Alabama’s math teachers could be some of the country’s best prepared, new research suggests.

In a June 3 report from the National Council on Teacher Quality, Alabama was the only state to earn a “Strong” rating for improving elementary math instruction across several key areas:

• The state sets specific, detailed math standards for teacher preparation programs
• Teacher preparation programs are reviewed to ensure they are providing strong math instruction
• The state has adopted a strong elementary math licensure test
• Districts are required to select and implement high-quality math curricula
• Teachers have access to professional learning and ongoing support to sustain effective math instruction

Alabama, which once held the country’s lowest scores in both reading and math, has leapfrogged other states in recent years, especially in fourth-grade math.

According to a national education test, the state now ranks 31st in fourth-grade math and 33rd in fourth-grade reading.

Leaders and experts attribute much of the success to recent reforms, including the 2022 Numeracy Act, which has helped to increase the rigor of math instruction.

The law aims to improve curriculum and get math coaches in local schools. It requires schools to provide at least an hour of math instruction each day and screen students for any deficiencies. And so far, the efforts seem to be paying off: Alabama’s math scores jumped by 7 points during the pandemic, while all but one other state regressed.

“You can’t improve math outcomes by focusing on just one piece,” State Superintendent Eric Mackey said in a news release. “Real progress happens when your standards, assessments, instructional materials, coaching and teacher preparation all point in the same direction. Alignment isn’t the finish line – it’s the starting point.”

Still, numbers indicate that many students need to continue to improve.

Nearly one in four Alabama fourth graders lack basic math skills, like adding and subtracting multidigit whole numbers, fractions and decimals, according to the NAEP exam. And statewide, achievement gaps between white students and students of color are widening, data shows.

But researchers said current interventions, if implemented well, could help turn the tide.

Alabama was highlighted as one of just four states that fully fund math coaches and professional learning for math teachers. Some Alabama schools have used effective coaching models to great success in recent years.

Since 2023, the state has tried to place at least one math coach in every K-5 public school. So far, about 220 schools have a math coach. Leaders hope to triple that number by 2027.

The state could improve its efforts by better monitoring the kinds of math curricula that districts use and by taking full control of preparation program reviews, researchers suggested.

Alabama lately has pushed to loosen rules around teacher certification by allowing more companies to vet teacher education programs – a practice that, experts warn, could threaten the quality of education that candidates are getting.

Meanwhile, leaders say they’ve been working hard to get colleges on board with new reforms.

For most of Alabama’s elementary teacher candidates, math was their best subject; 81% of candidates passed the math subtest of the Praxis, the state’s licensure test, on their first try in 2024.

Experts say it’s just as important to help math teachers build their subject knowledge as it is to teach them to command a classroom. But not all Alabama colleges appear to be preparing math teachers adequately.

Auburn University and the University of Montevallo earned high marks from NCTQ for the depth of their undergraduate math education programs, while Athens State University and several graduate programs across the state failed to touch on recommended topics. See the full breakdown here.

NCTQ released a similar report on reading instruction in March.

While other southern states led the nation in effective teacher preparation policies, Alabama’s score was brought down by its weak requirements for high-quality instruction and program approvals.