SB311 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Wes KitchensSenator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Public K-12 schools; nonpublic school transfer students excluded from certain assessments determining school or school district grade.

Summary

SB311 would exclude transfer students from nonpublic schools from counting their academic performance when calculating school and district grades for the first three years of enrollment.

What This Bill Does

The bill changes the state A–F school grading system so that the academic achievement of students who transfer from a nonpublic to a public school is not counted toward the school or district grade for the first three years of that student's enrollment. During those years, the student's progress will be measured using growth and other indicators; starting in year four, the student's academic achievement would be included in the school's grade. The bill also creates a similar, separate rule for English language learners, allowing their academic achievement to be excluded for up to five years if proficiency has not yet been shown, with growth and language progress still tracked.

Who It Affects

• Public K-12 schools and school districts: their annual A–F grades would not reflect the first three years of coursework for transfer students from nonpublic schools.
• Students transferring from nonpublic to public schools: their academic achievement would not be counted in the school's grade for the first three years, but their growth data would still be used, and their achievement would be included starting in the fourth year.

Key Provisions

• Excludes the academic achievement of students who transfer from a nonpublic school from being counted in the school's or district's A–F grade for the first three years of the transfer student's enrollment.
• During those three years, the student’s educational progress is measured by growth and other indicators; beginning in year four, the student's academic achievement may be included in the grade.
• For English language learners who have not yet achieved proficiency, their academic achievement may be excluded from the grade for up to five years, with progress tracked through growth and language proficiency measures, and proficiency considered again after the period.
• The act updates Section 16-6C-2 to reflect these changes and becomes effective October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education