Tuscaloosa City Schools Reports 15% Increase In Reading Proficiency For Third Graders

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) on Wednesday announced a 15% increase in third graders reading on grade level across the school system.

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“We are ecstatic about our growth in reading and the success of our students,” TCS Deputy Superintendent James Pope said. “These outcomes are giving us exactly what we need to help us know that we are on the right path to be an ‘A’ school district.”

The school system then cited 2024 ACAP test scores, which showed that 90% of TCS third graders tested on or above grade level in reading. The latest score marks a drastic improvement from the 75% reported in 2022

This is reportedly on par with the state average for 2024.

What's more,, Rock Quarry Elementary and Tuscaloosa Magnet Schools Elementary, each had 100% reading proficiency this year.

TCS also touted improvements for Central Elementary, which only had 53% of its third graders reading on grade level in 2022. After being named a "Spotlight Reading School" by the Alabama Department of Education last year, the school reported 80% of its third graders are reading on grade level.

Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary saw an increase of 29% over two years to 60% proficiency.

“The outcomes we’ve seen and the reflection of the data points to how dedicated and passionate our teachers are and the work that they’ve done is impeccable,” Pope said. “We have the right teachers in the classrooms doing the right job. That was evident based on these results.”

TCS says the improvements were made possible through individualized plans for schools, monitoring lesson plans and student attendance, increasing support to schools based on needs, including reading coaches and interventionists to help pull struggling learners up to where they need to be.

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