Alabama

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Alabama
Students ride the bus home from Russellville Middle School in Russellville, Alabama, on Dec. 9, 2022.
Students ride the bus home from Russellville Middle School in Russellville, Ala., on Dec. 9, 2022.
Tamika Moore for Education Week
English Learners After Early Success With English Learners, Can a District Keep Its Momentum?
The Alabama school system's gains are threatened by time-limited funding, unaddressed needs at the secondary level, and moribund state policy.
Ileana Najarro, January 30, 2023
11 min read
A pedestal that held a statue of Robert E. Lee stands empty outside a high school named for the Confederate general in Montgomery, Ala. on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Two Montgomery high schools will no longer bear the names of Confederate leaders. The Montgomery County Board of Education has voted for new names for Jefferson Davis High School and Robert E Lee High School, news outlets report.
In this June 2020 photo, a pedestal that held a statue of Robert E. Lee stands empty outside a high school named for the Confederate general in Montgomery, Ala. The Montgomery school board voted this month to pay a hefty fine to the state in order to rename Robert E. Lee High and another school named for Confederate leader Jefferson Davis.
Kim Chandler/AP
School & District Management District Pays $50,000 Fine to Scrub Confederate Leaders' Names From Schools
The fine to Montgomery, Ala., schools stems from a 2017 state law designed to preserve public memorials.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 23, 2022
4 min read
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest in the hall outside of the Blue Room as Governor Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams at the Capitol Wednesday, March 30, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oka. The bill, which easily passed the Republican-led House and Senate mostly along party lines, took effect immediately with the governor's signature. It applies to female sports teams in both high school and college.
Kara Klever holds a sign in protest as Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signs a bill into law that prevents transgender girls and women from competing on female sports teams.
Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman via AP
States Beyond 'Don't Say Gay': Other States Seek to Limit LGBTQ Youth, Teaching
Legislators want to ban lessons on LGBTQ communities and require teachers to tell parents when students want their pronouns changed.
Stephen Sawchuk, April 6, 2022
9 min read
Collage of figures and money texture.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Education Funding State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2021
4 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States From Our Research Center Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality
Here’s a map showing grades for all the states on this year’s Quality Counts summative report card, on which the nation gets a C overall.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
1 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States From Our Research Center Nation Gets a 'C' on Latest School Quality Report Card, While N.J. Again Boasts Top Grade
A slight increase in this year's Quality Counts score isn't enough to boost the nation's school system above last year's middling grade.
Sterling C. Lloyd & Alex Harwin, September 1, 2021
8 min read
Illustration of students reading with pie chart.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States From Our Research Center State Grades on K-12 Achievement: 2021 Map and Rankings
Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on K-12 achievement, along with how they scored on a host of indicators.
EdWeek Research Center, September 1, 2021
1 min read
Conceptual image of a school door with projected shadows of students.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
School & District Management Interactive Enrollment Data: How Many Students Went Missing in Your State?
America's public school system lost more than 1.3 million students during the coronavirus pandemic, according to an Education Week analysis.
1 min read
Students participate in class outside at the Woodland Pond School, a private school located near Bangor, Maine. Maine experienced one of the nation's largest drops in student enrollment in the 2020-21 school year, according to an EdWeek analysis.
Students participate in class outside at the Woodland Pond School, a private school located near Bangor, Maine. Maine experienced one of the nation's largest drops in student enrollment in the 2020-21 school year, according to an EdWeek analysis.
Photo courtesy of Woodland Pond School
School & District Management More Than 1 Million Students Didn't Enroll During the Pandemic. Will They Come Back?
Education Week analyzed state data to gather a more comprehensive understanding of the 2020-21 school year's enrollment loss.
Eesha Pendharkar, June 17, 2021
6 min read
States Tracker Map: Where Critical Race Theory Is Under Attack
Education Week summarizes where state policymakers are attempting to censor the way teachers talk about racism and gender.
Sarah Schwartz, June 11, 2021
2 min read
Illustration of C letter grade
Getty
States From Our Research Center State Grades on School Finance: 2021 Map and Rankings
Examine the grades and scores that states and the nation earned on school finance, along with how they scored on a host of indicators.
EdWeek Research Center, June 1, 2021
1 min read
Illustration of C letter grade
Getty
Education Funding From Our Research Center Nation Earns a 'C' on School Finance, Reflecting Inconsistency in K-12 Funding and Equity
The Edweek Research Center's latest analysis finds a gulf in many states between per-pupil spending and how that K-12 money goes out.
6 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video The Awkward, Exciting, and Uncertain Transitions to Middle School, High School, and College
Students in 5th, 8th, and 12th grades anticipate their transition from pandemic schooling to a new level of education in the fall.
Jaclyn Borowski, Eric Harkleroad & Brooke Saias, May 25, 2021
1 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video Pandemic Transitions – High School Seniors Ready for College
Graduating seniors look back on their senior year and look ahead at what's to come for each of them as they pursue a college education.
May 25, 2021
5:29