Alabama’s latest school report cards are in, and they’re showing some promising signs of improvement.

“I’m really pleased, because coming back post-COVID, we’ve got pretty strong growth in every area and every demographic of the state,” State Superintendent Eric Mackey told AL.com Monday.

The scores, released Friday, capture academic achievement, growth, and other measures of school performance during the 2023-24 school year. Several high-poverty districts are seeing record gains, AL.com found, and statewide, more students are leaving high school prepared for college or the workforce. Scroll down to find data for your school or district.

Overall, Alabama schools earned an 85, or a “B” grade, in 2023-24. That’s a two-point increase from 2022-23 and the state’s highest score since the department of education established a uniform grading system in 2018.

The state report card doesn’t just measure test scores; it also considers academic growth, college and career readiness and chronic absenteeism, among other factors, to gauge how well schools are doing.

Officials caution against comparing scores from earlier years due to changes in state tests and graduation requirements. Alabama did not publish school report cards in 2019-20 or 2020-21.

But Mackey said he’s encouraged by recent interventions, like the Alabama Literacy Act, that he said have driven gains in reading test scores since the pandemic.

Academic achievement – which is based on math and English and language arts scores – typically lags behind other measures, but is up statewide, at 64.53 points.

“We really are seeing the fruits of our labors,” he said. “As we get the Numeracy Act in place and we get math coaches across the state in every school, I have no doubt that it is going to do the same thing as reading. It’s going to really begin to accelerate growth and achievement both.”

Which schools, districts improved the most?

Sumter County Schools, which are currently under state intervention, saw some of the biggest gains this year. The small, rural district earned a 76 on its most recent report card, up 12 points from the 2022-23 school year.

Mackey said he is pleased with the system’s growth but added that the state is “years away” from releasing the district from its oversight.

Overall, 35 districts earned an A-grade in 2023-24, up from 28 in 2022-23, and fewer districts earned Ds and Fs than in previous years, the Alabama Daily News found.

Across the state, growth varied from school to school – some saw big gains, while others continued to slide.

Here’s a look at the top 10 most improved schools from the 2022-23 to 2023-24 school year:

• Legacy Prep, a charter school in Birmingham – from a 52 to a 76
• i3 Academy Phase 1, a charter school in Birmingham – from a 56 to a 79
• Inglenook School, Birmingham City Schools – from a 54 to a 75
• Marengo High School, Marengo County Schools – from a 67 to an 86
• Dannelly Elementary School, Montgomery County Schools – from a 55 to a 74
• Clark Elementary School, Selma City Schools – from a 47 to a 66
• Southview Elementary School, Tuscaloosa City Schools – from a 62 to an 81
• Notasulga High School, Macon County Schools – from a 52 to a 70
• Mobile County Training Middle School, Mobile County Schools – from a 49 to a 67
• Monroe County High School, Mobile County Schools – from a 58 to a 76

Eleven schools – from Mobile County, Huntsville City, Montgomery County, Mountain Brook, Vestavia Hills, and Gadsden City – earned a perfect score of 100 this year, up from just four schools last year.

Use the dropdown below to see how scores have improved in your district. If you can’t see the chart, view it here.

Closing gaps

Students in nearly every subgroup improved across measures this year, but schools still have a long way to go to close gaps in achievement.

See the breakdown in scores below, or view them in a separate window.

The state saw the most improvement in college and career readiness rates, which measure how many students have met at least one CCR indicator, including proficiency on the ACT, participation in dual enrollment, completion of a career and technical course, or other career or workforce offerings.

CCR rates have climbed steadily since the pandemic, and are now at 84% statewide, a five-point increase from 2022-23. Graduation rates, meanwhile, have stabilized at about 90% statewide.

Chronic absenteeism rates, or the proportion of students who have missed 18 or more days of class, also decreased from 18% to about 15%.

“Even though we’re seeing the number go down, it’s still concerning,” Mackey said, noting that he’d like to see that rate get under 10%.

Mackey said he plans to expand college and career pathways for students, which could be required to graduate soon. He said he hopes that in a few years’ time, the state will have stronger data to more accurately measure school progress.

“I do believe we need to stick with what we’re doing for a long time,” he said. “If you’re always changing the test, you’re always changing your standards, then teachers don’t know what kind of goal we’re aiming for.”

See how your district scored across all categories below. If you can’t see the table, view it here.

You can also view recent report card scores at the Alabama State Department of Education’s report card dashboard. Use the dropdown menus to find your school or district.