HOOVER – Hoover City Schools outpaced the state at large in every category graded in the most recent Alabama Department of Education A-F Report Card.

School systems in the state were assessed for the 2015-16 school year in categories including reading and math learning gains, reading and math student achievement and graduation rate.

The report was released in December 2016. A final report, which will include an overall letter grade for each school system, is scheduled for release in December 2017.

“We believe that we did well, although we see plenty of room for improvement, and we are well on our way to working on getting better,” said Ron Dodson, assistant superintendent of instruction for HCS. “The thing I like best about the new report card is that it isn’t based on a single test score. The addition of the Learning Gains category helps us understand how students, both as individuals and groups, have grown from one year to the next. The recognition of other important factors such as graduation rate and college and career readiness (to be added next year) is important.”

Hoover City Schools scored 99 in reading learning gains compared to 88 for Alabama, and 100 in math learning gains compared to 90 for the state.

In overall learning gains, HCS scored 100 compared to 89.1 for the state.

Learning gains scores were determined based on individual students who demonstrate improvement in reading and math from one year to the next using multiple years of data.

HCS scored 76 in reading student achievement compared to 56 for Alabama, and 86 in math student achievement compared to 63 for the state.

In overall student achievement, Hoover scored 81.3 compared to 59.3 for the state.

Student achievement scores were determined based on the percentage of proficient students in the areas of reading and math utilizing assessments in tested grades.

Hoover scored 94 in the graduation rate category compared to 89 for Alabama.

The graduation rate score was determined based on the percentage of high school students who graduate within four or five years of first entering ninth grade.

Hoover system schools in Shelby County fared particularly well.

Spain Park High School scored 68.5 in the achievement category (compared to 60.56 at Hoover High School) and 95 in graduation rate (93 at HHS).

Berry Middle School scored 90.35 in achievement (compared to 81.3 for the district), Greystone Elementary School scored 87.3 and Riverchase Elementary School scored 89.9.

For more information on the Alabama A-F report card and to view other district scores, visit Ap.alsde.edu/accountability/AtoF/.