- Anchorage School District
- Overview & Services
- State Assessments
- AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment
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Please review the Assessment and Survey Calendar for specific assessment information by grade level and dates of administration.
About AK STAR
The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) and the Alaska Science Assessment are computer-based assessments administered to students in Grades 3-9 (English language arts and mathematics) and grades 5, 8 and 10 (science) each spring during the state-designated testing window. AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are state-required assessments that provide students with the opportunity to show their understanding of important skills in these content areas at their grade level.
Results
Results for AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessments are reported each fall. Additional support resources for Parents and Guardians, including how to access their child's scores in ParentConnect, assessment Parent Guides and links to supplementary support documents are located on the Parent Connect Assessment Results & Interpretive Guides section of the ASD Assessment website. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions below.
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AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment Overview and State Resources
The State of Alaska Department of Education (DEED) provides resources to help better understand AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment and connect to curriculum, instruction and student learning.
Examples: Test Design and Blueprints, Item Types, Alaska Standards information, FAQs and Accommodations and Student Supports.
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AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment Content Areas & Testing Times
While the AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessments are untimed, approximate testing times, along with an ASD recommended minimum test session length, are included in the table linked above.
The estimated testing times vary by grade level and content area.
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AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment Student Readiness Resources
Student readiness resources are available to help prepare students for AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment.
The AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment Practice Tests and Tutorials are designed to provide students a hands-on opportunity to experience the test environment and are available to students, educators, parents and the community.
ASD FAQs - AK STAR, Alaska Science Assessment and DLM Alternate Assessment Score Reporting
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How and when will parents receive the Alaska Science Assessment or Alternate Assessment results?
Scores will be provided to parents electronically through Q ParentConnect on Friday, October 27. Parents may work with their child’s school for support with accessing their Q accounts. All assessment results, including the Alaska Science Assessment and the Alternate Assessment, are provided electronically as the established pathway for score reporting through Parent Connect.
- Alaska Science Assessment - grades 5, 8 and 10
- Alternate Assessment
- ELA and mathematics - grades 3-9
- Science - grades 5, 8 and 10
To view your child’s assessment results:
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Log into Parent Connection, https://parentconnect.asdk12.org/
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Select “Assessment Results” from the list of items on the left side
Parent Guides for understanding results are available on the ASD Assessment Results website, https://www.asdk12.org/AssessmentResults
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When will the AK STAR results be reported?
The timeline for reporting the AK STAR English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics results for students in grades 3-9 is determined by the State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED). As updates are provided by DEED, the Anchorage School District will communicate the information to all stakeholders.
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How are the School-Level results reported?
The Alaska Science Assessment school-level results for grades 5, 8 and 10, will be available by November 3 on the Anchorage School District Data Dashboard, https://www.asdk12.org/Page/18684 by selecting the State Proficiency Assessment tab. The State of Alaska Department of Education (DEED) Assessments Results website, https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/results provides statewide results by year for all Alaskan districts and schools.
The school and district reporting information shows the number of students tested and the overall percentage of students in each achievement level.
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How are the Student-Level results reported and what do the scores mean?
Each student will receive an overall score that is aligned to one of four achievement levels: Proficient (P), Advanced (A), Approaching Proficient (AP) and Needs Support (NS) (see Table 1). In addition, information on groups of standards, called reporting categories, will also be provided as part of the score reporting process. Information on the star rating is provided in the next FAQ.
Table 1: Achievement Levels
Achievement Level
Description
Proficient
Advanced (A)
Student meets the standards and demonstrates mastery of the knowledge and skills on a range of complex grade level content.
Proficient (P)
Student meets the standards and demonstrates mastery of the knowledge and skills of most grade level content.
Non-Proficient
Approaching Proficient (AP)
Student partially meets the standards and may have gaps in knowledge and skills but is approaching mastery of some grade level content.
Needs Support (NS)
Student may partially meet the standards but needs support to master the knowledge and skills of current grade level content.
Detailed Alaska Science Assessment score reporting information and support resources, including Family Guides, are provided by the State of Alaska Department of Education:
- Alaska Science Assessment, science - https://education.alaska.gov/assessments/science/results
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What do the stars mean on the Student-Level results under Reporting Category Performance?
Student performance in Reporting Categories support teachers, students and families in identifying instructional areas of strength and weakness. Student performance in each reporting category is displayed as one, two or three stars to show a comparison to students who performed at the proficient level. This provides relative information about the student’s performance in each reporting category.
Due to test length and timing constraints, there is not a sufficient number of items in each reporting category to enable a separate scale score or achievement level to be reported. Additional support with applying Reporting Category data is located in the Educator Guide to Assessment Reports: Alaska Science Assessment.
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Do the Alaska Science Assessment scores align to MAP Growth Benchmark Scores?
No. The Alaska Science Assessment is not connected to MAP Growth and provides a summative score only.
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What about proficiency? Is this a pass/fail assessment?
The Alaska Science Assessment is not a pass/fail test. Proficiency means that a student meets the standards and demonstrates mastery of the knowledge and skills of most grade-level content (Educator Guide, p. 6). Scores are aligned to achievement level descriptors by grade level and content area to better understand what each score means.
The State of Alaska states that the purpose and design of the spring summative assessments are to provide an overall picture of a student’s performance on grade-level standards. The Alaska Science Assessment provides an objective check of grade-level achievement but is not the only indicator of learning. The Alaska Science Assessment scores should be used in conjunction with formative and benchmark assessments, other classwork and grades.
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AK STAR, Alaska Science Assessment and DLM Alternate Assessment score reporting resources:
- ASD public AK STAR and Alaska Science Assessment website: https://www.asdk12.org/AKSTAR
- ASD public DLM Alternate Assessment website: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/4319
- DEED AK STAR/Alaska Science Assessment website: https://education.alaska.gov/assessments
- DEED DLM Alternate Assessment website: DEED DLM Families and Communities
To view your child’s assessment results:
- Log into Parent Connection, https://parentconnect.asdk12.org/
- Select “Assessment Results” from the list of items on the left side
- Parent Guides for understanding results are available on the ASD Assessment Results website, https://www.asdk12.org/AssessmentResults
