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The Alabama State Department of Education released school level reading percentages for third grade students who took and passed the English Language Arts state test.

These reading sub-scores are used to determine if third grade students met the expectations of the Alabama Literacy Act, which was passed in 2019. It was created to help improve reading in Alabama public schools and ensure students reading on grade level by the end of the third grade.

Alabama set a benchmark score of 435 on the reading test for the 2023-2024 school year. The ALSDE adopted a new reading test and a new cut score last year with a lower cut score than the previous version in 2022-2023.

Students who did not reach the minimum were invited to attend a summer reading camp and test again either in June or July. Students could possibly have to repeat the third grade if they cannot achieve the benchmark score set by the state.

At Andalusia Elementary School, during the 2023-2024 school year, 94.1 percent of third graders passed the test, an increase of 1 percent from 2022-2023. Records indicate the school’s poverty level is 64 percent.

“Our latest assessment results reflect the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers, support staff and administrators who have tirelessly supported our literacy initiatives. They demonstrate the positive impact of our targeted interventions, differentiated instruction, and collaborative efforts to support every student,” Andalusia City Schools Superintendent Dr. Daniel Shakespeare said. “While we celebrate our scores, we recognize that our journey towards academic excellence is ongoing. We remain steadfast in our commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to be successful.”

Covington County Schools increased from 87.1 percent to 95.6 percent across the system. Records show the system’s poverty level stands at 68 percent.

Fleeta Junior High School and W.S. Harlan Elementary School both saw an increase of 15.2 percent. The pass rate for Fleeta was 91.7 percent in 2023-2024, up from 76.5 percent in 2022-2023. The rate for W.S. Harlan stood at 93.2 percent in 2023-2024 as compared to 78.6 percent in 2022-2023.

Red Level School had a pass rate of 97.6 percent in 2023-2024, up 10.9 percent from 86.7 percent in 2022-2023.

Straughn Elementary School also scored a 97.6 percent pass rate in 2023-2024, which increased 6.5 percent from 91.1 percent in 2022-2023.

Pleasant Home School saw a 4.6 percent decrease from 95.5 percent in 2022-2023 to 90.9 percent in 2023-2024.

“We are more than just proud. We are truly thankful for teachers and parents willing to work tirelessly together to ensure our young students are provided with the support needed to ensure literacy success,” Covington County Schools Curriculum Coordinator Nikki Guilford said.

At Opp Elementary School, during the 2023-2024 school year, 95.9 percent of third graders passed the test, an increase of 2.1 percent from 2022-2023. Records indicate the school’s poverty level is 68 percent.

“I am excited to share our continued success in our reading scores at Opp Elementary School. We are pleased with the outstanding results from the recent ELA ACAP assessment. An impressive 75 percent of our third-grade students achieved a proficiency level of 3 or 4, indicating they are at or above grade level. Additionally, 95 percent of third graders are reading on grade level based on the reading portion of the ACAP Summative. Our second graders have also performed exceptionally well with 80 percent achieving scores within the proficiency range,” Opp City Schools Assistant Superintendent Emily Edgar said. “We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of our students and educators. However, we are always striving to improve.”

According to the report, 4,800 third graders statewide did not reach the benchmark score and are at risk of retention.