Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama

08/03/2026

This past week, PARCA joined 19 of Alabama’s 24 colleges and universities at Auburn University for the inaugural PARCA Alignment Institute, focused on how we prepare future teachers to teach reading.

We’re grateful to be part of this work with the Alabama State Department of Education and educators from across the state.

Better prepared teachers. Stronger outcomes for Alabama students.

07/30/2026

Congratulations to our fearless leader Ryan Hankins on his election as President of the Governmental Research Association!

I'm honored to step into the role of President of the Governmental Research Association. GRA has spent over a century connecting the people who do the unglamorous, essential work of public policy research. These are the people who show up with data instead of talking points and who trust that good d...

07/24/2026

Celebrating excellence in research!

This week, members of the PARCA team traveled to Chicago for the Governmental Research Association's (GRA) annual conference, where policy research organizations from across the country gather to share ideas, learn from one another, and recognize outstanding work. We're honored to share that PARCA was recognized with two national awards:

🏆 2026 Award for Most Distinguished Research for Findings from the Jefferson County Equitable Research Project and Findings on the Association of Local Criminal Fee Increases with Jail Detention in Alabama (Series)- Led by Leah Nelson

🏆 2026 Award for Best Short-Form Writing
Houston County: Building A System for Success - Led by Thomas Spencer

These awards reflect PARCA's commitment to producing rigorous, accessible research that equips policymakers, community leaders, and citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions.

07/17/2026

It's official. The 2026 PARCA Speaker Series has been set. Please make plans to join us at Red Mountain Theatre on September 24 to hear political analyst and journalist Amy Walter! Ticket details coming soon!

07/14/2026

The Alabama Reflector interviewed PARCA Senior Research Associate Leah Nelson on the findings of PARCA's latest research. The study found that Alabama counties that raised criminal court fines also saw jail populations increase. Read the story here and find the full report linked in the comments.

Every $100 in fines and fees that courts in different counties correlates with 34 additional people per 100,000 who are detained.

07/10/2026

New research led by PARCA and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34 jail detentions per 100,000 people at the county level. Full analysis linked in the comments.

06/30/2026

Since the passage of the Alabama Literacy Act of 2019, Alabama students have significantly improved their performance on the reading portion of the state’s standardized test, the ACAP. But after multiple years of progress, Alabama third grade reading performance plateaued in 2026, with 11.8% of students scoring under the grade-level benchmark. See how your school and system performed in PARCA's latest analysis.

After multiple years of progress, Alabama third grade reading performance plateaued in 2026, with 11.8% of students scoring under the Read the full release.  

06/22/2026

The Alabama public school system's graduating Class of 2025 had the smallest gap between graduation rates and college and career readiness rates on record. What does that mean, how did it happen, and what does the future look like? Read PARCA's latest analysis to find out more.

Seniors in the graduating class of 2025 set records on two measures: 93% of seniors graduated on time four years Read the full release.  

05/21/2026

Is your city growing, shrinking or sprawling? Read PARCA's latest analysis on the recently released Census Bureau's population estimates for Alabama cities. We dig into regional population change and explore population change throughout the country through interactive charts and data.

Read more:
https://parcalabama.org/cities-in-the-north-south-and-east-grow-fastest-central-cities-continue-to-see-population-flow-to-suburbs/

Growth moderated across most of Alabama cities in 2025 according to new population estimates for Alabama cities. Printable PDF available Read the full release.  

04/10/2026

Did you miss this year's PARCA Annual Forum? The March 6 event explored Alabama's response to the opioid crisis and featured leaders who helped bring about the decline, including policymakers from the Legislature, public health, and mental health agencies, as well as frontline doctors, first responders, and peer recovery specialists, who are working to combat addiction. Check out the recap and watch the session recordings in the latest post below:

Deaths from drug overdose dropped sharply in 2024 and 2025, due in part to bold policy decisions, the deployment of Read the full release.