TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – West Alabama will lead modern manufacturing efforts in schools around the state.

The state legislature recently approved a financial boost that will help a group in that part part of the state coordinate training for students for years to come.

Millions of dollars from the state’s education trust fund will pay for West Alabama Works to train high school instructors in modern manufacturing. The state allocated an additional $1.5 million to expand modern manufacturing classes in our schools. bringing the total to nearly $2.5 million.

West Alabama Works has been contracted to run modern manufacturing training programs statewide in K-12 schools.

That training includes working with instructors and showing them creative ways to teach the trade to students. It’s relatively new in career tech programs.

Modern manufacturing courses tie those students in with jobs when they finish the program.

“Our students can come in that two-year program, four semesters, and they come out with a job, a possible AAS degree, seven to 10 stackable credits,” explained Donny Jones, Executive Director of West Alabama Works. “But, most importantly, they’ll be making great money.”

More than 31 Alabama schools have modern manufacturing programs or will have them by Fall of 2024.

Nearly 1,700 students in Alabama are enrolled in high school modern manufacturing programs, according to Jones.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – The Alabama Literacy Act went into full effect this past Friday after the state released third grade student reading scores for the school year. State education leaders want parents to know that just because your child didn’t meet the reading requirements, it does not mean they have to repeat third grade.

According to the scores, 9% of third graders, roughly 4,800, are not reading well. However, the Alabama Educators Association says under the act, there are a few exceptions made for some students so they won’t have to repeat:

• If a child is in their first two years of learning English language, they will not be required to repeat based off their reading scores.
• If a child has a disability, then they may have an alternative set of learning standards they’re required to meet, excluding them from meeting the reading test scores on the ACAP.
• If child has disability and they have already been retained once in kindergarten, 1st grade or 2nd grade, and have received at least two years of intensive remediation, they may be exempt from repeating the grade.
• If a child has been retained two years, and has received reading remediation for two years, the child can apply to move forward a grade with a continued focus on reading.

There are also opportunities for students to re-test this summer, so if they were close but didn’t meet the proficiency level, they will have the opportunity to try again.

“There’s a lot of data and science behind allowing students to stay with a particular peer group, so all of this is intended to sort of merge the two interests so that the child does not stay too far behind,” said William Tunnell, the Northern Region Manager for the Alabama Educators Association.

State education leaders say you’ll want your child to prepare before they re-test, and they recommend talking with your child’s school to determine a plan for success.

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