MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WBRC) – Alabama’s third-graders largely held their ground on state reading assessments in the 2025-26 school year, with 88.2% of students scoring on or above grade level, a figure that represents dramatic improvement over three years ago but also signals a potential plateau after a historic post-pandemic rebound.
Results released by the Alabama State Department of Education show the statewide pass rate on the Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP) reading test dipped slightly from 88.4% in 2024-25 and fell nearly three percentage points below the 91.0% peak recorded in 2023-24.
Still, the current rate stands more than five percentage points above the 82.6% recorded in 2022-23, the first full year of ACAP testing.
Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program(WAFF)A four-year arc: Surge, then stabilization
Alabama’s third-grade reading trajectory over the past four school years reflects a pattern seen in states nationwide: a sharp post-pandemic recovery followed by a leveling off.
School Year% On or Above Grade LevelChange2022-2382.6%—2023-2491.0%+8.4 percentage points2024-2588.4%-2.6 percentage points2025-2688.2%-0.3 percentage points
The 2023-24 school year represented a watershed moment, with the statewide pass rate jumping more than eight percentage points in a single year, one of the largest single-year gains in the state’s recent history.
Educators and state officials credited the Alabama Literacy Act, signed into law in 2019, which mandated evidence-based reading instruction and required intervention for struggling readers.
Some are concerned about the impact of the Alabama Literacy Act(wbrc)
The past two years suggest that initial surge has given way to a more gradual improvement curve, with scores essentially flat between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
For context, the benchmark or cut score for the 2025-2026 and 2024-2025 school year was 444. In 2023-2024 it was 435, meaning it became harder to reach the cut score two years ago, something to keep in mind when comparing scores over the past four years.
Statewide leaders, laggards
Among the state’s 140-plus school systems, Mountain Brook City Schools again topped all districts with a 99.4% pass rate in 2025-26, a figure it has maintained consistently across all four years of available data. Vestavia Hills City with 98.8%, Brewton City with 98.7%, Piedmont City with 98.4%, and Saraland City with 98.3% rounded out the top five.
At the other end of the spectrum, Lanett City recorded the state’s lowest pass rate at 63.1%, followed by Bessemer City with 68.9%, Sumter County with 70.3%, and Eufaula City with 70.3%.
Most Improved (2022-23 to 2025-26):Breakthrough Charter School: 44.4% → 89.3% (+44.9 pp)Life Academy: 42.3% → 74.5% (+32.2 pp)Perry County: 53.2% → 84.6% (+31.4 pp)I3 Academy: 57.8% → 87.3% (+29.6 pp)Fairfield City: 58.6% → 86.9% (+28.3 pp)Notable Declines (2022-23 to 2025-26):Albertville City: 85.1% → 75.8% (-9.3 pp)Jasper City: 90.7% → 86.0% (-4.7 pp)Cullman City: 97.5% → 93.3% (-4.1 pp)Birmingham DMA: A Tale of Two Cities, and many Districts
The Birmingham media market encompasses some of Alabama’s highest-performing school systems and some of its most persistently challenged, a divide that has narrowed in some places but remains stark.
Mountain Brook City remains the gold standard in the region, with 99.4% of third-graders reading on or above grade level in 2025-26, a rate it has held virtually unchanged for four consecutive years.
Vestavia Hills City (98.8%) and Trussville City (97.4%) also rank among the state’s elite, with both systems maintaining scores above 95% across all four years measured. Alabaster City (96.0%), Hoover City (95.2%), and Pell City (95.9%) all posted their best scores of the four-year period in 2025-26, bucking the slight statewide decline.
Pell City Board of Education(reggie kyle)
Fairfield City recorded the most dramatic improvement of any Birmingham-area district, surging from 58.6% in 2022-23 to 86.9% in 2025-26, a gain of more than 28 percentage points. The district’s 2025-26 score also represents a significant rebound from 73.6% in 2024-25.
Birmingham City Schools, the state’s largest urban district, posted a 77.6% pass rate in 2025-26, an improvement of more than 15 percentage points from its 62.0% in 2022-23, but still well below the state average and down from its 80.6% peak in 2023-24.
Bessemer City remains among the region’s most troubled systems, with a 68.9% pass rate in 2025-26. While that represents a significant gain from 59.2% in 2022-23, the district’s score plummeted from 84.7% in 2023-24, a drop of nearly 16 percentage points over two years that stands as one of the steepest declines in the state.
Birmingham DMA District ScorecardDistrict2022-232023-242024-252025-263-Yr ChangeMountain Brook City99.7%99.7%99.4%99.4%-0.3 ppVestavia Hills City95.6%98.6%98.1%98.8%+3.3 ppTrussville City96.0%97.6%97.4%97.4%+1.5 ppAlabaster City92.4%94.9%93.6%96.0%+3.6 ppPell City88.8%95.3%94.6%95.9%+7.2 ppHoover City91.8%96.0%94.9%95.2%+3.4 ppOneonta City94.3%96.2%97.3%95.8%+1.6 ppHomewood City91.5%96.3%96.0%94.9%+3.4 ppSaint Clair County89.5%93.4%95.4%93.6%+4.1 ppBlount County86.8%93.8%93.3%92.5%+5.6 ppShelby County89.4%93.2%93.0%91.9%+2.5 ppLeeds City84.7%89.4%89.4%89.6%+4.9 ppWalker County87.8%91.8%93.7%88.7%+0.9 ppChilton County84.3%94.1%90.3%88.5%+4.2 ppPelham City86.2%92.8%90.9%86.5%+0.4 ppFairfield City58.6%78.6%73.6%86.9%+28.3 ppBibb County78.2%88.4%84.9%87.8%+9.6 ppJasper City90.7%91.1%91.5%86.0%-4.7 ppJefferson County74.8%89.1%84.2%84.1%+9.3 ppMidfield City70.8%71.2%74.3%77.1%+6.3 ppBirmingham City62.0%80.6%78.3%77.6%+15.6 ppTarrant City66.7%79.1%73.3%74.4%+7.7 ppBessemer City59.2%84.7%68.1%68.9%+9.8 ppSTATE AVERAGE82.6%91.0%88.4%88.2%+5.6 ppWhat’s Driving the Numbers
Education researchers point to several factors shaping Alabama’s reading landscape.
The Alabama Literacy Act effect.
The state’s 2019 law requiring structured literacy instruction, phonics-based, evidence-driven reading programs, is widely credited with the dramatic gains seen between 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The law also requires third-graders who are not reading on grade level to receive intervention before being promoted to fourth grade, creating a strong incentive for early intervention.
Persistent equity gaps.
Despite statewide gains, the gap between the state’s highest- and lowest-performing districts remains wide, with more than 36 percentage points separating Mountain Brook City (99.4%) from Lanett City (63.1%) in 2025-26.
Urban districts serving higher proportions of low-income students continue to lag behind suburban and rural peers.
Looking Ahead
State education officials have pointed to the Alabama Literacy Act’s continued implementation as the foundation for future gains. The law’s requirement that all K-3 teachers complete structured literacy training has been phased in over several years, meaning its full effect may not yet be reflected in test scores.
Bessemer City Schools in Bessemer, Alabama(WBRC)
For Birmingham-area districts still below the state average, particularly Birmingham City, Bessemer City and Tarrant City: the data underscores the ongoing challenge of translating statewide policy into classroom-level results in communities facing concentrated poverty, high teacher turnover and other systemic barriers.
The 2025-26 results will be used by the state to identify schools and districts for additional support under Alabama’s accountability framework.
All Alabama School Districts — 3rd Grade ACAP reading scores
Percentage of students scoring On or Above Grade Level, 2022-23 through 2025-26
District2022-232023-242024-252025-26Alabama (Statewide)82.6%91.0%88.4%88.2%Alabaster City92.4%94.9%93.6%96.0%Albertville City85.1%86.5%80.7%75.8%Alexander City89.5%93.2%86.1%91.5%Andalusia City93.1%94.1%92.3%92.7%Anniston City60.3%88.7%78.8%84.6%Arab City93.5%96.5%99.0%95.4%Athens City86.5%91.7%89.5%90.0%Attalla City76.7%86.4%90.1%88.5%Auburn City94.8%95.6%92.8%93.0%Autauga County87.1%94.1%90.1%91.1%Baldwin County86.6%92.1%89.7%90.8%Barbour County50.0%78.4%81.8%75.6%Bessemer City59.2%84.7%68.1%68.9%Bibb County78.2%88.4%84.9%87.8%Birmingham City62.0%80.6%78.3%77.6%Blount County86.8%93.8%93.3%92.5%Boaz City79.4%91.7%87.1%84.7%Breakthrough Charter School44.4%91.3%94.1%89.3%Brewton City96.0%98.9%97.5%98.7%Bullock County61.1%77.8%85.3%86.3%Butler County77.7%95.8%94.1%94.7%Calhoun County87.0%96.4%89.0%92.9%Chambers County79.5%92.7%85.1%77.4%Cherokee County91.2%93.2%91.5%90.0%Chickasaw City62.2%84.7%75.7%72.8%Chilton County84.3%94.1%90.3%88.5%Choctaw County71.9%81.8%85.5%74.6%Clarke County88.8%91.4%89.5%87.0%Clay County86.7%93.9%90.2%94.4%Cleburne County94.0%95.0%95.3%95.3%Coffee County91.8%95.5%92.7%91.3%Colbert County85.5%92.9%89.8%87.5%Conecuh County66.2%88.0%86.2%86.8%Coosa County73.8%91.1%86.0%84.1%Covington County87.1%95.6%94.3%94.9%Crenshaw County88.4%97.9%91.0%91.7%Cullman City97.5%97.4%95.6%93.3%Cullman County89.9%92.7%90.7%88.2%Dale County86.0%94.3%93.6%92.1%Daleville City86.6%87.6%89.8%87.4%Dallas County73.4%83.6%83.1%83.8%Decatur City82.0%88.4%88.2%85.6%DeKalb County80.6%89.9%87.0%87.4%Demopolis City84.1%93.9%88.8%91.8%Dothan City76.6%84.9%79.8%83.6%Elba City78.9%87.9%87.2%97.0%Elmore County88.4%95.1%93.3%93.7%Enterprise City86.5%95.4%91.5%91.8%Escambia County78.0%89.3%88.3%85.8%Etowah County90.3%94.8%94.3%90.1%Eufaula City64.0%79.4%68.5%70.3%Fairfield City58.6%78.6%73.6%86.9%Fayette County85.3%91.8%96.0%96.5%Florence City89.4%93.0%90.0%93.7%Fort Payne City81.6%91.5%86.7%88.7%Franklin County79.6%88.7%91.0%87.0%Gadsden City75.0%91.9%85.0%82.5%Geneva City87.6%94.2%95.2%93.1%Geneva County87.5%95.8%92.3%90.4%Greene County57.8%90.2%85.1%84.6%Gulf Shores City90.8%94.4%93.6%94.7%Guntersville City96.1%95.9%93.3%94.7%Hale County70.0%90.1%85.9%88.7%Haleyville City90.7%92.6%95.0%87.9%Hartselle City95.3%98.5%98.1%96.7%Henry County88.4%87.6%88.7%90.9%Homewood City91.5%96.3%96.0%94.9%Hoover City91.8%96.0%94.9%95.2%Houston County88.0%96.4%96.4%94.0%Huntsville City80.1%87.8%86.0%85.0%I3 Academy57.8%84.0%85.5%87.3%Jackson County93.2%90.4%90.1%90.9%Jacksonville City87.3%97.1%93.5%94.3%Jasper City90.7%91.1%91.5%86.0%Jefferson County74.8%89.1%84.2%84.1%Lamar County95.2%94.0%95.8%96.4%Lanett City59.8%75.8%66.2%63.1%Lauderdale County89.7%93.5%92.4%92.9%Lawrence County84.0%89.2%88.1%87.9%Lead Academy57.7%76.5%84.0%74.3%Lee County88.3%94.7%90.7%92.4%Leeds City84.7%89.4%89.4%89.6%Legacy Prep60.9%93.1%81.4%82.8%Life Academy42.3%75.4%72.9%74.5%Limestone County78.1%85.9%83.4%80.5%Linden City88.9%93.1%83.9%86.2%Lowndes County62.5%82.4%90.0%87.1%Macon County67.2%86.9%85.3%79.3%Madison City94.1%97.4%95.7%96.4%Madison County89.7%94.8%92.8%93.3%Marengo County82.8%96.2%90.0%97.3%Marion County91.2%95.6%92.0%92.4%Marshall County83.0%90.3%82.7%87.6%Midfield City70.8%71.2%74.3%77.1%Mobile County75.5%87.4%83.9%84.5%Monroe County78.8%91.2%90.7%91.0%Montgomery County63.5%81.7%76.0%76.0%Morgan County90.2%94.1%91.6%93.9%Mountain Brook City99.7%99.7%99.4%99.4%Muscle Shoals City95.7%96.7%95.2%97.7%Oneonta City94.3%96.2%97.3%95.8%Opelika City84.2%88.9%86.1%82.8%Opp City93.8%95.9%92.6%95.6%Orange Beach City95.0%100.0%100.0%93.5%Oxford City89.4%96.5%92.7%95.7%Ozark City85.2%88.1%86.2%86.5%Pelham City86.2%92.8%90.9%86.5%Pell City88.8%95.3%94.6%95.9%Perry County53.2%90.0%83.6%84.6%Phenix City86.7%92.1%89.6%88.3%Pickens County85.6%92.9%88.6%93.8%Piedmont City89.0%98.7%95.8%98.4%Pike County86.9%93.7%92.4%89.2%Pike Road City85.4%92.6%94.5%91.8%Randolph County89.3%97.9%87.0%87.4%Roanoke City76.8%89.0%92.0%95.5%Russell County87.3%92.3%90.8%90.3%Russellville City96.1%92.4%92.0%94.3%Saint Clair County89.5%93.4%95.4%93.6%Saraland City96.3%98.3%97.7%98.3%Satsuma City97.2%99.0%100.0%96.5%Scottsboro City87.8%95.9%90.1%88.0%Selma City58.5%84.3%90.0%79.8%Sheffield City84.9%76.9%81.3%88.2%Shelby County89.4%93.2%93.0%91.9%Sumter County54.6%81.2%66.3%70.3%Sylacauga City86.6%92.8%83.8%90.1%Talladega City70.3%88.5%77.0%77.2%Talladega County85.8%96.8%92.9%92.4%Tallapoosa County92.0%94.7%92.9%92.0%Tallassee City82.2%94.0%92.3%88.4%Tarrant City66.7%79.1%73.3%74.4%Thomasville City84.6%92.9%94.8%95.0%Troy City84.9%90.5%92.2%87.6%Trussville City96.0%97.6%97.4%97.4%Tuscaloosa City73.9%90.1%89.9%90.5%Tuscaloosa County82.4%89.6%88.2%86.0%Tuscumbia City92.2%95.0%91.1%94.6%University Charter School93.5%98.0%94.1%98.2%Vestavia Hills City95.6%98.6%98.1%98.8%Walker County87.8%91.8%93.7%88.7%Washington County89.3%95.4%95.5%94.8%Wilcox County63.6%88.5%95.8%86.4%Winfield City93.9%96.8%95.8%95.2%Winston County88.5%86.5%90.6%94.1%Source: Alabama State Department of Education, ACAP Reading Assessment results, 2022-23 through 2025-26. Scores reflect the percentage of third-grade students scoring on or above grade level (cut score). District-level figures represent system-wide totals, not individual school results. The 2025-26 assessment uses the terminology “On or Above Cut Score,” consistent with prior years’ “On or Above Grade Level” designation. Asterisks in the original data indicate suppressed results due to small sample sizes.
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