Yupiit School District
Encyclopedia
The Yupiit School District serves students in the Akiachak
, Akiak
, and Tuluksak
communities in the Bethel Census Area
of the U.S. state
of Alaska
.
The school is governed by an elected board with seven members serving three year terms.
Students learn skills such as traditional fishing, caribou hunting, and dog-mushing
. Students at the Tuluksak school dog-mush in competition.
Of the 245 students tested in grades 3 through 10, 30.0% were proficient or better in reading, 23.6% in writing, and 26.7% in mathematics. The graduation rate was 43%. The Yupiit School District failed to make adequate yearly progress
for the 4th consecutive year under No Child Left Behind.
Of the 231 students in grades 3 through 10, 18% were proficient in language-arts and 22% were proficient in mathematics. The district failed to make adequate yearly progress.
labor union, and several other school districts sued the state (Moore v. Alaska), asking for additional funding and educational programs. In 2007, the court ruled for the state. In his ruling, the judge cited the Yupiit School District when it said "the state must be more aggressive in overseeing troubled school districts" and ruled that the state exams were unfair.
Akiachak, Alaska
Akiachak is a census-designated place in the Bethel Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. The population was 585 at the 2000 census.-Geography and climate:...
, Akiak
Akiak, Alaska
Akiak is a city in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 309 at the 2000 census....
, and Tuluksak
Tuluksak, Alaska
Tuluksak is a census-designated place in Bethel Census Area, Alaska, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 428.-Geography:Tuluksak is located at ....
communities in the Bethel Census Area
Bethel Census Area, Alaska
Bethel Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of 2000, the population is 16,006. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat...
of 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...
.
Local Control
The district was established in 1984 for the purpose of bringing local control to the schools. Initial goals of the district included: knowledge of Yup'ik culture, skills, and values, preparation for advanced education and work, and the ability to communicate in the native language and in English. Later, the district implemented a curriculum based on the Yup'ik culture.The school is governed by an elected board with seven members serving three year terms.
Yup'ik culture
The school district offers dual-immersion classes in the Yup'ik culture at the elementary level and Yup'ik studies and Yup'ik language classes at the secondary level.Students learn skills such as traditional fishing, caribou hunting, and dog-mushing
Mushing
Mushing is a general term for a sport or transport method powered by dogs, and includes carting, pulka, scootering, sled dog racing, skijoring, freighting, and weight pulling. More specifically, it implies the use of one or more dogs to pull a sled on snow or a rig on dry land...
. Students at the Tuluksak school dog-mush in competition.
Schools
- Akiachak School, grades K-12, 209 students. This campus also houses a public library.
- Akiak School, grades PK-12, 101 students. This campus also houses a public library.
- Tuluksak School, grades PK-12, 150 students. This campus also houses a public library.
Demographics
Of the 234 students enrolled in grades 3 through 10 during the week of standardized testing in 2007, 227 were "Alaskan Native or American Indian," 3 were Caucasian, and 4 were Multi-Ethnic.No Child Left Behind
- Based on test scores of the 2006-2007 school year
Of the 245 students tested in grades 3 through 10, 30.0% were proficient or better in reading, 23.6% in writing, and 26.7% in mathematics. The graduation rate was 43%. The Yupiit School District failed to make adequate yearly progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
for the 4th consecutive year under No Child Left Behind.
- Based on test scores of the 2007-2008 school year
Of the 231 students in grades 3 through 10, 18% were proficient in language-arts and 22% were proficient in mathematics. The district failed to make adequate yearly progress.
School funding lawsuit
In 2004, the Yupiit School District, the NEA-AlaskaNational Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
labor union, and several other school districts sued the state (Moore v. Alaska), asking for additional funding and educational programs. In 2007, the court ruled for the state. In his ruling, the judge cited the Yupiit School District when it said "the state must be more aggressive in overseeing troubled school districts" and ruled that the state exams were unfair.