Anchorage School District

Anchorage School District
Anchorage School District logo
Educating All Students for Success in Life
Location Anchorage, Alaska
Superintendent

Ed Graff

Enrollment

49,492 in 2009-10

Website

http://www.asdk12.org

The Anchorage School District (ASD) manages all public schools within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the 93rd largest school district in the United States, serving nearly 50,000 students at over 90 schools. District superintendent Carol Comeau, appointed in December 2000,[1] retired June 30, 2012. She was succeeded by Jim Browder.[2] After eight months, Jim Browder quit and was replaced by Ed Graff, previously the Assistant Superintendent.

Demographics

In the 2013-14 school year, the Anchorage School District enrolled approximately 48,229 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 56 percent of the school district's student body.

Composition:[3]

44% White
6% Black
11% Hispanic
16% Asian/Pacific Islander
9% American Indian/Alaska Native
14% 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.[4]

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.[5]

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 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[6]

ASD's last curriculum audit was conducted in 2002. Source:[7]

Test Scores

The district releases test scores each fall in a comprehensive report called Profile of Performance. See [8] 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.[9] 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, are available on the district's website.[10]

In 2009, only some 27% of students in Alaska were proficient in Reading on the NAEP test.[11] For some reason, though Anchorage's population exceeded 250,000 NAEP did not include Anchorage in its review of Urban Districts.[12]

Schools

High schools

Middle schools

Combined secondary schools

Kindergarten - Grade 12 schools

Vocational schools

Elementary schools

Charter schools

Other specialized schools and programs

See also

References

  1. ↑ School District web site: 'about' Retrieved 1 December 2010
  2. ↑ "Superintendent Search." ASD Online.' Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Retrieved 28 August 2014
  4. ↑ asdk12.orgpopulation Retrieved 1 December 2010
  5. ↑ asdk12.org: expect the best Retrieved 1 December 2010
  6. ↑ asdk12.org: district news Retrieved 1 December 2010
  7. ↑ asdk12.org: Introduction Retrieved 1 December 2010
  8. ↑ asdk12.org: assessment and evaluation Retrieved 1 December 2010
  9. ↑ Retrieved 13 May 2011
  10. ↑ asdk12/AYP Retrieved 1 December 2010
  11. ↑ Retrieved 13 May 2011
  12. ↑ Retrieved 13 May 2011
  13. ↑ Chugach Optional Elementary school is not a neighborhood school, but rather an alternative program within the Anchorage School District. Students come from all over Anchorage and are accepted on a lottery system to provide an equal opportunity to all students and to provide grade level and gender balance.

External links

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