HB604 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Terri CollinsRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public K-12 education; Accountability Council created; Alabama Workforce Development Board, State Department of Education, and Alabama Commission on Higher Education to develop system to analyze student performance data

Summary

HB604 creates an Accountability Council to review Alabama's K-12 accountability system and directs a data system to track college and career readiness outcomes along with an annual return on investment study.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a standing Accountability Council by July 1, 2026 to review and recommend changes to the state accountability system, aiming to improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps. Requires the Alabama Workforce Board, with support from the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, to develop a system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting on student outcomes tied to college and career readiness indicators, and to produce an annual ROI study. The bill also mandates regular reporting, monitoring of implementation, and recommendations for revisions to policymakers, based on data including postsecondary enrollment, military enlistment, credentials earned, income after graduation, and employment in high-demand sectors.

Who It Affects

• K-12 students in Alabama, whose education accountability and readiness indicators will be used to measure and improve outcomes and close achievement gaps
• State agencies (Department of Education, Alabama Workforce Board, Alabama Commission on Higher Education) responsible for data collection, analysis, and reporting
• Employers and the business community, who gain from improved college/career readiness data and may influence council membership
• State policymakers (Governor, Legislature, and state education boards) who will receive ROI reports and recommendations for revisions to the accountability system
• Educators and school leaders (teachers, superintendents, school boards) whose practices may be guided by the revised accountability system and data reporting

Key Provisions

• Creation of a standing Accountability Council by July 1, 2026, with the goal of transparency and improving educational outcomes while closing achievement gaps
• Council duties to review the current state report card, research best practices, design an annual ROI study, assess whether college and career readiness indicators prepare students for post-graduate success, monitor implementation, and recommend revisions to the accountability system
• Annual organization of the Council with a chair elected from among its members
• Council membership including: five governor-appointed members (one national expert, two from business, two at-large), Chairs of Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, House Ways and Means Education Committee, Senate Education Policy Committee, House Education Policy Committee, plus 1 member each appointed by the Secretary of Workforce, top Senate/House leaders, the State Superintendent, and various education and business groups
• Ala bama Workforce Board, with support from the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, to develop a system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting outcomes related to each college and career readiness indicator
• All agencies to provide updated data annually and to produce an annual legislative report detailing the education system's return on investment, including outcomes beyond the accountability formula such as postsecondary enrollment, military, credentials, income within six years, and employment in high-wage, high-demand sectors
• Effective date: immediate upon enactment

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 10, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education