 AK STAR, Alaska Science Assessment Results
Last week DEED released 2022 results for statewide assessments of English language arts, math and science.
Students in grades 3-9 take AK STAR to gauge their understanding of English language arts and math. Statewide, 70% of students assessed were not proficient in English language arts (ELA) and 77% percent of students assessed were not proficient in math.
The Alaska Science Assessment measures learning for students in grades 5, 8, and 10. Statewide, 62% of students assessed were not proficient.
"The COVID-19 pandemic certainly disrupted the typical learning experience for students in Alaska and these results are unacceptable. However, the truth is that Alaska's results were unacceptable before the pandemic," DEED Acting Commissioner Heidi Teshner said. "The good news is that these results are not a surprise, and we are already underway implementing a strategic plan guided by Alaska's Education Challenge that will address the areas of improvement that these results highlight."
The statewide participation rate for AK STAR was just under 80%. There is a significant disparity between the participation rate of correspondence schools and non-correspondence schools. For ELA, the participation rate for non-correspondence was nearly 93%. For correspondence schools, the participation rate was just under 15%. Although correspondence school enrollment has declined since its peak during the 2020-2021 school year, there are still nearly 22,000 students enrolled in public correspondence schools in Alaska. Given the significant number of correspondence students and the significantly low participation rate of that student group, statewide results do not represent all students in Alaska.
This year was the first administration of the AK STAR assessment, which replaced PEAKS. Both assessments are based on the Alaska English language arts and Mathematics Standards, which define what students should know and be able to do. However, results from the two tests cannot be directly compared without caveat. This is due to inherent difference in the test's design, as well as different cut scores. Cut scores are like a grading scale for assessments. Instead of a letter grade based on a score from 0-100, assessments use cut scores to determine what range of scores fall into achievement levels.
State, district, and school level results are available on DEED's Assessment Result's webpage. Each district has until December 9 to distribute student-level reports to families and educators.
 Nominations Now Open for 2022-2023 Alaska Teacher of the Year
Do you know an inspiring and passionate educator deserving of the recognition of Alaska Teacher of the Year? Nominations are now open for the 2022-2023 period.
In addition to being awesome, candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Has five or more years experience in the field of education
- Is an expert in their field who guides students of all backgrounds and abilities to achieve excellence
- Collaborates with colleagues, students, and families to create a school culture of respect and success
- Deliberately connects the classroom and key stakeholders to foster a strong community at large
- Demonstrates leadership and innovation in and outside of the classroom walls
- Expresses themselves in an engaging and articulate way
- Contributes to the field of education and strives to strengthen the profession
If you have questions about the Teacher of the Year program, email DEED.SRS@alaska.gov.
FY24 Initial Capital Improvement Project Grant Rankings Now Available
DEED’s initial FY2024 priority lists of district-submitted CIP grant applications for school construction and major maintenance projects are now available. Priority lists are used by the department, governor, and legislature to determine school construction and major maintenance projects for capital funding during the upcoming budget cycle. Click here to view the rankings.
Reconsideration Hearings for FY24 CIP Grant Ranking:
November 17, 21 and 30
School districts that submitted a DEED FY2023 capital improvement project (CIP) grant application can request reconsideration of its eligibility determination, the priority ranking assigned to a project, its scope as approved by the department, or the project’s approved budget. Written requests are due by the close of the reconsideration hearings on November 30 at 4:30pm. Click here to find the public notice for the hearings.
FY24 CIP Grant Reconsideration Process Q&A on November 10
School districts and interested parties are invited to attend a question-and-answer webinar/teleconference addressing the procedures for school districts that may want to request the department reconsider an FY2024 initial CIP list decision of eligibility determination, the priority ranking assigned to a project, a project scope as approved by the department, or a project’s approved budget. Click here to learn more.
CTE Promotional Fliers Available in Alaska Native Languages and English
The CTE Team at the Department of Education & Development has developed six CTE Flyers that districts and schools may use to promote CTE events and provide information to their students and communities. The three sets of flyers each have an English and a Native language version, with the same photo and color scheme for the set. Currently Tlingit, Yup’ik, and Inupiaq are the represented languages. They will print on 8.5”x11” paper and have space at the bottom to add desired CTE information. If you have questions about the flyers, please contact Sheila.box@alaska.gov
Desmos Online Calculator Webinars
DEED is hosting two 1-hour webinars on the Desmos Online Calculators that are built into NWEA's MapGrowth 6+ and the new AK STAR Math assessment for grades 6 - 9.
There are different sessions based on the calculator type and grade levels indicated below. You may choose the one session that best fits your role, or you may attend both if relevant.
One session will be held on November 16th at 4:00pm and is primarily for math educators of grades 6 - 8.
One session will be held on November 30th at 4:00pm and is primarily for math educators of grades 9+.
Please share this announcement with any other interested educators of mathematics!
If you have any questions, please contact DEED Math and Science Content Specialists Joy Abbot at Joy.Abbott@alaska.gov or 907-269-6578.
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