[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6513330,"mediaKeyId","5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1","parentId",5071381,"title","Superintendent outlines funding squeeze, reading retention timeline and policy priorities for next year","audioSeconds",1614,"startMs",3646000,"endMs",5260000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1&start=3646&end=5260","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1/thumbnail_3646000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6513330/Alabama/Superintendent-outlines-funding-squeeze-reading-retention-timeline-and-policy-priorities-for-next-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513330-e2063cad98cb8b0e7579770b4fe7c94f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026213&Signature=Y6j8Iroxi-dFKqr5fFToLykG28b52UAkx4uYDnBRTHqUWjZAYQAhYIIhnUaSLUqmX9yQqvoHzBOC3mUxCcCS1V7rprQ9tu94p-Efci9kLVnmWpw48oqhYg~J4psGK6UF2-EAlk3PQQjuL5tUxClqLOFxb0IOGXuASBimoNkNohTsY0KoIIOjNmR24ZOhGicKsI7uI3NNPcBgn9f~0A-zZc50D1hxNZAb8szP0pE4crHXJ13KKJP1jauxd2JCbgwNXCS7Jpe8ywyjJg92h8SSe-QoOVInJt9FPTsNKTNA7ts9lleq~HrTmYv0gSDAukPrTuId5zIrAx9jdKtvlCuRhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alabama State Department of Education","date","2025-06-25T03:35:48.473Z","article","State Superintendent Dr. Mackey briefed the board on several statewide issues the department will focus on in the coming months, including ESSER funding expiration, third‑grade retention cut‑score review, summer learning, budget priorities and new educator‑support programs.

\"We are losing a couple of billion dollars in ESSER funds in September,\" Dr. Mackey told the board, explaining that the forthcoming federal funding cliff will force districts to reduce some programs and positions. He said the department will provide limited state assistance and small grants, but stressed the scale of local cuts could be large and uneven: \"There are programs that go away. There are positions that are gonna go away.\"

On third‑grade reading and retention, Dr. Mackey reviewed last year's technical advisory committee recommendation to use confidence intervals when setting cut scores and described three bands used by statisticians (no adjustment, minus‑1 SEM, minus‑2 SEM). He said the department will wait until August to revisit the cut score decision so it can include summer‑learning outcomes, summer‑camp attendance and portfolio promotion results: \"By August, we're gonna have it all. We're gonna know how many kids were truly retained.\"

Dr. Mackey emphasized reading and math as top instructional priorities and pointed to ongoing measures including math coaches (initially deployed to roughly 200 low‑performing schools, with expansion planned), summer reading camps and support for retained students. He said school‑level improvements have been widespread but uneven and noted that student growth was \"remarkable\" on recent tests regardless of which cut‑score metric is used.

On diplomas and career pathways, Dr. Mackey said the department will propose code changes to implement a new pathways diploma option—allowing certain career‑tech courses to substitute for some math or science electives—with a plan to make the pathway operational for 2025–26. He said anticipated implementation will require administrative code changes and preparation with districts.

Dr. Mackey also described initiatives to strengthen school leadership. He summarized the Principal Leadership and Mentoring Act: new professional‑development requirements, a mentoring program for new principals and a principals' academy tied to bonus payments (up to $15,000 for principals, up to $7,500 for assistant principals) for those who complete the program. The department will identify mentors and training through contracted providers.

He closed by urging attention to discipline, cell phones and social media as classroom management and student‑wellness issues. \"All the systems that get cell phones out of their schools have been able to improve their discipline scores 35, 45%.\" He said the department will raise the issues with the legislature and the public as part of broader budget and policy discussions.

The transcript records Mr. Mackey's presentation and Q&A; no formal board action on these policy items is recorded in the provided excerpt.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Alabama Board of Education Work Session","oneSentenceSummary","State Superintendent Dr. Mackey told the board districts face a federal funding drop and outlined a plan to revisit third‑grade cut scores after summer learning data are available.","taxTitle","Alabama State Department of Education, State Agencies, Executive, Alabama","taxId",80275,"location","Alabama","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6513335,"Arts course of study undergoing rewrite; five disciplines to be aligned for public review",551,2384000,2935000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1&start=2384&end=2935","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1/thumbnail_2384000.jpg","/articles/6513335/Alabama/Arts-course-of-study-undergoing-rewrite-five-disciplines-to-be-aligned-for-public-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513335-1d15067eb916e616bbf797779b0761a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026213&Signature=hC55dsYO~Tnvqe8abhIfkDL6PZ17r8hScrxyllqziyOrw9uT8LVNzgPwTQR~hk0goX9V-Fa2f3c7dMRypP3ilHy568quKSmDb0z1qcFWO3iQ5la3pnoJB1Q-hAaCgpFBM3Fqf8FA030fRTj49LSG9Wb3us34BiWVji1p8BDlceAs75wGznD1pqUe2kej3d2zKhy9sTa-8kDkCdkoO7yjKDAaBWiUzSLvYDHKP0iOxNFu45Gz83jQkFs03tLy9R2eMAV-mHbjlcLoHrRsw7hUmZJ4KoxQnhbBT~64y~Ec-QbKGMEWxnrnPjDVET4rcw82nUUHHY6bQEGahcy59Te56Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The board received an update on the Alabama Course of Study: Arts during the work session, covering a multi‑discipline rewrite intended to align arts instruction across the state.

Dr. Lee, chair of the fine‑arts committee, told the board the rewrite covers five disciplines—dance, media arts, music, theatre and visual arts—and will include grade‑band progressions, college‑and‑career readiness alignment and stronger elementary frameworks. \"We wanted to make sure that the practices and everything that we were doing in the state of Alabama was aligned so that we can produce top notch students in all the arts,\" Dr. Lee said.

The committee described a research review, stakeholder engagement with arts organizations and a public‑review schedule that mirrors social studies: draft completion for public review in August, in‑depth comment collection and final edits in October in advance of a presentation in November and anticipated adoption on Dec. 12. Committee members emphasized the breadth of the task because five separate disciplines must be combined into a single course‑of‑study document.

Presenters said the committee is maintaining a bibliography of sources and will solicit expert reviewers before public release; no formal vote or adoption was recorded in the provided transcript excerpt.","State arts education leaders told the board they are redrafting K‑12 arts standards across five disciplines and plan a public draft for August with anticipated adoption in December.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6513340,"Board receives progress report on 2024 social‑studies course of study; draft to be released in August",1203,817000,2020000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1&start=817&end=2020","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1/thumbnail_817000.jpg","/articles/6513340/Alabama/Board-receives-progress-report-on-2024-socialstudies-course-of-study-draft-to-be-released-in-August","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513340-1d837e29420ab985e28570dc99cbdddd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026213&Signature=o3ul3cva7UQBTUmKehPt2lQI56KHyzeUUfUZLAeuuPZGLhzI8CvYZCoOMDTggIpCp-Y9tkXY7jYYttrTVqYVc4npuKkC6jjVhmHwYxCUP3TjZkkp5enI7HMMc3XfEhDNR7yk1zJL5U0tj-m~U0yBeXE-ctOyerwkeuLS0dJpJnWCXgG6be9XElGX0YvAI7CWlYxzB879kFRcUVIqE~1b-gYhw5fv4Z9yMy7Fp6XreX75J6hHLqIrLHWdI0k6lf0RiAQx7aDL-evQ6eyx1fAO0C7t-ngo9ReVL4Z6cNLUnO09XuK8BUfF99tUnfWzb3GpbZtvrvMPM5UeY5735S6ZRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama State Department of Education received a detailed progress update on the 2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies during its work session.

Ron Snell, superintendent of Geneva City Schools and chair of the social‑studies committee, told the board the revision effort is a statewide, collaborative process involving K‑12 teachers, museum professionals, higher‑education faculty and other stakeholders. \"They're professional educators. They're museum people. They're higher ed people,\" Snell said, adding that committee members come from \"all corners of the state.\"

Dr. Busman, who leads the course drafting team, reviewed the committee schedule and research base. The committee said it reviewed NAEP and AP frameworks, consulted state and national model standards, considered Fordham Institute ratings of other states' standards and included Department of Defense standards in part because of Alabama's sizable military‑connected student population.

The committee said it will release a draft in August for public review, collect feedback through October and bring a revised draft to the state board on Nov. 14, with an anticipated board vote on Dec. 12, according to the timeline presented. The presenters emphasized the process will include repeated cycles of review and comment so public feedback is incorporated into draft standards before formal submission.

Presenters cautioned that the draft preview would be \"somewhat shy on specifics like actual standards\" because the committee intends to withhold detailed standards until the public draft is released. Committee leaders also said the revision will place greater emphasis on civic education and the social‑studies skills framework and will embed Alabama history across grades rather than isolating it in a single year.

No formal vote on the new course of study is recorded in the provided transcript excerpt; the session recorded committee milestones, public‑review plans and an anticipated adoption timeline.","Committee leads told the Alabama State Department of Education board the social‑studies course of study is being redrafted with statewide input; the committee plans a public draft in August and expects to present to the board in November with an anticipated vote in December.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6513344,"State board hears University of North Alabama presentation on educator‑preparation program",307,309000,616000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1&start=309&end=616","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5071381-a726055032e9b9b908002a3c8ba426a1/thumbnail_309000.jpg","/articles/6513344/Alabama/State-board-hears-University-of-North-Alabama-presentation-on-educatorpreparation-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6513344-4e0e512baeca14adf2131ac00aec390b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771026213&Signature=eKn72fK4wkduZvzCOqyZqd3K3VAVbKGFCaOyIPtXna9uC0y8xT0GwAxIB6J0FOKntu~1Kk9sgd8ZsR-XQZUIOGF7CYPTJLAihzEzCnZdk4ZvjGlEk6uxpemSV6a5UnbL1mHcVPXEmPTY361cEEm70IsF5vJS5SlIB1lU06iqX1WWGqwwE9Lidl3bu55~bj-~F~b1g6FTPIA0PgeKiKVpIalO3k5e9KYoWvVqo9bdSVI9k2zbC5Pzh8pfjs~S5ywve3mPGhjt05fSRoDyo5z1oY3fJ4YH9x2GYCBHlaQO2A4VF9UaPxDdZZGj8~KDpcceWxobUrFANOKyN7~1jqRJSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Alabama State Department of Education work session on (date not specified) included a presentation to the board on a resolution to approve the University of North Alabama's educator preparation program.

The university's visitors described program features intended to prepare K‑12 teachers for classrooms across the region. \"One of the strengths of our programs is just the powerful partnerships that we enjoy,\" said Dr. Laura Johnson, speaking for the University of North Alabama's educator preparation program. She cited partnerships with local districts, museum programs, a reading clinic in a local school, secondary immersion labs and an assistive‑technology workshop used in special‑needs instruction.

Johnson also described the university's relationship with Kilby Laboratory School—\"the only laboratory school in the state of Alabama,\" she said—and a program she identified as supporting students from foster‑care backgrounds. Johnson said the university recently received a federal AmeriCorps grant to support that work and that information about the program was provided in a handout to board members. She added enrollment figures for recent graduates and ongoing graduate enrollments: \"we just graduated about a 106\" and \"about 250 enrolled currently in our masters...programs,\" according to the presentation.

Board members asked about graduate destinations and whether UNA tracks alumni who teach in neighboring states; Johnson said the university does track that most graduates teach in Alabama but that some go to Tennessee and Mississippi.

The transcript records the resolution to approve the educator preparation program on the agenda; the presentation and discussion are recorded in the meeting transcript, but no formal roll‑call vote or final outcome appears in the provided excerpt.

The board package included handouts with program detail, and presenters invited board members to visit campus and observe field experiences.","Representatives from the University of North Alabama described partnerships, field experiences and a new support program for students from foster‑care backgrounds as the board considered a resolution to approve the university's educator preparation program.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Superintendent outlines funding squeeze, reading retention timeline and policy priorities for next year

Arts course of study undergoing rewrite; five disciplines to be aligned for public review

Board receives progress report on 2024 social‑studies course of study; draft to be released in August

State board hears University of North Alabama presentation on educator‑preparation program