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Alabama ACAP scores rise statewide, but gaps remain: See district, school results

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

So what's next?

Parents, teacher friends: I'd love to hear if y'all have questions about any of this, or if there's other data you'd like us to dig into.

Reach me on here or at [email protected].

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

@trishcrain.bsky.social has expertly detailed the gaps within school populations, both at the state and district level. For the first time, Alabama is parsing out scores between kids who live in poverty and those who don't.

And the results aren't pretty.
aldailynews.com/alabama-acap...

Alabama Daily News reviewed the spring 2025 ACAP results - and built interactive charts so you can look up results by district and by school.

aldailynews.com

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

It's been interesting to witness Alabama's growth -- and its persistent challenges -- since schools shut their doors during COVID. In many ways, the state has bucked national trends. But there's a long, long road left ahead.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama students are improving in math, reading. What’s next?

Many of the state’s middle schoolers still struggle with math and reading skills.

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

Who are the outliers, making big scores and big gains while met with high rates of student poverty?

We wrote about some standouts in the stories above (like Webb Elementary in Houston County), but I'd love to hear from educators: What are you doing that's moving the needle?

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

IMO, it shouldn't be up to journalists to interpret big results like this. There should be more of an effort from state leaders to present this data in a user-friendly way -- including the gaps among and between schools.

Because the truth is, there's SO much more to explore.

For example: ⬇️

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

Education data is notoriously messy, and there's so much that goes into even the most simple analyses.

A peek behind the curtain 😅

a messy array of code in R used to make a visualization out of a recent test score release

a long list of dataframes made in R, ranging from big CSV files to smaller looks at student subpopulations and scores by race and ethnicity

some HTML code used to color code and format test scores in a user-friendly visualization

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

This is my first go at covering ACAP scores since I took on the lead K-12 role at @al.com. Can't thank @edwriters.bsky.social enough for giving me the opportunity to learn R at Diving into Data in 2024 – I'd probably still be wrangling those 1M-row Excel files if I didn't have a script ready to go.

Most Alabama schools improve on state test scores: See how your school performed

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

And growth varies widely by schools, too.

Cool to see lots of green on this dashboard -- some schools saw jumps as high as 30 percentage points in ELA and math.

But lots of high-poverty schools are still chronically underperforming.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Statewide, language arts and math scores continue to improve.

Alabama school test scores are improving: See your district

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

Last week, we finally got a closer look at schools and systems.

On the district level, some systems saw double-digit gains in ELA, while others continue to slide in math and science.

www.al.com/educationlab...

More than a third of the state’s 153 traditional and charter districts saw gains across all subjects.

Alabama students improve on state reading, math testing: ‘Good news’

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

Statewide, scores are trending up in math and English language arts -- a sign, leaders say, that current numeracy and literacy reforms are working.

But big gaps still remain.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama has jumped from one of the worst-performing states to the middle of the educational rankings.

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 19

Alabama's 2025 ACAP scores are out, and lots of schools have good news to share. 🧵

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 15

AH congratulations! You did phenomenal work here and can’t wait to see what you do next.

Many teachers leave their jobs after 3 years. This Alabama school aims to change that

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 13

Teacher churn is a solvable problem, experts say. Here’s how one Birmingham program is tackling it:

www.al.com/educationlab...

Birmingham schools faced record shortages in 2021 and 2022, often scrambling to hire staff weeks into the new school year.

Alabama immigration advocate detained by ICE in traffic stop, family says: ‘Just heartbreaking and discouraging’

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Reposted by Rebecca Griesbach

Heather Gann @heathersgann.bsky.social · Aug 7

"Her detainment is not only legally questionable — it is morally wrong," a petition demanding her release reads.

Birmingham schools say a turnaround effort is working. What’s next this year?

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Aug 1

New: Birmingham City Schools officials tell me upcoming test scores will mark a record high for the district. www.al.com/educationlab...

Last year, Birmingham City’s enrollment increased for the first time in nearly three decades.

Alabama immigrant arrests soar as deputies become ‘mini-immigration officers’

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Reposted by Rebecca Griesbach

AL.com @al.com · Jul 30

Did you attend or work at a private school in Alabama that used common curriculum from Abeka, Bob Jones University or Purposeful Design?

How did it prepare you for other school or work? Please reach out to reporter @greezbock.bsky.social at [email protected].

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Jul 19

Law enforcement agents are on track to arrest twice as many immigrants without legal status in Alabama as last year.

www.al.com/news/2025/07...

The majority of people arrested in Alabama have some kind of criminal charge or conviction.

a man in a suit says " and i need you " in a dark room

Reposted by Rebecca Griesbach

Willi Morris @williesha.bsky.social · Jul 11

If you will be affected by the termination of Grad PLUS loans (or any financial aid change in the budget bill) and attending an Alabama college, hit me up! [email protected]

Looking to find stories of how students will overcome the deficit. #JournoRequest

ALT: a man in a suit says " and i need you " in a dark room

media.tenor.com

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Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Jul 9

More good news for Alabama schools: New test score results show progress across nearly all grades and subjects.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Alabama students improve on state reading, math testing: ‘Good news’

Alabama has jumped from one of the worst-performing states to the middle of the educational rankings.

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Jul 8

Keep a lookout in the coming weeks for more coverage. If you’re an Alabama parent or student participating, we’d love to hear from you. Find the form in either of the linked stories or reach me at [email protected].

How much does private school cost in Alabama? See tuition for 216 schools

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Jul 8

For the first time ever, we’re tracking private school tuition rates.

Prices range from just over $1,000 a year to more than $30,000 — far more than what the state’s current credits will cover. And some schools are raising tuition higher than they have before.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Even if a family can afford a local private school, it may be tough to claim a seat

How a new $7,000 tax credit will reshape school choice, education in Alabama: ‘Balancing act’

Rebecca Griesbach @greezbock.bsky.social · Jul 8

The first installment in a series of stories about private school enrollment is out today. @williesha.bsky.social and I spent a ton of time nailing down the numbers and talking with schools and parents about how Alabama’s newest school choice program is unfolding. www.al.com/educationlab...

There has been intense demand for new school choice options, but oversight remains unclear.

How much does private school cost in Alabama? See tuition for 216 schools

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Reposted by Rebecca Griesbach

Willi Morris @williesha.bsky.social · Jul 8

*Only* at @al.com: a comprehensive list of tuition data for more than 200 Alabama private schools.

A labor of love I'm elated to see published. With in-depth reporting from @greezbock.bsky.social.

Ruth Serven Smith @ruthservensmith.bsky.social · Jul 8

This year, the Ed Lab team is tackling the challenge of reporting on Alabama's unregulated private school market.

www.al.com/educationlab...

Even if a family can afford a local private school, it may be tough to claim a seat