Telling our story
How we rate
One indicator of student success is
performance on national exams
such as the SAT and norm-referenced
achievement tests.
While these scores do not interpret
the emotional, physical and social
well-being of students, they serve
as a primary tool for academic
evaluation. Traditionally,
Anchorage students perform above
the national average on these tests.
Efforts to maintain and improve
student performance are ongoing.
State requirements
Beginning with the graduating class of 2004, all Alaska students must
pass the Alaska High School Graduation Qualifying Exam (covers reading,
writing and mathematics) prior to receiving a diploma, as well as fulfill
graduation requirements. Students who do not pass the exam will receive
a certificate in lieu of a diploma.
In order to prepare future graduates for the state exam, intensive work
in the core academic areas is strongly emphasized in the Anchorage School
District.
In addition to this exam, Anchorage students need 22.5 credits to graduate,
the most stringent requirements in Alaska.
No Child Left Behind
On Jan. 8, 2002, President Bush signed into law the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This new law represents his education
reform plan and contains the most sweeping changes to
the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted
in 1965. It changes the federal government's role in kindergarten through
grade 12 education by asking America's schools to describe their
academic success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The
act contains the President's four basic education reform
principles: stronger accountability for results, increased
flexibility and local
control, expanded options for parents, and an emphasis
on
teaching methods that have been proven to work.
The NCLB provides a comprehensive framework for improving student
achievement and reforming instructional programs for students. A
key ingredient in the formula for improving instruction and student
learning is educator quality. This new law looks at educator quality
through employment qualifications for teachers and paraprofessionals.
Six
Year Instructional Plan
In the fall of 2002, Phi Delta
Kappa (PDK) completed an
exhaustive audit of the district's
system for managing curriculum
and instruction. Following the
audit, district staff and community
members gathered to discuss the
process for developing a six-year
instructional plan to address
issues identified in the audit. Our
goal is to close the achievement
gap while maintaining
our
strong instructional
program
for all students.
Online resources
Curriculum Department (includes
Six Year Instructional Plan)
Graduation requirements & dates
No Child Left Behind
Test information
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