The Alabama State Board of Education approved multiple resolutions and rule actions unanimously on Aug. 14, including educator preparation program renewals, committee formation, attendance awareness recognition and two administrative-code rule actions on annual apportionment and paid parental leave.

The Alabama State Board of Education voted unanimously Aug. 14 to adopt Alabama Administrative Code rule 290-3-1-.05 making paid parental leave a permanent rule after public comment and praise from state education leaders.

A prison ministry leader told the Joint Interim Committee on Corrections that increased in-cell study space, restored incentives and faster vetting for volunteers could reduce recidivism and improve outcomes for incarcerated people.

At a long budget briefing, Alabama education officials told the State Board that the Public Education Health Insurance Program (PHIP) faces a large projected shortfall and that the department will request supplemental and direct funds for priorities including reading coaches, school safety and parental leave costs.

Commissioner Hamm told the committee the Elmore correctional complex was roughly 75% complete as of September 2025, with a 45,000-square-foot vocational building and roughly 720 medical/mental-health beds planned within the 4,000-bed campus.

State education leaders told the Alabama State Board of Education they plan to seek a U.S. Department of Education waiver to allow Career Readiness measures from ACT WorkKeys to count alongside the ACT in high‑school accountability calculations, and discussed timing, participation and implementation challenges.

Committee members pressed the Alabama Department of Corrections for independent oversight of staff misconduct, asked about internal investigations and autopsy access for in-custody deaths, and welcomed recent prosecutions of staff accused of wrongdoing.

The council granted 20‑year franchises (renewable) to Numerous Fiber of Alabama LLC and Unity Fiber Gulfco LLC allowing use of city rights-of-way for fiber networks; each agreement includes a 5% gross‑revenue franchise fee and mayoral signature authorization.

The commission approved three zoning map amendments: Temple property (Z20-542) from M1 to RR, the Kramer property (Z25-43) from RA to RSF1, and a BCZ parcel (Z25-44) to RSF1. Staff recommended approval for each; public comment on the Kramer request stressed preservation of rural character, traffic and infrastructure concerns.

Mayor Woodfin and the Birmingham City Council proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month; leaders from YWCA Central Alabama and 1 Place Family Justice Center described service capacity, regional reach, and urged community coordination.

The council approved a user agreement between the Birmingham Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) Criminal Justice Information System, authorizing up to $736,560 in payments split across three fiscal years to maintain BPD access to ALEA’s CJIS services.

The Birmingham City Council passed a rewritten tree ordinance that creates a permit process, a tree fund, clearer enforcement and a reconstituted Tree Commission; Councilor Valerie Abbott led the effort and the law was given the short title “Abbott’s Law.”

At its November meeting the Alabama State Board of Education approved procedural rule changes, adopted a series of resolutions including committee appointments and program reviews for Jacksonville State University and the University of Alabama, and recognized an employee; all recorded votes were unanimous.

Department reviewers reported site visits to Oakwood University and Miles College and recommended seven‑year approvals for bachelor‑level educator‑preparation programs; the transcript records staff recommendations but no formal vote during the work session.

Department staff presented new accountability data showing a 91.56% four‑year graduation rate, an 87.88% college‑and‑career readiness rate (up from 84.2%) and third‑grade on‑grade reading at 88.4% under the current 444 cut score; staff said district‑ and school‑level breakdowns will be published.

A task force reviewing Alabama’s digital‑literacy and computer‑science standards told the board it is embedding artificial‑intelligence and cybersecurity concepts across kindergarten‑12 grade bands and plans an August draft release and public comment ahead of a November board review.

Department staff explained the RAISE Act funding formula allocations, the use of the Education Opportunities Reserve Fund (EORF) to start the program and the legislature’s decision to prefund the Choose (school‑choice) program; staff said roughly $166 million was reallocated or provided initially and warned nonprofits to expect reduced grant levels

The department told the board it plans to propose a rule aligning state requirements with recent federal changes that would broaden qualifications for child nutrition program directors, particularly in districts with fewer than 2,500 students.

Officials told the board the Foundations of Reading assessment used for teacher preparation will be moved onto Pearson’s national platform and renumbered from 190 to 890; the department said the content, structure and passing score will remain unchanged and the move adds practice and data features.

Department staff reported all federal Grant Award Notifications (GANs) are in and said a US Department of Education webinar is scheduled to review restored funds and any new stipulations; Senate appropriations, staff said, has restored cuts proposed in the president’s budget.

Department staff briefed the board on third-grade reading scores, summer retesting outcomes and targeted supports — including Reading Beyond Grade 3 grants and reading interventionist funding — and explained that a testing contract amendment was approved earlier to extend the current statewide assessment vendor.

State department staff briefed the board on a new state law that requires local boards to adopt anti‑vaping policies, use a department-developed model policy and form, and provide anti‑vaping curriculum for students who are cited a second time; board members questioned whether the requirement could be folded into general discipline policies and

Department staff reviewed proposed amendments to the Alabama Administrative Code to reflect legislative changes to the foundation program and to add a new section implementing the RAISE Act distribution formula; the presentation described formulas, a 5% assumed gifted rate with a 4.5 weight, a one-year hold-harmless provision and locally allowable

The Alabama State Department of Education presented unverified statewide assessment results showing reductions in the lowest-performing cohorts and modest gains in reading proficiency across most grades; middle‑grade math remained a concern, English‑language‑learner counts rose substantially, and the department previewed NAEP sampling and an active

The department told the board that the Office of Management and Budget has reviewed and temporarily frozen portions of federal allocations to states, including a pause affecting roughly $68 million for K–12 in Alabama; the department said the hold appears to be part of a broader national review and noted there have been no allegations against the