Education in Alabama facts for kids

Education in Alabama is all about the schools, colleges, and universities where kids and young adults learn. This includes public schools, private schools, and big universities like the University of Alabama.

Learning in Alabama's Schools

Public schools for younger students (from kindergarten to high school) in Alabama are looked after by the Alabama State Board of Education. There are also local groups called county and city school boards that help manage schools in their areas. Together, there are over 1,500 schools teaching more than 740,000 students!

How Schools Get Money

Schools need money to run, and in Alabama, this money comes from something called the Education Trust Fund. The state government, through the Alabama Legislature, decides how much money goes to schools each year. In 2006–2007, over $3.7 billion was given to primary and secondary education.

Student Progress and Goals

In 2007, most schools (over 82%) in Alabama were making good progress toward helping students learn, according to a national law called No Child Left Behind. This law helps make sure all students get a good education.

While Alabama's public schools have been working hard to improve, they are still catching up to other states in how well students achieve. For example, in 2000, about 75% of high school students in Alabama graduated. This number changed a bit by 2010–2011, but many states had lower graduation rates than Alabama that year.

There have also been efforts to improve reading skills. In 2008–2009, some high schools needed to work more on helping 11th graders with reading. Many school systems in Alabama are focused on boosting literacy for all students.

Early Learning Programs

Alabama offers education from Kindergarten all the way through grade 12. The state also has a special program for younger children called pre-kindergarten. This program has been recognized for its high quality standards. It was even tied for first place with North Carolina in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 for its excellent standards.

Some public schools also offer pre-kindergarten classes using money from local and federal sources. Currently, about 7% of four-year-olds in Alabama are part of the state's "First Class" pre-kindergarten program.

Images for kids

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  Harrison Plaza at the University of North Alabama in Florence. This school was started by the Alabama Legislature in 1830.