Results are in for the first year of new standardized test

The results are in for the first year of a new standardized test for Alaska students. Late last week, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development released the results of the Performance Evaluation for Alaska Schools, or PEAKS.

The standardized test was given to students from third to tenth grade this spring, and focuses on English and mathematics. Students are placed into one of four categories based on how they did: far below proficient, below proficient, proficient, or advanced.

Statewide, less than forty percent of students tested as proficient or advanced in English and language arts. Just over thirty percent tested proficient or better in math.

The Mat-Su Borough School District posted higher numbers. More than forty-five percent tested in the top two categories for English, and about thirty-five percent in math.

Among Northern Valley schools, Willow Elementary had the best showing, with slightly more than half of students testing as proficient or advanced in both English and math, significantly higher than the state average. Su Valley had more than half of its students in the top two categories for English, but less than forty percent in math. Talkeetna Elementary tested slightly below the state average in both categories, and Trapper Creek Elementary had results below twenty-five percent in each category.

This is the first year of PEAKS, so results are difficult to compare to prior years.

Results are better for the Alaska Science Assessment. Nearly every school in the area tested above the state average. Su Valley lead the way with nearly seventy-five percent proficiency.