Public education in Alaska

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# Public education in Alaska

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in  Alaska

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K-12 education in Alaska

Education facts
State superintendent:
Michael Johnson
Number of students:
131,489
Number of teachers:
7,682
Teacher/pupil ratio:
1:17
Number of school districts:

Number of schools:
509
Graduation rate:
71.8%
Per-pupil spending:
$18,175
See also
Alaska Department of Education • List of school districts in Alaska • Alaska • School boards portal

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Public education in the United States
Public education in Alaska
Glossary of education terms
Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given are the most recent as of June 2015, with school years noted in the text or footnotes.

## Contents

* 1 Common Core
* 2 General information
* 2.1 Schools by type
* 3 Demographics
* 3.1 Enrollments by region type
* 4 Academic performance
* 4.1 NAEP scores
* 4.2 Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
* 4.3 Dropout rate
* 5 Educational choice options
* 5.1 Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
* 6 Education funding and expenditures
* 6.1 Revenue breakdowns
* 6.2 Expenditure breakdowns
* 6.3 Personnel salaries
* 7 Organizations
* 7.1 State agencies
* 7.2 Unions
* 8 Taxpayer-funded lobbying
* 9 Studies and reports
* 9.1 State budget solutions education study
* 9.2 Quality Counts 2014
* 10 Issues
* 10.1 Standardized testing
* 11 School districts
* 11.1 District types
* 11.2 School board composition
* 11.2.1 Term limits
* 11.3 Elections
* 11.3.1 Path to the ballot
* 11.3.2 Campaign finance
* 12 Recent legislation
* 13 Education ballot measures
* 14 In the news
* 15 See also
* 16 External links
* 17 Footnotes

The Alaska public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2013 Alaska had 131,489 students enrolled in a total of 509 schools in 54 school districts. There were 7,682 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 17 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. There was roughly one administrator for every 203 students, compared to the national average of one administrator for every 295 students. On average Alaska spent $18,175 per pupil in 2013, which ranked it second highest in the nation. The state's graduation rate was 71.8 percent in 2013.[1][2][3]

HIGHLIGHTS

* Even though Alaska had the second highest per pupil spending in the country, it had considerably lower total spending than any of the other states along the West Coast.

### Common Core

Common Core, or the Common Core State Standards Initiative, is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. As of 2015, Alaska had not adopted these standards.[4]

## General information

See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states

The following chart shows how Alaska compared to three neighboring states in school year 2012-2013 with respect to number of students, schools, the number of teachers per pupil, and the number of administrators per pupil. The chart also displays that information at the national level. Further comparisons between these states with respect to performance and financial information are given in other sections of this page. Alaska had the lowest teacher-to-student ratio, 1:17, and by far the highest per pupil spending, $18,175, when compared to its neighboring states.

Regional comparison, 2012-2013

State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher to pupil ratio | Admin. to pupil ratio | Per pupil spending*
Alaska | 509 | 54 | 131,489 | 7,682 | 1:17.1 | 1:203.2 | $18,175
California | 10,315 | 1,181 | 6,299,451 | 266,255 | 1:23.7 | 1:385.4 | $9,220
Oregon | 1,251 | 220 | 587,564 | 26,410 | 1:22.2 | 1:389.2 | $9,543
Washington | 2,370 | 322 | 1,051,694 | 53,699 | 1:19.6 | 1:368.7 | $9,672
United States | 98,454 | 18,093 | 49,771,118 | 3,109,101 | 1:16 | 1:294.1 | $10,700
*Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2013.
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 2 - Number of operating public schools and districts, state enrollment, teacher, and pupil teacher ratio, by state: School year 2012–13"
United States Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013 (Table 20)"

Note: In comparing dollar amounts across the states, it is important to note that the cost of living can from state to state and within a state. The amounts given on this page have not been adjusted to reflect these differences. For more information on "regional price disparities" and the Consumer Price Index, see the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

### Schools by type

Education policy on Ballotpedia

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Education policy in the U.S.

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Public education in the U.S.

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Higher education by state

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School choice in the U.S.

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Education statistics

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State information
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

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School board elections portal
Glossary of education terms
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Number of schools by school type in the United States

Of the 98,454 schools in the United States, 89,031 were classified as regular schools. After regular schools, magnet schools and charter schools were the most prevalent non-traditional schools in the country, at 6,079 and 5,986, respectively.

The table below breaks down each of the different types of schools in Alaska and nearby states. Also listed are the numbers of schools in each state that are classified as "Title I" schools. These are public schools that have been specially targeted to correct achievement gaps in public schools.[5]

In Alaska, there were 436 regular schools as of 2013. Alternative schools were the second most prevalent type of school, with 67 schools classified as such.

Number of schools by type, 2012-2013

State  | Total schools  | Regular  | Special education  | Vocational  | Alternative  | Charter  | Magnet  | Title I
Alaska | 509 | 436 | 3 | 3 | 67 | 27 | 17 | 367
California | 10,315 | 8,786 | 149 | 87 | 1,293 | 1,085 | 421 | 7,155
Oregon | 1,251 | 1,211 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 123 | † | 574
Washington | 2,370 | 1,932 | 98 | 18 | 322 | † | † | 1,579
United States | 98,454 | 89,031 | 2,034 | 1,403 | 5,986 | 6,079 | 3,151 | 68,140
† Not applicable. Some states/jurisdictions do not have charter school authorization and some states/jurisdictions do not designate magnet schools.
‡ Reporting standards were not met due to data that were missing for more than 20 percent of schools in the state or jurisdiction.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a

## Demographics

See also: Demographic information for all students in all 50 states

The following table displays the ethnic distribution of students in Alaska as reported in the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for 2012-2013.[6]

During the 2012-2013 school year, just over half of all students in K-12 public schools nationwide were white. About a quarter of the students in the country were Hispanic, with black students making up about 16 percent of the student population.

In Alaska, the majority of students were white. White students totaled 65,863, which was about 50.1 percent of the student population in the state. There were 30,914 American Indian/Alaska Native students in Alaska, which accounted for about 23.5 percent of the student population.

Public education enrollment by race/ethnicity, 2012-2013

State  | Pop. category  | Am. Indian
/Alaska Nat.  | Asian  | Black  | Hawaiian
/Pac. Islander  | Hispanic  | White  | Two or more races
Alaska | Number | 30,914 | 8,104 | 4,671 | 3,095 | 8,402 | 65,863 | 10,440
Percentage | 23.51% | 6.16% | 3.55% | 2.35% | 6.39% | 50.09% | 7.94%
California | Number | 40,641 | 691,712 | 394,562 | 33,975 | 3,281,066 | 1,589,297 | 193,838
Percentage | 0.65% | 11.11% | 6.34% | 0.55% | 52.71% | 25.53% | 3.11%
Oregon | Number | 9,917 | 22,827 | 14,630 | 3,866 | 129,076 | 378,737 | 28,511
Percentage | 1.69% | 3.89% | 2.49% | 0.66% | 21.97% | 64.46% | 4.85%
Washington | Number | 15,210 | 75,407 | 48,381 | 9,685 | 214,077 | 622,485 | 66,449
Percentage | 1.45% | 7.17% | 4.6% | 0.92% | 20.36% | 59.19% | 6.32%
United States | Number | 533,098 | 2,363,484 | 7,798,560 | 179,935 | 12,064,310 | 25,366,857 | 1,390,514
Percentage** | 1.07% | 4.76% | 15.69% | 0.36% | 24.28% | 51.04% | 2.80%
**Note: This is the percentage of all students in the United States that are reported to be of this ethnicity.
Source: United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey, 2012-2013

### Enrollments by region type

See also: Student distribution by region type in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 30 percent of all public school students in the country attended city schools. About 40 percent attended suburban schools. Approximately 11.5 percent of all students attended schools in towns, while about 18.7 percent attended rural schools.[7]

A plurality of students in Alaska attended city schools during the 2012-2013 school year. Approximately 42 percent of the state's students attended city or suburban schools, compared to approximately 58 percent who attended rural or town schools.

Student distribution by region type, 2012-2013 (as percents)

State  | City schools  | Suburban schools  | Town schools  | Rural schools
Alaska | 36.6% | 5.3% | 25.7% | 32.4%
California | 42.6% | 46.2% | 5.7% | 5.5%
Oregon | 34.6% | 27.2% | 24.1% | 14.1%
Washington | 32.5% | 42.6% | 12.7% | 12.1%
U.S. averages | 30% | 39.8% | 11.5% | 18.7%
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a"

## Academic performance

Education terms

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For more information on education policy terms, see this article.

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School board elections portal
Glossary of education terms
School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

### NAEP scores

See also: NAEP scores by state

The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. Compared to its relative neighbors, fourth grade students in Alaska tied with California for the lowest percentage (27 percent) scoring at or above proficient in reading.

The table below show the percentage of students in Alaska and its neighboring states who were proficient or above proficient in math and reading in fourth grade and eighth grade during the 2012-2013 school year.[8]

Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013

| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8
Alaska | 37% | 33% | 27% | 31%
California | 33% | 28% | 27% | 29%
Oregon | 40% | 34% | 33% | 37%
Washington | 48% | 42% | 40% | 42%
U.S. average | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34%
Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables"

### Graduation, ACT and SAT scores

See also: Graduation rates by groups in state and ACT and SAT scores in the United States

The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Alaska and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[9][10][11]

In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[12]

Alaska schools reported a graduation rate of 71.8 percent, second lowest among its neighboring states.

In Alaska, more students took the SAT than the ACT, earning an average SAT score of 1,495.

Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013

State  | Graduation rate, 2013  | Average ACT composite, 2013  | Average SAT composite, 2013
Percent  | Quintile ranking**  | Score  | Participation rate  | Score  | Participation rate
Alaska | 71.8% | Fifth | 21.1 | 37% | 1,495 | 52%
California | 80.4% | Third | 22.2 | 26% | 1,505 | 57%
Oregon | 68.7% | Fifth | 21.5 | 34% | 1,539 | 49%
Washington | 76.4% | Fourth | 22.8 | 21% | 1,537 | 60%
U.S. averages | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1,498 | 50%
**Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally.
Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express"
ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 28, 2015
The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013"

### Dropout rate

See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states

The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Alaska was higher than the national average at 6.9 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 7.0 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.

## Educational choice options

See also: School choice in Alaska

School choice options in Alaska include charter schools, magnet schools, private schools, mandatory intradistrict open enrollment in public schools and homeschooling.

### Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)

Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

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Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue
Media coverage and commentary
U.S. Supreme Court 2019-2020 term

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Blaine Amendment (U.S. Constitution)
Blaine amendments in state constitutions

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School choice on the ballot
Education on the ballot

See also: Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue

On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[13]

In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[14]

The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution--where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion--and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.

Alaska is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.

## Education funding and expenditures

Breakdown of expenditures by function in fiscal year 2013
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

See also: Alaska state budget and finances

According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[15][16]

Alaska spent approximately 13.7 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school systems' revenue came primarily from state funds. Alaska spent the smallest percentage of its budget on education when compared to its neighboring states.

Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013

State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources
Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds
Alaska | 13.7% | $18,175 | 12.6% | 67.1% | 20.3%
California | 21.4% | $9,220 | 11.8% | 52.9% | 35.3%
Oregon | 14.3% | $9,543 | 7.8% | 50.5% | 41.7%
Washington | 23.4% | $9,672 | 8.6% | 58.9% | 32.5%
United States | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3%
Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8).
U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8).

### Revenue breakdowns

See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.

According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[16]

In Alaska, the primary source of school system revenue came from state sources during fiscal year 2013, at $1.7 billion. Alaska had the lowest total revenue when compared to other states near the West Coast.

Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands)

State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue
Alaska | $320,938 | $1,707,449 | $516,689 | $2,545,076
California | $7,836,263 | $35,141,208 | $23,468,448 | $66,445,919
Oregon | $471,682 | $3,041,825 | $2,508,173 | $6,021,680
Washington | $1,042,200 | $7,160,395 | $3,947,651 | $12,150,246
United States | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1)

### Expenditure breakdowns

See also: Public school system expenditures in the United States

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[17] Public education expenditures in Alaska totaled approximately $2.5 billion in fiscal year 2012. Overall, Alaska had lower total expenditures than any other states along the West Coast.

Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands)

State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures
Alaska | $2,292,205 | $145,342 | $49,405 | $2,486,951
California | $57,975,189 | $6,693,286 | $3,264,820 | $67,933,295
Oregon | $5,389,273 | $448,212 | $341,375 | $6,178,860
Washington | $10,054,077 | $1,545,989 | $452,833 | $12,052,898
United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5)

### Personnel salaries

See also: Public school teacher salaries in the United States

Note: Salaries given are averages for the state. Salaries may vary between a state's urban, suburban, and rural districts and should be adjusted for cost of living. For example, a MacIver Institute study of average teacher salaries in 60 metropolitan areas found that salaries in New York City were the third-highest in absolute figures but 59th-highest when adjusted for the cost of living.[18]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Alaska, the average salary increased by 3.1 percent.[19]

Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**)

| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference
Alaska | $63,495 | $63,696 | $63,464 | $65,468 | 3.1%
California | $65,159 | $72,803 | $69,672 | $69,324 | 6.4%
Oregon | $57,856 | $58,948 | $58,302 | $58,758 | 1.6%
Washington | $56,089 | $56,578 | $53,101 | $53,571 | -4.5%
U.S. average | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3%
**"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state."

## Organizations

### State agencies

See also: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development oversees public K-12 education and public libraries in Alaska.[20] Michael Johnson was appointed as the Alaska Commissioner of Education in 2016.

As of 2014, the mission statement of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development read:[21]

“  | To ensure quality standards-based instruction to improve academic achievement for all students.[22] | ”

|
|

The State Board of Education and Early Development has nine members who are appointed by the governor. The Board appoints the Commissioner of Education and Early Development with the governor's approval. They also appoint an advisor to represent the military community, a student advisor and a student advisor-elect. The Board is responsible for setting state academic content and performance standards, establishing high school graduation requirements, approving school construction and maintenance projects and regulating Title I4 programs.[23]

### Unions

In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Alaska ranked 15th overall for union power and influence, or "strong", which was in the second tier of five.[24]

The main union related to the Alaska school system is the Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. The Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT is the largest education association in the state. For the 2008 tax period, it had $3.6 million in total income.[25]

List of local Alaska school unions:[26]

* Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT
* Anchorage Education Association
* Matanuska Susitna Education Association
* Kenai Peninsula Education Association
* Juneau Education Association
* AFT Fairbanks
* AFT Anchorage
* AFT Soldotna

## Taxpayer-funded lobbying

See also: Alaska government sector lobbying

The main education government sector lobbying organization is the Association of Alaska School Boards.

## Studies and reports

### State budget solutions education study

See also: State spending on education v. academic performance (2012)

State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.

### Quality Counts 2014

See also: Education Week survey

Education Week, a publication that reports on many education issues throughout the country, began using an evaluation system in 1997 to grade each state on various elements of education performance. This system, called Quality Counts, uses official data on performance from each state to generate report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report card in 2014 used six different categories:

1. Chance for success
2. K-12 achievement
3. Standards, assessments and accountability
4. The teaching profession
5. School finance
6. Transitions and alignment

Each of these six categories had a number of other elements that received individual scores. Those scores were then averaged and used to determine the final score in each category. Every state received two types of scores for each of the six major categories: A numerical score out of 100 and a letter grade based on that score. Education Week used the score for the first category, "chance for success," as the value for ranking each state and the District of Columbia. The average grade received in the entire country was 77.3, or a C+ average. The country's highest average score was in the category of "standards, assessments and accountability" at 85.3, or a B average. The lowest average score was in "K-12 achievement", at 70.2, or a C- average.

Alaska received a score of 74.9, or a C average in the "chance for success" category. This was below the national average. The state's highest score was in school finance at 80.2, or a B- average. The lowest score was in the teaching profession at 60.0, or a D- average. Alaska earned the lowest score in the country in the "teaching profession" category. The chart below displays the scores of Alaska and three Northwestern states.[27]

Note: Click on a column heading to sort the data.

Public education report cards, 2014

State | Chance for success | K-12 achievement | Standards, assessments and accountability | The teaching profession | School finance | Transitions and alignment
Alaska | 74.9 (C) | 62.6 (D) | 76.0 (C) | 60.0 (D-) | 80.2 (B-) | 71.4 (C-)
California | 72.4 (C-) | 67.8 (D+) | 92.8 (A) | 71.6 (C-) | 69.2 (D+) | 82.1 (B-)
Oregon | 74.6 (C) | 64.8 (D) | 80.1 (B-) | 63.5 (D) | 71.0 (C-) | 85.7 (B)
Washington | 79.5 (B-) | 74.9 (C) | 79.1 (C+) | 71.4 (C-) | 71.6 (C-) | 71.4 (C-)
United States average | 77.3 (C+) | 70.2 (C-) | 85.3 (B) | 72.5 (C) | 75.5 (C) | 81.1 (B-)
Source: Education Week, "Quality Counts 2014"

A full discussion of how these numbers were generated can be found here.

## Issues

### Standardized testing

In 2012, Alaska was excused from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, leaving it free to pursue its own way of monitoring student achievement. The Standards Based Assessments (SBA) were used statewide through the 2013-2014 school year, but moving forward, the state will be using a new standardized test. The SBA was based on Grade Level Expectations, estimating the degree to which third through ninth grade students had mastered the Academic Performance Standards for reading, writing and mathematics. The new standardized test will be given to students in grades three through 10, and it will be broken down into two parts: math and English language arts.[28][29]

The new standardized test was created by the Achievement and Assessment Institute at the University of Kansas and was available for schools in both paper and computerized forms, beginning in 2015 and for the following two years. After that, the test will only be taken on computers. The push for a computerized test was a money-saving measure, but it also allows for test results to come back more quickly than when they are administered on paper.[28]

## School districts

See also: School board elections portal

### District types

Alaska has three types of school districts: borough school districts, city school districts and school districts in politically unorganized rural areas of the state called Regional Educational Attendance Areas (REAA). Of the state's 54 school districts, 15 are borough school districts, 20 are city school districts and 19 are REAAs.[30][31][32]

### School board composition

Alaska school board members are generally elected by residents of the school district, although, if there is a vacancy, members will be appointed to fill that seat for the remainder of the term. School boards can have between five and 11 members, and all serve three-year terms. Elections are staggered so that no school board will have all of its board members up for re-election at once.[30][33]

#### Term limits

Alaska does not impose term limits on school board members statewide, but term limits can be imposed on a local level.[34]

### Elections

See also: Alaska school board elections, 2021

Editor's note: Some school districts choose to cancel the primary election, or both the primary and general election, if the number of candidates who filed does not meet a certain threshold. The table below does not reflect which primary or general elections were canceled. Please click through to each school district's page for more information.

2021 Alaska School Board Elections

District  | Primary | General Election | General Runoff Election | Regular term length | Seats up for election | Total board seats | 2016-17 enrollment
Anchorage School District | N/A | 4/6/2021 | N/A | 3 | 4 | 7 | 48,238

#### Path to the ballot

To qualify as a school board candidate in Alaska, an individual must reside and be registered to vote in the school district they wish to represent.[35] To get on the ballot, candidates must file a declaration of candidacy and pay a $25 filing fee in cash to their municipal election office during the candidate filing period.[36]

#### Campaign finance

Before campaigning, candidates must file a letter of intent with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. This can be filed as early as 18 months prior to the election and is only needed if the candidate wishes to campaign before they are able to file a declaration of candidacy. Once the declaration of candidacy is filed, the letter of intent is no longer needed. With the declaration of candidacy, a public official financial disclosure statement may also need to be filed. This is left to the discretion of the municipal office. Within seven days of filing the declaration of candidacy, candidates must file a candidate registration to provide campaign contact information and designate a campaign committee and a campaign depository. If a candidate does not intend to receive contributions in excess of $5,000, including the use of personal funds, the candidate may file a municipal exemption statement with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, which exempts them from needing to file any campaign finance reports. Candidates who are not exempt must file reports disclosing their campaign finances throughout their candidacy.[37]

## Recent legislation

The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Alaska state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.

Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.

## Education ballot measures

See also: Education on the ballot and List of Alaska ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.

1. Alaska Community College System Initiative, Measure 3 (1988)
2. Alaska Financial Aid to Private School Students, Proposition 4 (1976)
3. Alaska Educational and Museum Facilities, Bonding Proposition C (2002)
4. Alaska Vocational Education Bond, Proposition 3 (1960)
5. Alaska University Bond, Proposition 4 (1960)
6. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 1 (1962)
7. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 2 (1962)
8. Alaska Vocational School Bond, Proposition 4 (1962)
9. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 2 (1966)
10. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 4 (1966)
11. Alaska High School Construction Bond, Proposition 7 (1966)
12. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 5 (1968)
13. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 6 (1968)
14. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 1 (1970)
15. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 11 (1970)
16. Alaska University Bond, Proposition 4 (1972)
17. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 8 (1976)
18. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 12 (1976)
19. Alaska School Construction Bond, Proposition 6 (1972)
20. Alaska Library Construction Bond, Proposition 3 (1974)
21. Alaska Rural School Construction Bond, Proposition 9 (1974)
22. Alaska University Construction Bond, Proposition 10 (1974)
23. Alaska University of Alaska Bond, Proposition 9 (1978)
24. Alaska Improvements for Education, Bonding Proposition G
25. Alaska State Government Debt for Postsecondary Student Loans, Ballot Measure 2 (2016)

## In the news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alaska education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Public education in Alaska - Google News

## See also

* Historical public education information in Alaska
* Alaska state budget and finances
* Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
* List of school districts in Alaska
* School choice in Alaska
* Charter schools in Alaska
* Alaska
* Education Policy in the U.S.

## External links

* Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
* Alaska State Board of Education & Early Development
* Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
* Alaska Public School Districts
* Alaska Public Schools
* Alaska Charter Schools
* Alaska School Statistics and Reports
* Alaska Public School Ratings by PSK12
* Alaska Public School Ratings by Great Schools

## Footnotes

1. ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD); Table 2.—Number of operating public schools and districts, state enrollment, teacher and pupil/teacher ratio by state: School year 2012-13," accessed May 29, 2015
2. ↑ National Association of State Budget Officers, "State expenditure report, Fiscal years 2012-2014," accessed July 14, 2015
3. ↑ United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express," accessed May 29, 2015
4. ↑ Common Core: State Standards Initiative, "Core Standards in your State,” accessed July 12, 2014
5. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "Title I - Improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged," accessed May 29, 2015
6. ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Nonfiscal Public Elementary/Secondary Education Survey, 2011-2012," accessed May 7, 2014
7. ↑ U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey, SY 2012–13 Provisional Version 1a," accessed March 2, 2016
8. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "State Profiles," accessed May 12, 2014
9. ↑ United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
10. ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
11. ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
12. ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
13. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
14. ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
15. ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
17. ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
18. ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
19. ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
20. ↑ Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, "2012-2013 Report Card to the Public," accessed January 21, 2014
21. ↑ Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, "About EED," accessed May 12, 2014
22. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
23. ↑ Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed May 12, 2014
24. ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, " How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
25. ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Alaska Public Employees Association/AFT," accessed June 11, 2014
26. ↑ Center for Union Facts, "Alaska teachers unions," accessed April 17, 2010
27. ↑ Education Week "Quality Counts 2014," accessed February 19, 2015
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Alaska Public Media, "Alaska's New Standardized Tests," June 17, 2014
29. ↑ Anchorage School District, "Assessment and Evaluation: SBA," accessed July 7, 2014
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 State of Alaska Division of Elections, "Current REAA School Board Members," accessed July 8, 2014
31. ↑ Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, "Alaska Public School Districts on the Internet," accessed July 8, 2014
32. ↑ Alaska Department of Education & Early Development, "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)," accessed July 29, 2014
33. ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) Candidates," accessed July 8, 2014
34. ↑ Peninsula Clarion, "ACT seeks term limit ruling," March 14, 2008
35. ↑ State of Alaska Division of Elections, "Qualifications for Holding Office," accessed July 8, 2014
36. ↑ Matanuska-Susitna Borough, "Election Information," accessed July 29, 2014
37. ↑ Alaska Public Offices Commission, "2014 Municipal Election," accessed July 8, 2014

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