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HB396 INTRODUCED
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HB396
DGZJUNN-1
By Representative Collins
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 05-Feb-26
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DGZJUNN-1 02/05/2026 KMS (L)cr 2025-3088
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First Read: 05-Feb-26
SYNOPSIS:
Under existing law, the State Superintendent of
Education is responsible for the development and
implementation of a school grading system.
This bill would revise the school grading system
to update the design and revise the weights and
indicators considered in assigning a grade, based in
part on whether the school includes a 12th-grade class.
This bill would require the Alabama Workforce
Board, in consultation with the State Department of
Education, to develop a system for collecting,
analyzing, and reporting on student performance data
associated with completion of college and career
readiness indicators.
This bill would also provide for the creation
and membership of an Accountability Council to review
and recommend revisions to the state accountability
system.
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
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Relating to public K-12 education; to amend Section
16-6C-2, Code of Alabama 1975, providing for the school
grading system; to update the design and revise the weights
and indicators considered in assigning a grade; to provide
separate considerations for schools that include and don't
include a 12th-grade class; to require the Alabama Workforce
Board to consult with the State Department of Education in
developing a system to measure student performance data
associated with completion of college and career readiness
indicators; and to create the Accountability Council to review
and recommend revisions to the state accountability system.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. Section 16-6C-2 of the Code of Alabama 1975,
is amended to read as follows:
"§16-6C-2
(a) In addition to any other labels or designations
assigned to public schools and public school districts
pursuant to a federal, state, school, district, or other
assessment or accountability system, the State Superintendent
of Education, consistent with this chapter, shall develop a
school grading system reflective of school and district
performance. The grading system shall utilize the traditional
A, B, C, D, or F framework.
(1) Schools receiving a grade of "A" are making
excellent progress.
(2) Schools receiving a grade of "B" are making above
average progress.
(3) Schools receiving a grade of "C" are making
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(3) Schools receiving a grade of "C" are making
satisfactory progress.
(4) Schools receiving a grade of "D" are making less
than satisfactory progress.
(5) Schools receiving a grade of "F" are failing to
make adequate progress.
(b) In developing this school grading system, the State
Superintendent of Education shall seek input from parents,
teachers, school administrators, existing State Department of
Education advisory groups or task forces, and other education
stakeholders on how the system can properly reflect not only
the overall academic proficiency of each public school but
also the academic improvements made by each public school,
along with other key performance indicators that give a total
profile of the school or the school system, or both.
(c)(b) The State Superintendent of Education shall
prescribe update the design and content of the an improved
school grading system by not later than December 31, 2012
2026. It is the intent of the Legislature that the system be
in place by no later than the 2013-2014 school year. The
system may not be utilized by the State Superintendent of
Education or the State Department of Education until
sufficient rules have been adopted by the State Board of
Education pursuant to the Alabama Administrative Procedure
Act.
(d)(c) Using an easy to understand grading scale, the
school grading system shall describe achievement in the state,
each district, and each school. Additionally, the State
Superintendent of Education shall not be precluded from also
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Superintendent of Education shall not be precluded from also
assigning grades to school feeder patterns or grades that
reflect the fiscal health and fiscal efficiency of a school or
school system.
(e)(d) The State Superintendent of Education shall make
these grades available to the general public and shall post
these grades on the website of the State Department of
Education as soon as the grades are available. Additionally,
appropriate grade information shall be delivered to the parent
or guardian of each public school student at least once
annually in the same manner that student report cards are
currently delivered.
(f)(e)(1) Using annual criterion-based,
state-authorized summative assessments and other key
performance indicators that give a total profile of the school
or the school system, or both, a school's grade , at a minimum,
shall be based on a combination of student achievement scores,
achievement gap, college and career readiness, learning gains
of all students, learning gains of the lowest performing 25
percent of students , and other indicators as determined by the
State Superintendent of Education to impact student learning
and success college and career readiness .
(2)a. Each school that does not include a 12th-grade
class shall use the following indicators:
1. Student academic achievement using annual
criterion-based, state-authorized summative assessments shall
be weighted at 40 percent with 20 percent for Language Arts
and 20 percent for Math.
2. Student academic achievement growth using annual
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2. Student academic achievement growth using annual
criterion-based, state-authorized summative assessments, as
determined by a criterion-based measure, shall be weighted at
40 percent.
3. Student academic achievement growth for the lowest
performing 25 percent of students, as determined by using
annual criterion-based, state-authorized summative
assessments, shall be weighted at 20 percent with 10 percent
for Language Arts and 10 percent for Math.
b. Each school that includes a 12th-grade class shall
use the following indicators:
1. Student academic achievement using annual
criterion-based, state-authorized summative assessments shall
be weighted at 30 percent.
2. Student academic achievement growth, as determined
by a criterion-based measure, shall be weighted at 20 percent.
3. Student academic achievement growth for the lowest
performing 25 percent of students, as determined by using
annual criterion-based, state-authorized summative
assessments, shall be weighted at 10 percent with 5 percent
for Language Arts and 5 percent for Math.
4. Additionally, college and career readiness shall be
weighted at 30 percent and graduation rate shall be rated at
10 percent. College and career readiness shall include the
following:
(i) Benchmark on ACT;
(ii) Successful completion of an international
baccalaureate (IB) program with a qualifying score of four or
above; dual enrollment college credit of A or B; or Advanced
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above; dual enrollment college credit of A or B; or Advanced
Placement classes with a qualifying score of three or above;
(iii) Scoring gold or platinum on WorkKeys.
(iv) Possessing an industry-recognized credential of
value for high-demand, high-wage jobs.
(v) Successful completion of an apprenticeship or a
work-based learning or career technical degree.
(3) The State Department of Education shall ensure
proficiency on the statewide summative assessment is aligned
to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
(4) To ensure that the college and career readiness
indicators accurately signal that students are prepared for
high-wage, high-growth opportunities in this state, the
Alabama Workforce Board, in consultation with the State
Department of Education, shall develop a system for
collecting, analyzing, and reporting the public school student
outcomes associated with the completion of college and career
readiness indicators in this section. This shall include an
annual legislative report that captures the education system's
return on investment, ensuring the state captures and reports
on results beyond what is in the accountability formula
including, but not limited to:
a. Postsecondary enrollment and persistence;
b. Military enlistment;
c. Industry-recognized credentials;
d. Median income within six years after graduation; and
e. High-wage, high-demand career sectors.
(5) When 60 percent of all public schools and public
local education agencies earn either an A or B on the state
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local education agencies earn either an A or B on the state
A-F school grading system, the grading scale for all letter
grades awarded shall be raised 10 points the following year.
(2)a.(f)(1) Commencing with the 2021-2022 school year,
the academic achievement of each student identified as an
English language learner who has not shown proficiency on
ACCESS for EL, or other state-approved English proficiency
assessment, may not be considered in assigning an academic
achievement grade to a school or school system for the first
five years of enrollment of the student. The educational
progress of each of these students shall continue to be
measured in the academic growth category and the progress in
English language proficiency category, and, at the end of the
five-year period for the student, his or her proficiency shall
again be considered in assigning an academic achievement grade
to a school or school system on the state A-F school grading
system.
b.(2) Commencing with the 2024-2025 school year, the
academic achievement of each student identified as a transfer
student from a nonpublic school may not be considered in
assigning an academic achievement grade to a school or school
system for the first three years of enrollment of the transfer
student. The educational progress of each of these transfer
students shall continue to be measured in the academic growth
category, and, beginning with the fourth year of enrollment of
the transfer student, his or her academic achievement shall be
considered in assigning an academic achievement grade to a
school or school system on the state A-F school grading
system.
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system.
(3)(g) The State Superintendent of Education may not
amend the state Every Student Succeeds Act option for
including test scores of English language learners enrolled in
United States schools. The option provides as follows: For the
first year of enrollment, the test scores shall be reported,
but the results on both the reading/language arts and math
tests shall be excluded from the federal accountability
system; for the second year of enrollment, a measure of
student growth on both tests shall be included in the federal
accountability system; and for the third year of enrollment,
proficiency on both tests shall be included in the federal
accountability system. Additionally, the option requires
English language learners who have successfully left the
English language learner subgroup by attaining English
proficiency to be included in that subgroup for accountability
purposes for four years.
(h) To further the intent of the Legislature to create
transparency and ensure all agencies uphold the purposes of
this section, the State Superintendent of Education shall
oversee the creation and operation of a standing
Accountability Council. The Accountability Council shall meet
at least annually to review the entire accountability system
and annual return on investment study, and provide
recommendations for any needed revisions to the Governor, the
Legislature, the State Board of Education, and the State
Department of Education. The goal of the Accountability
Council is to ensure that all Alabama students are succeeding
and will continue to succeed in the future. The membership of
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and will continue to succeed in the future. The membership of
the Accountability Council shall consist of all of the
following:
(1) Three members appointed by the Governor. One
at-large member, one member who is a national expert on school
accountability, and one member who is from the business
community.
(2) One member each appointed by the following:
a. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
b. The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
c. The State Superintendent of Education.
d. The Alabama Education Association.
e. The School Superintendents of Alabama.
f. The Alabama Association of School Boards.
g. The Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools.
h. The A+ Education Partnership.
(g)(i) The A-F school grading system shall be
consistently applied so that grades of one school or system
may be compared to the grades of any other school or system."
Section 2. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2026.
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