Parents Right to Know

At the beginning of each school year, Lower Yukon School District will:

• Notify the parents of each student attending any Title I-A school that the parents may request information regarding any State or district policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by the State or district, which shall include a policy, procedure, or parental right to opt the child out of such assessment, where applicable.

• Make widely available through public means (including by posting in a clear and easily accessible manner on the district’s website) information on each assessment required by the State to comply with section 1111 including —
• the subject matter assessed;
• the purpose for which the assessment is designed and used;
• the source of the requirement for the assessment; and
• where such information is available— the amount of time students will spend taking the assessment; the schedule for the assessment; and the time and format for disseminating results.

Alaska has a statewide student assessment system consisting of standards-based assessments selected by the Commissioner of Education and are intended to measure each student's mastery of the academic performance standards for reading, writing, mathematics, and science. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development will score the tests and provide each district with the results.

Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has partnered with NWEA to implement a creative approach to balanced statewide assessment that better reflects learning throughout the school year and helps educators target instruction to students’ individual needs.

The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) and the Alaska Science Assessment are computer-based, state-required assessments administered to students in Grades 3-9 (English language arts and mathematics) and grades 5, 8 and 10 (science) each spring during the state-designated testing window.

The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) and the Alaska Science Assessment are computer-based, state-required assessments administered to students in Grades 3-9 (English language arts and mathematics) and grades 5, 8 and 10 (science) each spring during the state-designated testing window. AK STAR and the Alaska Science Assessment are aligned to the Alaska State Standards and provide students with the opportunity to show their understanding of important skills in these content areas at their grade level.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) provides important information about student academic achievement and learning experiences in various subjects. Also known as The Nation’s Report Card, NAEP has provided meaningful results to improve education policy and practice since 1969. Results are available for the nation, states, and 27 urban districts.

NAEP is a congressionally mandated program that is overseen and administered by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. The National Assessment Governing Board, an independent body appointed by the Secretary of Education, sets NAEP policy.

Alaska Association of School Board’s (AASB) School Climate & Connectedness Survey is a voluntary statewide survey developed by American Institutes for Research (AIR) in partnership with AASB in 2006. School districts are invite each spring to measure student, staff, and family perceptions of:

• How students, staff and families view school climate.
• How connected adults feel to adults and peers
• Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Observed risk behaviors at school and school events

ACCESS for ELLs (ACCESS) is the collective name for WIDA's suite of summative English language proficiency assessments. ACCESS is taken annually by English learners in kindergarten through grade 12 in WIDA Consortium member states. WIDA provides this flexible suite of tests because we know that no single test is suitable for all students.

ACCESS for ELLs

• Is available to WIDA Consortium member states as a primary benefit of membership
• Is administered to kindergarten through grade 12 students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs)
• Is given annually to monitor students' progress in learning academic English
• Meets U.S. federal requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for monitoring and reporting ELLs’ progress toward English language proficiency
• Is anchored in the WIDA English Language Development Standards
• Assesses the four language domains of Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing

Educators use ACCESS results, along with other WIDA resources, to make decisions about students' English academic language and to facilitate their language development.

Students' scores reflect proficiency levels ranging from Level 1 (Entering) to Level 6 (Reaching).

Test scores can be used:

• For accountability purposes
• As benchmarks against which educators can measure future performance
• As a measure to make reclassification decisions about whether a student can exit English language support services
• To support decisions about placing students into appropriate classes or groups for instruction, instructional planning
• To show the progress students have made

The ACCESS assessment is given annually, typically in a seven to eight week window in February and March.

Alaska law allows parents and legal guardians to opt their children out of state and federal assessments and/or surveys, including the AK STAR. The following steps should take place when parents/guardians select to opt their child(ren) out of an assessment/survey:

1. Contact the local school and inform the Principal or the Building Test Coordinator if choosing to opt out of an assessment or survey.
2. Complete the Opt Out form provided by the school. This form will constitute written request to opt out.
3. Share concerns about the assessment or other related considerations for opting out.

Students who opt out will be allowed to return to school once the testing is completed for the day or the testing window is closed. They will not be asked to participate in any make-up assessments.

There is no blanket opt out option for testing. Parents/Guardians must complete a Assessment Opt Out Form for each assessment.

Parents/Guardians can opt out of testing it two ways;

Option #1

• Parent/Guardian calls the school and requests to speak to the Building Test Coordinator (BTC).
• The BTC and parent/guardian complete the Opt Out form together.

Option #2

• Parent/Guardian goes to the school and asks to complete an Opt Out form.
• The BTC will provide access to the Opt Out form for the parent/guardian to complete.