DEED-NWEA AK STAR 州级综合评估项目 - 备忘录 2022年3月3日

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Theodora

This memorandum from Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) outlines collaboration with NWEA to design AK STAR, a balanced statewide assessment system intended to streamline testing, celebrate student growth, and provide more actionable instructional data. It announces the first summative assessment testing window opening March 28 and recommends a Reach for the Stars Day to run through the assessment on district devices using practice tests. It also introduces Certified Facilitator training, stakeholder input through June 2022, and preparation for the Alaska Science Assessment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Memorandum Details

Collaboration to Develop AK STAR

First Summative Testing Window and Reach for the Stars Day

Resources and District Testing Coordination

Certified Facilitator Training

Continued Development Through June 2022

Alaska Science Assessment Preparation

Stakeholder Engagement Opportunities

Department of Education & Early Development OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER 801 West Tenth Street, Suite 200 P.O. Box 110500 Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500 Main: 907.465.2800 TTY/TDD: 907.465.2815 Fax: 907.465.4156 Memorandum March 3, 2022 The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has been working closely with NWEA to develop an innovative approach to statewide assessment to better serve both students and educators. Since June 2021, the DEED Assessment Team and NWEA development team have been meeting with Alaska education stakeholders, assessment experts, and state education partners to garner input on everything from assessment design to professional development. The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) is being designed as a balanced assessment system that will streamline testing while celebrating student growth and school achievement. This innovative system will also yield more actionable data for teaching and learning. The testing window for the first administration of the AK STAR summative assessment opens on March 28th. To ensure the system is ready for launch, DEED encourages districts to host a Reach for the Stars Day in early March. Reach for the Stars Day will include a run-through of the AK STAR assessment on district testing devices. Districts are encouraged to participate in Reach for the Stars Day by simulating the testing experience with practice tests. The purpose is twofold: ensure the technical components function as intended and familiarize both students and staff with the new testing platform. Reach for the Stars Day builds upon the work both DEED and district staff have already invested to ensure a smooth transition to AK STAR. The DEED Assessment Team has met with District Testing Coordinators monthly since September 2021 and held the annual District Testing Coordinator training in Anchorage last week. Additionally, a whole host of resources have been presented to district staff and are available on DEED’s Assessment webpage. These resource range from webinars on administering AK STAR to tools for communicating with families. New this Spring, DEED is offering the Certified Facilitator training. On Monday, February 7th, DEED provided all superintendents with the Certified Facilitator registration packet. Certified Facilitators will need to be selected by March 31st. Beginning in June, Certified Facilitators will begin attending training on assessment literacy, balanced assessments, assessment data literacy, and many more assessment related topics. Certified Facilitators will then serve as a district resource to build assessment capacity and ensure that your schools and educators are better prepared to use the data and information gleaned from the AK STAR assessment reports to drive instruction and learning in all Alaska schools. The development process for the AK STAR system will continue through June 2022. There will continue to be opportunities for stakeholder input for both Standard Setting and Alignment studies. DEED’s Assessment Team will be seeking educators to support this work. These are great opportunities for your educators to participate in the process, provide local insights in the development process, and learn more about how the statewide assessment system is developed. In addition to the efforts to effectively communicate the changes to English Language Arts and Math assessment, DEED has also been working closely with District Testing Coordinators to prepare for the first full administration of the Alaska Science Assessment. DTCs have received training on the science assessment at the monthly meetings and at the DTC convening in February, as well as tools, resources, manuals, and student preparation materials to prepare for the upcoming administration. The Alaska Science Assessment test window is from March 28 through April 29 and will assess 5th, 8th, and 10th grade students. The Alaska Science Assessment will also be undergoing both Standard Settin

FAQs

What is AK STAR and what is it intended to achieve?

AK STAR is a balanced statewide assessment system designed to streamline testing while celebrating student growth and school achievement. It is also intended to generate more actionable data for teaching and learning.

When does the first AK STAR summative testing window open, and what is Reach for the Stars Day?

The first AK STAR summative assessment testing window opens on March 28. Reach for the Stars Day is an early-March event where districts run a practice run of the assessment on district testing devices to validate technical readiness and familiarize students and staff with the platform.

What new training does DEED offer, and who must be selected by March 31?

DEED is offering Certified Facilitator training. Superintendents must ensure Certified Facilitators are selected by March 31, and they will begin attending training in June to build district assessment capacity.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Theodora