Alaska's accountability system under Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the 2022-2023 academic year will be delayed. The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is undergoing changes in its assessment model to ensure a holistic, growth-oriented, adaptive, and efficient approach that aligns with the Alaska Content Standards.
The decision to delay the release of AK STAR scores is driven by the ongoing transition and commitment to developing a more effective assessment approach. The incorporation of new elements, such as MAP Growth performance data, coupled with a linking study that highlighted a significant variance between grade-level percentiles, provided insights into proficiency levels. This information along with a Policy Review Committee’s consideration, led to a recommendation to adjust the current AK STAR cut scores.
Key steps will be followed to reporting Spring 2023 AK STAR results this Spring:
Despite the delay caused by the adoption of new cut scores for AK STAR, the results remain crucial for making informed decisions based on student growth towards mastering the Alaska Content Standards.
Dear Fellow Alaskans,
I am proud to share that the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development is actively collaborating with districts to establish mechanisms for evaluating student success, ensuring that each student receives a high-quality education, every day. The adoption of the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessment system has played a pivotal role in providing educators and parents with an effective means of monitoring student progress, while simultaneously meeting the requirements set forth by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for a state summative assessment.
Understanding that a comprehensive view is essential for student growth, the System for School Success utilizes AK STAR results to generate school designations. These designations - Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI), Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI), and Universal Support - offer valuable insights for families, tribes, communities, educators, and policymakers into how our schools and districts are performing.
These designations, along with locally collected data, empower districts to ensure a quality education for each student in Alaska. Together, we can utilize this information to craft innovative plans and work collaboratively towards improving student outcomes across our great state.
Your engagement and commitment to education are integral to our success. Let us continue working together to create an educational environment that nurtures the potential of every student.
Dr. Deena Bishop
Commissioner
The System for School Success is Alaska's Accountability system under the Every Student Succeeds Act. To see Alaska's plan please see https://education.alaska.gov/akessa/stateplan. Resources to help you understand the plan are below.
The System for School Success is used to help Schools and districts measure their performance on key indicators, identify areas for improvement, and target resources and support for all students to receive an excellent education and be prepared for college or a career after high school.
Complete List of
Since the Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) last produced Alaska School Performance Index (ASPI) scores and ratings following the 2013-2014 school year, DEED has published Accountability Indicators Reports that include assessment performance for full academic year (FAY) students, as well as rates of assessment participation, attendance, and graduation. “Full academic year” is defined as continuous enrollment between October 1 and the first day of testing. Please visit the Assessment Results page to view assessment performance for all students regardless of FAY status.
The 2016-2017 Accountability Indicators Reports available below represent the best available data as of October 2, 2017. Changes after this date, if any, will be reflected in the online Report Card to the Public, due for release on January 15, 2018.
In September 2012 Alaska applied for a flexibility waiver from the provisions of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The waiver was approved in May 2013 by the United States Department of Education. In June 2013, the State Board adopted a new accountability system for our public schools. The new system has been named the Alaska School Performance Index (ASPI). The ASPI system effectively replaces the former Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) model that has been in place since 2002.
2014
2013
2003 - 2012
Under the new state accountability system and approved ESEA Flexibility Waiver, Alaska has set new Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) targets in reading, writing, and mathematics that are ambitious but achievable.
In 2012, the State Board of Education & Early Development adopted new educator evaluation regulations. The new guidelines require educators to be evaluated through observations and input from students and parents. Evaluation should identify educators’ strengths and weaknesses and support educators' efforts to improve instruction and to grow professionally. Beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, teachers and administrators also will be evaluated using student learning data.