House Bill 353 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Mack N. ButlerRepresentative

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Public K-12 education; Advanced Math Pathway created and provided for

Summary

HB353 creates an Advanced Math Pathway in Alabama public K-12 schools with automatic enrollment for eligible students, plus opt-in/out options, supports, and annual reporting.

What This Bill Does

Requires the Department of Education to develop an Advanced Math Pathway by the 2027-2028 school year that speeds up or combines middle and high school math content and ends with Algebra I (or integrated equivalent) in middle school and at least one college credit-bearing math course in high school. Local boards must adopt an automatic enrollment policy and automatically enroll students who meet criteria based on state math assessments or a local proficiency measure. Districts must provide transparent information to students and parents about the pathway, its impact, and postsecondary opportunities, and parents may opt their child into or out of automatic enrollment. The department must report annually to the Legislature on enrollment, student performance, and the pathway’s details.

Who It Affects

• Students in grades 5-8 who score proficient or higher on the state end-of-year math assessment will be automatically enrolled in the Advanced Math Pathway.
• Students who demonstrate proficiency using a local measure (based on math coursework or class ranking) may also be automatically enrolled.
• Parents or guardians can opt their student into advanced math courses or opt out of automatic enrollment.
• Local boards of education, school districts, and schools will implement automatic enrollment and provide information and supports; the Department of Education and Legislature will track and report results.

Key Provisions

• Advanced Math Pathway defined as a sequence of courses that accelerates or combines middle and high school math content and ends with Algebra I (or the integrated equivalent) in middle school and at least one college credit-bearing math course in high school.
• By 2027-2028, the Department of Education must develop the pathway designed to prepare students for Algebra I in middle school and college credit-bearing math courses in high school.
• Local boards must adopt an automatic enrollment policy and automatically enroll students who meet criteria (state math assessment proficiency or local proficiency measure); parents can opt in or out.
• The Department must provide information to students and parents about the pathway and its impact, require instructional supports beyond core math, and annually report to the Legislature on enrollment and student performance; the act becomes effective October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Apr 1, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Education