Alaska student test scores were released by the state show the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s students have higher scores than the state average. The Performance Evaluation for Alaska Schools, or PEAKS tests were taken by third through ninth graders last spring. As KUAC’s Robyne reports, the scores showed less than half of the student score as “proficient” in English and Math.
45 point seven percent of students scored proficient in English Language skills, and 41 point two percent proficient in Mathematics skills. But compared to last year’s local student scores, the numbers jumped up more than four percent for English Language and are up 1 point 4 percent for Math.
Dr. Ellis Ott is a research analyst for the district. He says this is only the second year students in the Fairbanks North Star Borough have taken the PEAKS. It was developed out of the Alaska State educational Standards and the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015.
“The standards are …
Sharice Walker, the district’s spokesperson, says the PEAKS is still being adjusted.
“The test is relatively new…. This year’s mathematics assessment for ninth grade focused on algebra.
Nearly every student in grades 3 to 9 took the PEAKS last year – about 97 percent. Families can get their individual students’ scores right now on the district’s Powerschool portal. But the district is still waiting for the state education department to break down the demographics for each school. So there’s no way to track Alaska Native and other minority student performance, which has shown a steady rise in test scores in recent years.
Those data will be released in time for a presentation at the next school board meeting on September 18th.
Walker says the PEAKS scores aren’t the only way to measure student progress.
“This provides us with one point of data, that will be considered with the district’s larger data picture…
Ott says the state will use the PEAKS scores as part of a larger accountability system the education department will release to parents and taxpayers in October.
Nearly 80,000 students around the state took the PEAKS in 54 school districts.
Results for a second standardized test were also released yesterday; the Alaska Science Assessment, or ASA. On this test, more than half of Fairbanks North Star Borough students scored as proficient in Science.