in 2019, marking the largest national jump and elevating Alabama to 32nd in the nation. Fourth-grade reading held steady at 28%, while eighth-grade rates lagged at 18% in math and 21% in reading.[2][3][5][6] Gov. Kay Ivey touted these advancements during a Birmingham speech in early 2026, noting Alabama ranked first nationally in fourth-grade math recovery from 2022 to 2024 and third in reading recovery. The gains stem from the Alabama Numeracy Act, which established the Office of Mathematics Improvement and mandated K-5 math coaches in every elementary school—starting with 250 in low-performing sites in year one, adding 200 more in year two, and planning another 200 for 2026. In 2021, only 22% of students were math-proficient statewide, dipping to 7% for Black students and 11% for low-income pupils; 28 schools had zero proficiency. Every district now uses high-quality instructional materials, credited for the NAEP surge.[1][3][5] Complementing math efforts, the Alabama Literacy Act of 2019 bolstered K-3 reading via nine hours of science-of-reading training for K-6 educators and a Foundations of Reading assessment for teacher candidates. These reforms, modeled after successful interventions, have driven statewide test score rises, particularly post-pandemic. Despite progress—Alabama climbed from dead last in 2019 NAEP math—fewer than 40% of fourth-graders reach proficiency in math or reading, below national averages, signaling more work ahead in cities like Birmingham where Black student rates once hit 3.5%.[3][4][5]