The Alabama Department of Education released report cards yesterday assigning letter grades to every school and school system in the state for their performance.
A dozen of Alabama’s 137 school systems received an A. 52 received a B and 54 received a C. The remaining 19 got a D, and no school systems were deemed failing. The grades are based on the latest test scores as well as the rate of student improvement in reading and math from one year to the next.
The new report cards are the result of a state law passed in 2012, modeled after Florida’s report cards that give A through F grades for school systems and individual schools. Federal law requires similar reports, so officials say the information was consolidated in a single report card.
Department officials caution the grades should be viewed as a "starting point" to show parents how schools are performing. The cards are being described as prototypes since the grading process is still being tweaked.
Local report cards can be viewed on the Alabama State Department of Education website.