Public school grading system, revised to include and weight specific indicators for schools that include a 12th grade class and schools that do not include a 12th grade class; Alabama Workforce Development Board and State Department of Education to develop system to analyze student performance data, Accountability Council created

HB 396 revises Alabama's public school grading system to create separate evaluation formulas for schools with and without 12th grade. Schools without 12th grade use weighted metrics focused on academic achievement (40%), growth (40%), and growth for low-performing students (20%). Schools with 12th grade include additional college and career readiness indicators (30%) and graduation rates (10%), such as ACT scores, dual enrollment, or industry credentials. The bill requires the Alabama Workforce Board and State Department of Education to develop a system for tracking student outcomes related to these readiness metrics, and creates an Accountability Council to review the grading system. This directly affects all Alabama public K-12 schools through their annual accountability ratings.