The latest results of the 2019-passed Alabama Literacy Act are drawing praise from one of the law’s original architects after new data showed Birmingham third-graders outpacing peers in some of America’s largest cities on reading standards.
State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) highlighted the findings in a post on Facebook, citing a graph from the Retirement Systems of Alabama’s April newsletter showing Birmingham ahead of New York, Tampa, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta in the share of third-grade students meeting reading benchmarks.
“After being at or near the bottom in education, we are making great strides — even in our large inner cities as shown,” Orr wrote. “Dedicated educators are making this happen across the state as we provide tremendous funding for this and early grade math. It’s heartening to see the good results roll in but we must keep pushing to move our state forward.”
Orr co-sponsored the Alabama Literacy Act last quadrennium alongside State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur), legislation that requires Alabama public school students to read at grade level before advancing from third to fourth grade. The law also mandates teacher training enhancements, regular student screenings, and targeted interventions for struggling readers.
Orr also noted meaningful gains in early grade math alongside the Alabama Literacy Act results.
Sawyer Knowles is a capitol reporter for Yellowhammer News. You may contact him at [email protected].
