Alaska

More State News

Facts at a Glance

Use the Education Counts Database to find more detailed state information, ranks, comparisons across states, national statistics and more.
Governor:Sean Parnell
Commissioner of Education:Mike Hanley
Quality Counts state grade:C-
Pre-K-12 enrollment:132,104
Number of school districts:54
Number of public schools:509
Number of public school teachers:8,171
Unadjusted education spending per student:$15,829
Percent minority students:47.8%
Percent of students eligible for free/reduced price lunch:38.4%
Percent of students with disabilities:13.7%
Percent of English-language learners:11.3%
NAEP Mathematics 2011 percent proficient
4th grade math:36.6%
8th grade math:35.2%
NAEP Reading 2011 percent proficient
4th grade reading:25.6%
8th grade reading:31.0%

Teacher Employment Information

See information on Alaska's certification requirements, salary information, and other teacher-employment data.

Get RSS Feed for This Topic Latest News

As Alaska's new commissioner of education, Roger Sampson takes over at a time when the remote, isolated districts scattered across the vast state face perhaps more daunting challenges than ever.
June 4, 2003 - Education Week
Two school districts and a university were named last week as the first education winners in the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award competition.
December 12, 2001 - Education Week
The same judge who ruled 18 months ago that Alaska discriminates against its rural, Native Alaskan schoolchildren by failing to provide adequate school buildings handed down a similar ruling last week—except this time, he warned the legislature to fix the problem, or face the court's own solution.
April 4, 2001 - Education Week
Alaska needs to spend $100 million over the next five years—including $42.4 million in the coming fiscal year alone—to help students reach new academic standards mandated by the state's accountability law, a governor's task force says.
February 14, 2001 - Education Week
The Alaska state board of education's recommendation to postpone the use of a high-stakes graduation exam is setting the stage for a lively debate about standards and testing in the legislature.
January 10, 2001 - Education Week
Alaska lawmakers last week passed the largest school construction plan in the state's history, but it didn't satisfy Gov. Tony Knowles and others who say the bill will do too little to address the state's pressing facilities needs.
May 10, 2000 - Education Week
Alaska lawmakers approved a plan last week to overhaul a school funding system often criticized for its disparate treatment of urban and rural districts.
May 20, 1998 - Education Week

With school finance reform expected to dominate Alaska's legislative session, rural lawmakers there are bracing themselves for a long four months.

January 21, 1998 - Education Week

Sitka, Alaska

Leah and Brooke Woods flip through their photo album, passing images of their rough-hewn log house, their husky Kino, and the end-of-the-year ceremony at their local school. In the picture, four children, from kindergarten to 8th grade, hold up certificates.

September 4, 1996 - Education Week

Get state-specific reports from

Quality Counts 2012
State Highlights Reports
Diplomas Count 2011
State Graduation Briefs

Most Popular Stories

Viewed

Emailed

Recommended

Commented