Birmingham City Schools ranks in top 2% nationwide for academic growth

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin shared in a recent Facebook post that a joint report from Harvard and Stanford universities named BCS one of only 108 school districts nationwide making meaningful progress in both math and reading.

Out of more than 5,800 districts evaluated, Birmingham placed in the top 1.9% despite 84% of students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

While most U.S. districts are still recovering from pandemic learning loss, Birmingham has surpassed it. The area’s current math scores are pacing higher than they were in 2019.

“When our schools rise, the whole city rises. Birmingham is on the move. And our kids are showing the country exactly what’s possible.”

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin

Historic gains by the numbers

According to Woodfin’s post, strategic changes under Superintendent Mark Sullivan have yielded historic data across the district:

• Record-breaking scores: BCS earned a 77 on the Alabama State Report Card — the highest in district history — with a goal of 80 for this year.
• Failing schools plummeted: The number of F-rated schools in the district dropped by 93%.
• Absenteeism cut in half: Chronic absenteeism fell from 29% down to 13%.
• Extended learning boom: Student participation in extended learning grew from 1,800 to 6,000.

The strategy behind the success

These achievements did not happen by accident, Woodfin said. The district implemented several targeted operational shifts to move the needle:

• Added 20 days to the school year and compensated teachers for the extra time
• Shrank class sizes down to 14-16 students
• Provided targeted tutoring for students in need
• Partnered with the District Attorney’s office and the Housing Authority to tackle attendance issues

The Mayor also credited local support systems, including Cradle to Career, the Children and Youth Commission, Birmingham Promise and the Birmingham Education Foundation, for building on classroom gains.

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