By DAVID BOYLE
The Department of Education & Early Development recently posted the scores of every Alaska public K-12 school which showed little progress for most districts.
The AK STAR, Alaska System of Academic Readiness, shows how our students are doing using Alaska’s standards. These standards now closely align with the National Achievement of Educational Progress test. Now it is much easier for Alaskans to compare our students to other states’ students.
The AK STAR was first given to students in the 2022-23 school year. Thus, we can compare the recent 2023-24 test results to the prior year’s test results to determine if our students have made any progress in reading and math in tests given to students in grades 3 through 9.
Statewide, our students in all grades did slightly worse in reading and math in 2024 than in the prior year.
The greatest decrease in the statewide “All Grades” is in math proficiency — a decrease of 1.4 percentage points.
To get a better picture, one must drill down into the data and compare cohort groups of students, comparing the same group of students (2023) moving from one grade (3rd) to the next (4th).
Let’s look at the results for the 2023 third grade students compared to the same group of students in the 2024 fourth grade and see how they fared.
The student cohort improved 3.5 percentage points in reading — a significant increase. But the cohort did not do as well in the math scores, showing a slight decrease.
Let’s look at how our “Big 5” schools did on the AK STAR test. Once again, to determine how well students fared we need to look at student cohorts, the 2023 third graders compared to the 2024 fourth graders to be sure we are measuring the same students.
Note that Anchorage increased its reading score by 4 percentage points. The MatSu district increased its reading score by 6.3 percentage points. Kenai district student cohort decreased in its reading score by 2.8 percentage points.
The Fairbanks district student cohort increased its reading score by 6.6 percentage points. But notice that Fairbanks 3rd grade students had the lowest reading scores of the Big 5 schools in 2023.
Juneau student cohort improved a little in reading but it decreased in math proficiency by a mere 0.8%.
Skagway School District won the trophy for scoring first in AK STAR test scores when looking at the 3rd grade and fourth grade cohorts.
Some of the higher scores may be attributed to a much smaller school with only 152 students. The per student cost in Skagway is $28,000.
But the Pelican City School District is a much smaller district than Skagway. It has 12 students at a cost of $61,092 per pupil. In 2023 55.6% of the students were proficient in reading. However, in 2024 only 30% of its students were proficient in reading. So, maybe one of the students changed to homeschool or moved. So, in this case, size doesn’t matter.
The Yupiit School District comes in last in the AK STAR scoring. The only data available shows that less than 5% of the students are proficient in reading and math in both 2023 and 2024. There are 471 students at a cost of $37,219 (local, state and federal) per pupil. Sadly, only one student in the entire school is proficient in reading. We must ask, “where is the money going?”
Hopefully, the Alaska Reads Act will help improve the reading skills of all our K-12 students.
Here’s a snapshot of some of Alaska’s charter schools where parents have much more control over curriculum, principal, and they are the school board.
At the Eagle Charter Academy in Anchorage the K-8 students are 77% proficient in reading and 80% are proficient in math. There are 189 students at a cost of $16,154 per student.
The American Charter Academy (MatSu District) has 186 students at a cost of $16,900 per student. Fifty-six percent of its students are proficient in reading and 72% are proficient in math.
The Aquarian Charter School in Anchorage has 390 students at a cost of $15,600 per student. More than 69% of its students are proficient in reading and 69% are proficient in math.
Some Alaska students are doing well in reading and math. Is it the water in Skagway? Is it the size of the school? Is it the spending per pupil?
Maybe Skagway children are products of the Lake Wobegon effect, “Where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and the children are above average.”
The number show that it is not how much money we spend on K12 education. The charter schools, where parents are more fully engaged, may show the real reasons for improved student achievement. Parents run the school board, determine the curriculum, choose the principal who aligns with parents’ values, and through the principal, parents choose the best teachers.
Parents are responsible for running the charter schools.
That is why we need more charter schools that parents can choose for their children. We need more charter schools so all Alaska children can read at grade level. We need more charter schools so all Alaskan children can be proficient in math.
To increase the number of charter schools, we need more authorizers than can approve charters. This would release the stranglehold the school districts have on charter schools.
These results for our brick-and-mortar schools demonstrate parents must have more choice to see their children succeed. The future of Alaska depends upon it.
We cannot afford to have nearly 70% of our Alaska children nearly illiterate.
David Boyle is an education writer for Must Read Alaska.
Why did you leave out private school scores and costs per student? The answer is obvious it is too embarrassing to face the reality of public verses private.
Parents willing to invest into their children, therefore the parents are invested into the outcome.
Crazy public school costs for lousy results.
Just think how many more parents would be able to invest positively in their children’s educations if their property tax dollars followed their children rather than being siphoned off to feed the behemoth.
I dug around a bit; not seeing that private schools participate in the AK Star program. Maybe David can enlighten us on this point.
Private schools do not participate in the State’s AK STAR testing. But they may participate in other national achievement tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. The State of Alaska participated in the ITBS many years ago. It eventually went to its own standardized test–so it could not be compared to other states’ results.
Obviously a charter school that filled with kids who don’t have developmental delays, don’t come from poverty stricken families, or trauma from home, or with kids that have seen a letter before, and with adequate nutrition…. will out perform public schools which must teach EVERYONE, regardless. So here’s your pat on the back for what turns out not to be all that impressive of a feat after all.
Support your local schools, you ingrates!
I do and don’t like what they stand for.
If I could not support them with my tax dollars I would.
Obviously, good parenting is the key to a successful student. Proactive parents are seeking out charter schools because the ASD schools have devolved into nothing more than expensive day care. The Anchorage school district was once the envy of the country. Sad.
Even if the schools rated high on the “standards” categories it would indicate a failing, dysfunctional public school system. The standards that are used to gauge are pathetic. To address all students whose parents prioritize education, including disadvantaged children, must be able to use the public funds dedicated to them to purchase an education from competent institutions. It is unacceptable to deprive the child in order to support failing state run institutions.
Why do you assume children in poverty are less able to learn? Or is that your dogwhistle for some kind of racism? There is no excuse for malnutrition with all of the programs and food banks and school-provided food. Parents who are not feeding their children need to be reported to Child Services by those schools you believe are doing all of this supposed hard work. Your straw men are starting to lose their stuffing. If you’d turn the spigot down on your uselessly bleeding heart, you would see the public schools for the failures they are.
We can’t all be home schooled by a drunk or in a religious cult… there’s just not enough unemployed drunks and cults to fill the bill. Public schools are where it’s at with regard to teaching… well… the PUBLIC. You know, those “people” you encounter on the rare occasion you go outdoors. Believe me, you want them to be educated to at least some degree for your own good. So in a sense, this all comes back around to what’s best for you. Think about it. Thanks. Neat chat.
I don’t know who you are arguing with in this comment. Home schooled by a drunk? Religious cult? Are you unhinged? What I meant is that every kid gets the education available, and poor kids get the same education as rich kids in public schools. Why do you presume poor kids do less well? Right now, both poor kids and rich kids are failing. That can’t possibly be because the schools aren’t teaching, or can it?
Pretty sure he meant that even a drunk cultist can do a better job than ASD…
Once again, David Boyle hits it out of the park! The problem with the AK Reads Act making things better is the willingness of teachers and leaders in that district to “expect it!” It is also very difficult is that there is great difference in schools and the available for all teachers and aides to be trained in what works. I assure you people well before the Reads Acts knew what had to be done but lack of educators to do! One of the main issues not tackled has been attendance. Did you know ASD has worse attendance than the LA School district? Yet the majority of legislators voted for 1/4 billion dollars to go to districts with NO restrictions or accountability! Legislators need to be tough and do what is needed for success of students regardless of pressure from NEA! I worked in both urban and rural districts since 1981 and from 2003-2018 in the largest 25% performing districts in the state.
I assure you more money will not make it better, but requiring consequences for ill spent would!
seems to me attendance is the responsibility of the family. Maybe the legislature needs to pass a law. your child has poor attendance no PFD for you or your child. Give the family some incentive to value education. I am sure that will solve the problem.
I still find the terrible Alaska performance to be incredible, especially given the per student cost. A small town public school system was very important to me; a year of calculus, two years of chemistry, year of physics, etc. There was school tracking from the 4th grade; A, B & C, and kids were dropped to the next lower rung upon two poor report cards, which was great preparation for college. Kids fighting the system and wasting time got a tap on the shoulder at age 14, and they left for the working world even though the official age for leaving was 16. Kids were held back for up to 3 years if they were not progressing at grade level. Retarded kids were not mainstreamed. In a class of 20, A-level, there were two perfect SAT scores (800) and two National Merit Scholars. The entire class exceeded 700 on the SATs, in 1966, and we had to travel 50 miles to take the tests. Even the Skagway achievements would have been low enough to have some teachers asked to leave.
I never saw an indoor swimming pool until my first day at university. Most school bands were completely done by an outside contractor who was paid by parents. All teachers answered directly to the principal, and there was no other staff. Sports were limited to soccer and basketball because gear for football and hockey was too expensive. Almost all school costs were met by local property taxes. Just about all high school students paid something to their parents for room and board, and that was very good preparation for college.
It sure is interesting all the armchair quarterbacks that weigh into Alaska education like it’s somehow a one-size-fits-all issue. Dedicated parents with high expectations for their kids will almost always see better results. Dedicated parents that support a teacher’s classroom order and rules will almost always see better results. Dedicated parents that feed and get their kids to bed at a decent hour will almost always see better results. Dedicated parents that get to know the teachers and the school principal, maybe attend a board meeting every now and then will almost always see better results. Dedicated parents that help their kids with their homework, or just demand that the school give homework, will almost always see better results. Dedicated parents that truly value education will almost always see better results. Anyone see a pattern here? Adequate school funding keeps the lights on, insurance and transportation contracts paid, classroom sizes down, and high quality teachers in our schools. How much effort our students put in though, that’s our job as parents. It’s not always a cake walk, but we are the ones that are failing as a whole.
Amen
Agree in principle as a significant contribution to the spirit of providing quality education. And this is achievable in public schools.
The MRAK ad for Mr Boyle’s scale is pretty much a one sided puff piece. As someone else mentioned Skagway schools and schools in the past, it seems the case being made for removing public school funds for funding a select group of charter school corporations is downright lopsided and underneath it all unfair to all Alaskans, pupils as well as to our future society. But we’ve already visited this topic several months ago at this news conglomerate.
Another news outlet posted an article a couple days ago (it has since been memory-holed) telling how three Anchorage schools won a “blue ribbon schools” award for excellence and strides in closing the privilege gaps that some here decry.
They were:
Aquarian Charter
Northern Lights ABC
Alpenglow Elementary
Two of these are lottery only, with eye-popping waitlists (I’m not sure about Alpenglow.) Perhaps we can learn something?