Educator Guide to Assessment Reports - PEAKS English Language Arts and Mathematics - August 2021

Oct 15, 2026

Educator guidance for interpreting PEAKS 2021 statewide summative assessment results in English Language Arts and Mathematics. It explains why assessment conditions differed during the COVID-19 pandemic, including low participation rates and limits on statewide conclusions, while still encouraging useful insights from school and individual student performance. The guide supports educators and parents in making informed instructional decisions for the 2021–2022 school year, and notes how accountability requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act were waived for 2020–2021.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages60

Reading Time2 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

About the PEAKS Assessment

Overview

Dates of Testing & Reporting

Reports Available for 2021

Test Design

Types of Items

English Language Arts and Mathematics

Blueprints

Reporting Categories

English Language Arts

Mathematics

Score Interpretation

Achievement Levels

Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs)

Scores & Score Ranges

Scale Scores and Raw Scores

Standard Error of Measurement

Score Ranges for Achievement Levels

PEAKS Reporting Categories on Student Reports

| Educator Guide to Assessment Reports
PEAKS English Language Arts and Mathematics

| | | --- | --- | | | 2021 | 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 August 2021 Dear Educator, Assessment happens every day in classrooms across our state. We administer assessments to make sure our instruction results in students learning what we want them to know and do and helps ensure that support is available for all students. Assessment is a key part of student learning, and everything we do should work toward this goal. PEAKS, the 2021 statewide summative assessment, was administered in an unprecedented context. Never before has Alaska, or any other state, attempted to obtain valid and reliable data during a global pandemic that disrupted even the most basic routines in society, including our public schools. It is important to keep in mind that for many students, instruction and assessment looked very different during the COVID-19 pandemic. As local school boards managed the impacts of COVID, assessment participation rates among students taking the assessment were so low that the department cautions against drawing sweeping conclusions about student performance statewide. However, we can still glean helpful information by looking at performance at the school and individual student levels. Parents and educators can use individual student data from PEAKS and other local assessments to make effective instructional decisions during the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, though summative assessment data typically guides activities associated with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the accountability requirements were waived by the United States Department of Education for the 2020-2021 school year. Alaska’s Department of Education will continue to support ongoing school improvement efforts in local school districts, including stewardship of COVID relief funds. Alaska is blessed with many great schools and hardworking educators who worked with families to meet the challenge COVID-19 presented for our students this past year. Thank you for your hard work to provide an excellent education to every student every day. Dr. Michael Johnson Commissioner Copyright © 2021 by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. Only the State of Alaska educators and citizens may copy, download and/or print the document, located online at [http://education.alaska.gov. Any other](http://education.alaska.gov. Any other) use or reproduction of this document, in whole or in part, requires written permission of Alaska Department of Education & Early Development and the publisher. Table of Contents About the PEAKS Assessment ................................................................................................1 Overview................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Dates of Testing & Reporting........................................................................................................................... 1 Reports Available for 2021 ................................................................................................................................2 Test Design ................................................................................................................................3 Types of Items ........................................................................................................................................................3 English Language Arts and Mathematics...........................................................................................3 Blueprints ..................................................................................................

FAQs

What is the PEAKS 2021 assessment and when was it administered?

PEAKS is the 2021 statewide summative assessment for English Language Arts and Mathematics. The document is dated August 2021 and focuses on results and reporting for 2021.

Why does the guide caution against statewide conclusions from PEAKS 2021 results?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, instruction and assessment conditions changed and participation rates among students were very low, so the department cautions against sweeping statewide conclusions based on the data.

How can educators and parents use PEAKS data for the 2021–2022 school year?

They can use individual student data from PEAKS and other local assessments to make effective instructional decisions, including using performance insights at school and individual levels.

Oct 15, 2026

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