Anchorage School District
Encyclopedia
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| Educating All Students for Success in Life | ||
| Location | Anchorage Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States... , Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... |
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| Superintendent | Carol Comeau |
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| Enrollment | 49,492 in 2009-10 |
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| Website | http://www.asdk12.org |
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The Anchorage School District (ASD) manages all public schools within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is the 93rd largest school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in the United States, serving nearly 50,000 students at over 90 schools. As one of the United States' largest districts, it is often subject to great amounts of standardized testing. As of 2010 the district superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
is Carol Comeau, appointed in December 2000.
Demographics
In the 2009-10 school year, the Anchorage School District enrolled approximately 49,420 students; of which 35.6% were economically disadvantaged. In terms of race and ethnicity, the Anchorage School District is considered a minority-majority district, meaning the minority groups make up the majority of the district's population. Non-white students make up roughly 52 percent of the school district's student body.Composition:
| 48% | White White American White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa... |
| 6% | Black |
| 10% | Hispanic Hispanic and Latino Americans Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins... |
| 14% | Asian Asian American Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,... /Pacific Islander Pacific Islander American Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population... |
| 9% | American Indian Native Americans in the United States Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as... /Alaska Native |
| 13% | Multi-ethnic |
The district served approximately 8,600 students with special needs who were eligible for special education services in 2008-09. Also that year, the district's English Language Learner program for students with limited English Proficiency served 5,808 students and the Gifted program assisted 3,563 students.
Instruction
In 2008-09, the district's graduation rate was 70.48 percent. It has increased nearly 11 percentage points since the 2004-05 school year. The dropout rate for ASD students is 3.43 percent, a figure that has been cut nearly in half since the 2004-05 school year.In 2009-10, ASD had 48 teachers certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. National board certification is voluntary and involves a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes one to three years for a successful candidate to achieve. The certification complements, but does not replace, a state’s teacher certificate. It is valid for 10 years and establishes the teacher as “highly qualified” and a “master” teacher in the eyes of the district and state.
In 2009-10, 99 percent of new teachers were highly qualified. The remaining 1 percent were unable to prove their HQT status and were terminated. As of the May 1, 2010 the state HQT reports 95.4 percent of ASD teachers had an HQT designation in the content area they were teaching. To put this into perspective almost six years after the State adopted regulations mandating that urban District's limit instruction in core classes to HQ teachers, ASD is still out of compliance, while HQ requirements can be via Praxis examinations.
The district also has approximately 225 certificated employees such as counselors, psychologists, speech p
ASD's last curriculum audit was conducted in 2002. Source:
Test Scores
The district releases test scores each fall in a comprehensive report called Profile of Performance. See Expect the Best is a condensed version of that 2,000 page document: it is put forward as an annual report to the community.In 2008-09 test scores remained relatively flat. Language arts scores declined from 81.4 to 80.4 percent and math scores declined from 73.7 to 71.4 percent since last year. These scores follow three years of steady growth.
In order to make AYP (adequate yearly progress) each school must meet up to 31 specific targets that have been established by the state in which the district is located. Proficiency on state adopted measurements, test participation, attendance, and graduation rates are used to determine AYP for each school each year.
2008-09 school-wide results for the district’s 96 schools are as follows:
• 96 percent met the test participating requirement.
• 85 percent met the language arts requirement.
• 89 percent met the math requirement.
• 97 percent met the attendance/graduation requirement.
Thirty nine ASD schools met every requirement for which they were accountable. Fifteen missed AYP by just one target; 42 schools missed by two or more targets. Complete coverage, including historical statistics, of federal AYP requirements is available on the district's website.
Of course, AYP proficiency in Alaska, is not equivalent to NAEP proficiency. In 2009, only some 27% of students in Alaska were proficient in Reading. For some reason, though Anchorage's population exceeded 250,000 NAEP did not include Anchorage in its review of Urban Districts.
High schools
- Bartlett High SchoolBartlett High School (Anchorage, Alaska)Bartlett High School is a high school in Anchorage, Alaska. The high school enrolled 1,729 students as of 2007. Construction started in 1971 and the first classes were held in 1974, the school originally housed both Bartlett High School, named after U.S. Senator Bob Bartlett, and Begich Junior High...
- Chugiak High SchoolChugiak High SchoolChugiak High School is a public high school located in Chugiak, Alaska. Chugiak's mascot is the Mustang and the school colors are blue, black, and white...
- Dimond High SchoolDimond High SchoolA. J. Dimond High School is a public four-year high school in Anchorage in Alaska, and is a part of the Anchorage School District. It has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Dimond High operates on a traditional six period schedule, with a nine-month school...
- East Anchorage High SchoolEast Anchorage High SchoolEast Anchorage High School is a public high school in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is attended by approximately 2300 students...
- Eagle River High SchoolEagle River High SchoolEagle River High School is a public high school in Eagle River in the U.S. state of Alaska. Opened in 2005, it is attended by approximately 1004 students living in Eagle River and on Fort Richardson. The current principal is Marty Lang....
- South Anchorage High SchoolSouth Anchorage High SchoolSouth Anchorage High School is a public high school that serves grades 9-12 in Anchorage, Alaska, as well as students from the neighboring Turnagain Arm communities of Girdwood and Indian. South Anchorage High School is part of the Anchorage School District, and opened in the fall of 2004...
- East Anchorage High SchoolEast Anchorage High SchoolEast Anchorage High School is a public high school in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is attended by approximately 2300 students...
- West Anchorage High SchoolWest Anchorage High SchoolWest Anchorage High School is a public high school in Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska and part of the Anchorage School District.-History:The school was established as Anchorage High School in 1953, during a boom period in Anchorage...
Middle schools
- Central Middle SchoolCentral Middle School of ScienceCentral Middle School of Science is a middle school located in Anchorage, Alaska, belonging to the Anchorage School District. It places a special focus on science in its curriculum. It consists of roughly 530 students and services the downtown and Ship Creek areas. Central has a specialized...
- Begich Middle SchoolBegich Middle SchoolNicholas J. Begich Middle School is a middle school located in Anchorage, Alaska, belonging to the Anchorage School District. It consists of several hundred students and services the East Anchorage area. . The school was first opened to students in 2007...
- Clark Middle School
- Goldenview Middle SchoolGoldenview Middle SchoolGoldenview Middle School is a middle school for grades 7 and 8 located in Anchorage, Alaska with 750 students. Part of the Anchorage School District, Goldenview opened in 1997 after two years of construction and a total cost of $239 million. The school's name is derived from its panoramic “Golden...
- Gruening Middle School
- Hanshew Middle SchoolHanshew Middle SchoolHanshew Middle School is a middle school located in Anchorage, Alaska. It services the midtown and South Anchorage areas. The current school building was constructed in 1985. The school is named after teacher, businessman, and former school board member Ual Strange Hanshew.-Demographics:Hanshew...
- Mears Middle School
- Mirror Lake Middle School
- Romig Middle School
- Wendler Middle School
Elementary schools
- Abbott Loop Elementary
- Airport Heights Elementary
- Alpenglow Elementary
- Aurora Elementary
- Baxter Elementary
- Bayshore Elementary
- Bear Valley Elementary
- Birchwood ABC Elementary
- Bowman Elementary
- Campbell Elementary
- Chester Valley Elementary
- Chinook Elementary
- Chugach Optional Elementary
- Chugiak Elementary
- College Gate Elementary
- Creekside Park Elementary
- Denali Montessori
- Eagle River Elementary
- Fairview Elementary>
- Fire Lake Elementary
- Gladys Wood Elementary
- Government Hill Elementary
- Homestead Elementary
- Huffman Elementary
- Inlet View Elementary
- Kasuun Elementary
- Kincaid Elementary
- Klatt Elementary
- Lake Hood Elementary
- Lake Otis Elementary
- Mount Spurr Elementary
- Mountain View Elementary
- Muldoon Elementary
- North Star Elementary
- Northwood ABC Elementary
- Nunaka Valley Elementary
- O'Malley Elementary
- Ocean View Elementary
- Orion Elementary
- Ptarmigan Elementary
- Rabbit Creek Elementary
- Ravenwood Elementary
- Rogers Park Elementary
- Russian Jack Elementary
- Sand Lake Elementary
- Scenic Park Elementary
- Spring Hill Elementary
- Susitna Elementary
- Taku Elementary
- Trailside Elementary
- Tudor Elementary
- Turnagain Elementary
- Tyson Elementary
- Ursa Major Elementary
- Ursa Minor Elementary
- Williwaw Elementary
- Willow Crest Elementary
- Wonder Park Elementary
Charter schools
- Alaska Native Cultural Charter School
- Aquarian Charter School
- Eagle Academy Charter School
- Family Partnership Charter School
- Frontier Charter School
- Highland Tech Charter School
- Rilke Schule German School of Arts & Sciences
- Winterberry Charter School
Other specialized schools and programs
- ACE/ACT
- Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- AVAILAVAILWho's to Say What Stays the Same is Avail's first release. It was originally released on vinyl only in 1989. A remix of this album was released in May 1991. The recording of this album took place during December 1989 at Inner Ear Studio.-Track listing:...
- Booth Secondary
- Benny Benson Secondary School (also known as SAVE II)
- Crossroads 7-12
- Continuation Program
- Girdwood K-8 School
- McLaughlin Youth Center
- Northern Lights ABC K-8
- Whaley Center