Cindy McKibben
Intervention & Assessment Coordinator
Principal for Cooper Landing and Hope Schools
CMcKibben@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
P: 907.782.3202
Assessments: Why Are They Important?
Parents have the right to make educational decisions for their child, including whether to participate in statewide testing. Please check with your school principal for more information.
Department Mission
The Mission of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Assessment Department is to ensure that students have been provided every opportunity to show their knowledge level in multiple ways, provide the results information to district staff and meet State and Federal reporting requirements.
Assessments
Alaska’s Assessment System is composed of five statewide assessments including the Development Profile, Alternate Assessment, English Language Proficiency Assessment, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and the Statewide Summative Assessment. In addition to the assessments required by the state, KPBSD uses information gathered by AIMSweb Plus and NWEA MAP assessments.
- Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development Assessments
- Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development – Accountability Letter
- Alaska’s Required Statewide Assessments
DEED Releases 2024 Statewide Assessment Results
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2024
Results Highlight Opportunities to Improve Student Achievement
JUNEAU, AK – The 2024 results from the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessments and the Alaska Science Assessment are now accessible online. School districts have until September 27 to distribute student reports to parents and educators.
A total of 62,052 students took part in these assessments. AK STAR evaluates student knowledge of grade level standards in English language arts and mathematics for grades 3-9 while the Alaska Science Assessment evaluates student knowledge of grade level standards in grades 5, 8, and 10. Both assessments, introduced in 2022, provide crucial data on school performance, guiding improvement efforts, and supporting student learning.
Student’s scores fall into four achievement levels: advanced, proficient, approaching proficient, and needs support. This year 31.8 percent of students scored at or above a proficient level in English language arts, 32.5 percent in mathematics, and 36.9 percent in science.
“State assessments play a role in measuring how well our students meet the Alaska standards — standards shaped by Alaskan educators. By accepting the results without defense, we commit to using these data for improvement. Alaska is not merely focused on the outcomes themselves, rather our goal is to build the capacity in our students’ foundational knowledge and ability for their future in work and life,” said Alaska Education Commissioner Dr. Deena Bishop.
“I ask all Alaskans to use student learning results for continuous improvement and educational excellence — no matter where you learn,” added Commissioner Bishop.
Deputy Director of Innovation and Education Excellence, Kelly Manning, highlighted the department’s efforts to support districts with resources and professional development. These initiatives aim to help districts interpret assessment results, plan instruction, and address local needs to boost student achievement.
Noteworthy findings include:
- 5th graders showed the highest performance, with 37.4% meeting or exceeding proficiency in English language arts, up from 35.5% in the previous year. For mathematics, 37.5% were proficient, and 47.5% achieved proficiency in science, a significant increase from 42.2% last year.
- Upper grades, particularly 8th and 9th, continue to require improvement. Efforts are underway to enhance reading skills, support school improvement, and offer career and technical education pathways to elevate achievement across all grades.
For more information, resources are available on the AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment webpages. The 2024 assessment results are available on DEED’s Assessment Results webpage.
Contact: Kelly Manning, Deputy Director, at kelly.manning@alaska.gov or at 907-465-8431.
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The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development provides information, resources, and leadership to support over 130,000 students in 505 public schools across the state of Alaska. The mission of the department is to ensure an “Excellent Education for Every Student Every Day.” Media Contact: Bryan Zadalis, Public Information Officer, (907) 465-2800
Assessment Information
Accountability/Reports
A variety of annual reports are produced to fulfill federal/state and district mandates. Reports include: