ACS — Alabaster City Schools is celebrating outstanding third-grade reading results from the spring 2026 Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program (ACAP).
According to data released by the Alabama State Department of Education, 95.98% of ACS third graders scored at or above the grade-level benchmark on the ACAP Reading Test. Based on district-by-district rankings compiled from the state data, ACS ranked fourth among school systems in Metro Birmingham and 16th among public school systems statewide.
ACS exceeded Alabama’s statewide rate of 88.2% by nearly eight percentage points. The system also improved from 93.6% in spring 2025—an increase of approximately 2.4 percentage points.
“This achievement reflects years of focused work and our shared belief that every child can become a strong reader,” Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers said. “Our Board of Education has consistently supported the people, training and resources needed to make literacy a top priority—from dedicated reading coaches and specialized instruction to targeted interventions and professional learning. We are tremendously proud of our students, teachers, administrators and families. This ranking is worth celebrating, but our most important measure of success is ensuring every student has the reading skills needed to thrive in fourth grade and beyond.”
The Alabaster Board of Education has supported considerable and sustained investments in early literacy. Those investments include dedicated reading coaches, specialized, and evidence-based instruction, high-quality instructional materials, early screening and progress monitoring, targeted small-group and intensive interventions, summer reading support and ongoing professional development for educators.
These efforts align with the Alabama Literacy Act, which was enacted to ensure students develop essential reading skills by the end of third grade. Under the law, third-grade students who do not demonstrate sufficient reading skills must be retained unless they satisfy an approved alternative promotion pathway, such as passing a supplemental assessment, demonstrating grade-level reading through a portfolio, or qualifying for a good-cause exemption.
Dr. Amanda Wilbanks is Alabaster City Schools’ Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.
“This progress is a direct result of our teachers taking research-backed strategies and putting them into practice every day,” Wilbanks said. “By using early screening tools and real-time student data, our educators can pinpoint exactly where a child needs support—whether that’s targeted intervention or advanced extension—and deliver tailored instruction before a student falls behind. Seeing that intentionality pay off with nearly 96% of our third graders reading at grade level validates the extraordinary work happening in our classrooms.”
Third grade represents a critical transition in a student’s education. In the primary grades, students are largely learning to read; beginning in fourth grade, they increasingly must read to learn in every academic subject. ACS begins identifying and supporting students well before third grade so that reading difficulties can be addressed through timely, individualized instruction.
“These results reinforce that investing in early literacy makes a lasting difference,” Vickers said. “We are grateful for the Board’s leadership and for the extraordinary educators who turn those investments into effective instruction every day. We will continue strengthening our practices and providing every student with the support necessary to succeed.”
Alabaster City Schools will continue analyzing student data, refining instruction and intervention practices, and partnering with families to build strong literacy foundations across the system.
See statewide ACAP scores and coverage from WBRC and WBMA.