State Rep. Terri Collins (R-Decatur) is praising the hard work of students and teachers for the improvement in reading scores among Alabama students.

“I think it’s a massive improvement in reading over the last five years,” Collins said Tuesday on WVNN. “I think we’ve seen gains since 2019 that we’ve never seen before. And I’m very proud of those gains. Our teachers, our literacy specialists, our regional specialists have really worked hard. I’ve seen them and there’s no one more excited about it than they are.”

The Alabama State Department of Education released the results of the 2023-2024 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program, indicating that 91% of third-graders are reading at or above grade level across the state. That’s in increase of 8% compared to last year’s results.

Collins, Chair of the Alabama House Education Policy committee, believes the test scores reflect the success of the Alabama Literacy Act, which she sponsored and was passed in 2019.

“I think our students are reading better. I truly do,” she argued. “I see evidence of that. And the evidence we’re going to see is down the road. Are they really doing better on other subjects? Because once they’re promoted from the third grade, they now know how to read, and I believe that’s what we’re gonna see. That’s what I hoped for in 2019. And I believe that’s what we’re seeing even now.”

The bill provided funding for teacher training and reading coaches to ensure students master reading. It also put forward a policy where students that are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade could be held back a year.

“I’ve always said if you promote a child to the third grade that you know cannot read, that’s when you’re failing them,” she said, “because you expect something about them that they’re never going to be able to do.”

Collins emphasized that she thinks the test scores will continue to improve across the Yellowhammer State because of the enforcement of the law.

“I think that we’ve provided professional development to teach the science of reading all across this state now for six years,” she explained. “And it’s made a difference. And so I do think how they’re teaching is making a difference. I do think that deadline really helped.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee