Alabama High School Grad Rates Inflated, Superintendent Says
On paper, Alabama’s graduation rate of 89.3 percent ranks third in the country. But those rates, reported to the U.S. Department of Education, were inflated, says Alabama’s new school superintendent. The state was counting occupational diplomas with lower standards and didn’t adequately supervise school systems that may have been granting diplomas to students who hadn’t earned them.
State School Superintendent Michael Sentance says, “This is a black eye for the department and it makes the education system here look bad, and in some ways undeservedly so.”
Sentance told the State Board of Education during a Thursday meeting that he is working on a solution.
“We need to make sure that when a student says I have a diploma from an Alabama high school it means something powerful,” he says.
Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley says he’s alarmed and disappointed by the report. Former Superintendent Tommy Bice has said he stands by his decision to include occupational diplomas in the count for high school graduation.
Workers at Alabama’s Mercedes plants vote against joining a union
The workers voted 56% against the union, according to tallies released by the National Labor Relations Board, which ran the election.
Taylor Hunnicutt is championing her home state with debut album ‘Alabama Sound’
Alabama offers a diverse symphony of swampy rock, swaggering blues, murky country, and bone-rattling soul. It’s a sound singer-songwriter Taylor Hunnicutt recently reimagined on her debut album, Alabama Sound, which is out now.
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
Alabama coal company sued for a home explosion is delinquent on dozens of penalties
Crimson Oak Grove Resources has been cited for 204 safety violations since the March 8 blast, many involving “significant and substantial” safety violations.
The United Auto Workers faces a key test in the South with upcoming vote at Alabama Mercedes plant
The United Auto Workers is aiming for a key victory at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama. More than 5,000 workers at the facility in Vance and nearby battery plant will vote this week on whether to join the UAW.
