Alabama students posted their strongest science performance in years and made notable progress in eighth-grade English language arts and math, according to preliminary statewide assessment results presented Tuesday at an Alabama State Board of Education work session.
The Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, or ACAP, is the state’s annual assessment aligned with the Alabama Course of Study. It measures English language arts and math in grades 2-8 and science in grades 4, 6 and 8. Students are considered proficient if they score at Level 3 or Level 4.
Results from the spring 2026 ACAP showed science proficiency increased in every tested grade despite the rollout of new academic standards and instructional materials.
State Superintendent Eric Mackey said the science results were unexpected because states typically see lower scores when introducing new standards and assessments.
“Usually when we do new standard setting, we actually see it go backwards, and then you build again,” Mackey said.
Instead, science proficiency increased across all three tested grades. Fourth-grade proficiency rose from 43% in 2025 to 51% in 2026. Sixth-grade proficiency increased from 35% to 41%, while eighth-grade proficiency climbed from 41% to 54%.
The 2025-26 school year marked the first year Alabama schools were required to implement the state’s revised science course of study. Schools also used new science textbooks adopted in 2024, and ACAP science assessments reflected the revised standards, including new cut scores separating the test’s four achievement levels.
“I think what it shows is our investment in science and STEM courses,” Mackey said. “We keep talking about these things, but what we’re seeing is our students are doing better and better in science.”
Mackey said the assessment emphasizes scientific reasoning in addition to content knowledge. The results also counter concerns that schools have shifted too much instructional attention toward reading at the expense of science.
“Science is a lot about reasoning,” Mackey said. “When you look at the science test, it’s not just science facts; it’s about science reasoning, and our students seem to be doing better and better at science reasoning.”
Eighth-grade students showed one of the most notable improvements, posting gains in all three tested subjects.
Eighth-grade English language arts proficiency increased from 55% to 59%, while math proficiency rose from 25% to 27%. Though those increases were smaller than the science jump, Mackey said they represented meaningful progress in a grade that has historically struggled on statewide assessments.
Mackey credited educators across the state with placing greater emphasis on middle school students.
“I think our teachers and local principals and superintendents—they’ve just figured out that we’ve got to really invest in these middle-level kids,” Mackey said. “There’s still lots more to do.”
He cautioned that state officials will need district-, school- and student-level data before determining what contributed to the improvements.
Performance in the remaining grades was mixed.
English language arts proficiency increased in second and fifth grades but remained essentially unchanged in third and sixth grades. Proficiency declined slightly in fourth and seventh grades. Second grade posted one of the largest statewide improvements, increasing from 60% proficiency in 2025 to nearly 64% in 2026.
Although overall proficiency—the combined percentage of students scoring at Levels 3 and 4—declined in some grades, English language arts results showed fewer students scoring at Level 1 and more students reaching Level 4 in every grade.
Math proficiency improved in second, fourth, sixth and seventh grades but dipped slightly in third and fifth grades. Second-grade math proficiency increased from 46% to 49%, the largest improvement among elementary grades.
“Our Numeracy Act focuses on fifth grade and down, but, obviously, as those students matriculate, you hope those gains hold,” Mackey said. “To, overall, move the numbers, we’ve got to move our level ones, and we’ve got to move our level fours.”
Mackey also highlighted growth among students achieving Level 4, the highest ACAP performance category. The percentage of students reaching Level 4 increased in every tested grade in both English language arts and math, with especially strong gains in science, he said.
Level 4 students demonstrate a deeper understanding of grade-level standards and have fully mastered the material, Mackey said. The results indicate teachers are challenging high-performing students while supporting those who need additional help, he said.
“One of the places we saw real growth this last year is with those academically accelerated students, maybe more than we’ve ever seen before,” Mackey said.
Mackey said the increase could be related to Alabama’s expanded investment in gifted education through the RAISE Act, though he said additional analysis is needed before reaching a conclusion.
High school students also posted a modest improvement on the ACT with Writing, which Alabama administers to all public school juniors.
The average composite score increased from 17.31 in 2025 to 17.65 in 2026, reversing a slight decline recorded the previous year. The composite score combines English, math, reading and science, while the writing section is scored separately.
Mackey called the increase encouraging but said Alabama remains short of its long-term goal of raising the statewide average above 18.
Although statewide figures are nearly final, districts have until the end of July to verify their data. District- and school-level results are expected after the State Board of Education’s August work session.
