Miranda Williams Thomas is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
The 2026 legislative session reinforced Alabama’s long-term focus on improving student outcomes through strong academic foundations and clear college and career pathways.
Alabama lawmakers approved significant investments in literacy and math instruction, advanced evidence-based reading practices and tied higher education funding more closely to student success after graduation. They also continued funding educational choice options for families while incentivizing employer engagement tied to high-demand industries.
Below is a deeper dive into the key K-12 education policies Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law in 2026; their impacts on students, families and educators; and where lawmakers may focus in 2027.
Alabama joins a growing number of states investing heavily in evidence-based literacy and math instruction, while also expanding workforce-aligned education pathways and outcomes-based accountability systems.
Through Rep. Danny Garrett’s education budget bills, including HB 238, the state allocated more than $114 million for the Alabama Numeracy Act, including a $19 million increase over the previous year.
Passed in 2022, the Alabama Numeracy Act requires 60 minutes of daily math instruction for K-5 students and math coaches in every elementary school. After ranking last in the nation on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2022, Alabama rose to 31st in 2024 in fourth grade math, making it one of the few states to recover to pre-pandemic levels. This jump is significant just two short years after the implementation of the Numeracy Act.
In another major step, Gov. Ivey signed Sen. Donnie Chesteen’s SB 168, banning harmful three-cueing literacy instructional practices in K-12 classrooms and educator preparation programs. The law reinforces Alabama’s commitment to literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading and ensures more than 700,000 students statewide will benefit from evidence-based reading instruction.
Rep. Garrett’s HB 238 also provided more than $151 million for the Alabama Reading Initiative, which supports early literacy instruction and reading coaches across the state. Additionally, HB 235 allocated $10 million for adolescent literacy in 2026. This investment in adolescent literacy recognizes that students beyond grade three should continue to receive instruction aligned with the science of reading, including those who need targeted support, to continue developing reading and decoding skills and stay on track academically.
Alabama is making it clear that student success starts with strong fundamentals. By reinforcing evidence-based reading instruction and continuing substantial investments in literacy and math, state leaders are helping more students build the foundational skills needed for long-term success in school, careers and life.
Alabama’s 2026 legislative session saw lawmakers advance a series of policies designed to strengthen the connection between education and workforce outcomes.
Rep. Garrett and Sen. Arthur Orr’s HB 565 established the College and Higher Education Excellence and Results (CHEER) Act, creating an outcomes-based funding structure for Alabama’s public colleges and universities. Under the new law, public colleges and universities can earn bonus funding tied to outcome measures such as degree completion, job placement, wages and long-term economic mobility. Sen. Orr joined ExcelinEd in Action on a recent podcast to discuss the CHEER Act.
Lawmakers paired the policy with substantial funding commitments. HB 237 put more than $100 million into the CHEER Fund to support implementation and bonus funding for institutions meeting performance benchmarks. HB 238 allocated $65 million from the CHEER Fund for bonuses in FY 2027.
The CHEER Act signals a growing emphasis on rewarding value and effectiveness in higher education programs based not only on enrollment, but also on completion, workforce outcomes and long-term student success.
Lawmakers also passed HB 517, the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs (TRAIN) Act, aimed at strengthening partnerships between employers and K-12 and higher education institutions. The law creates industry engagement incentives through tax credits for employers who loan employees to teach high-demand career and technical education (CTE) courses or provide financial support for approved CTE programs. This law will help expand access to programs in high-demand sectors, increase students’ exposure to industry experts and strengthen talent pipelines in Alabama’s most promising careers.
Coordination between education systems and workforce demands is increasingly important to Alabama’s long-term economic growth strategy. These laws move the state toward a more aligned system where students can transition more smoothly from classrooms into successful careers.
Lawmakers continued supporting educational choice through additional funding for the Creating Hope and Opportunity for Our Students’ Education (CHOOSE) Act in 2026. Signed into law in 2024, the CHOOSE Act established Alabama’s education scholarship account program and provides up to $7,000 a year for participating students to attend a private school, an out-of-district public school or to customize a homeschool experience.
HB 238 appropriated $236.25 million to expand learning options and serve close to 34,000 K-12 students and families through the CHOOSE Act, reflecting Alabama’s broader effort to better meet individual student needs while giving families greater flexibility in selecting learning environments.
Taken together, Alabama’s 2026 education policies reflect a coordinated strategy focused on improving foundational academic outcomes, expanding educational opportunity and strengthening connections between education and workforce needs. The state’s emphasis on literacy, math and pathways mirrors broader national trends as policymakers increasingly focus on long-term student outcomes and economic mobility.
As we look toward the 2027 legislative session, we anticipate seeing lawmakers continue to focus on student-centered policies, including guaranteed access to advanced math and adolescent literacy. In addition, with the CHEER Act establishing outcomes-based funding, state leaders are well positioned to champion policies like K-12 and postsecondary return on investment analyses and educator preparation provider report cards to further evaluate programs for effectiveness and ensure positive impact on student outcomes.
