Education spending was a source of endless debate in the 33rd legislature this spring. The legislature ultimately authorized the largest ever one-time increase in school funding totaling $175 million. The budget included noRead More
Project Nickel Continues to Enhance Transparency
Project Nickel is a tool designed to help families, taxpayers, and policymakers understand how much is spent per student at schools across the country and compare schools on the factors that matter toRead More
Importance of Meaningful Standardized Testing Labels
The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessment, administered for the first time in the spring of 2022 to Alaskan K-12 students, promises continuity with mid-year assessments and less testing time —Read More
Ensure Kids Read by Nine: Support Teachers and Administrators
This post is the first part of a four-part series detailing the implementation of the Alaska Reads Act. Reading well by age nine is a crucial skill for students to unlock their academic,Read More
Teachers Declined and Administrators Increased Since 2000
Introduction Since 2000, education funding in Alaska has been funneled increasingly into administrative and support roles rather than directly benefiting students in the classroom. Data from the National Center for Education Statistics showsRead More
Alaska’s Education Freedom Report Card: Education Choice
The Heritage Foundation recently released its inaugural Education Freedom Report Card for the U.S. states and Washington, D.C. Alaska ranked 45th overall and is in the bottom ten states for having few educationRead More