Education

Source: State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Source Link: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/stats/

• There is no available data for home school students.
• Grade groups represent individual schools, except for pre-school. Sitka High School and Pacific High School are grouped together.

Discussion:

The discussion will be written after a full convening of Sitka Indicators stakeholder group.

Source: State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Source Link: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/stats/

Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development
http://laborstats.alaska.gov/?PAGEID=67&SUBID=247

• Pre school-aged children are not calculated in this graph.
• There is no data for home-schooled students.
• Total population data is calculated for the year that begins each school year.

Discussion:

The discussion will be written after a full convening of Sitka Indicators stakeholder group.

Source: State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Source Link: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/results.html
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/reportcard/

• 2008 statewide results are preliminary and may not include changes submitted to the State.

Discussion:

The discussion will be written after a full convening of Sitka Indicators stakeholder group.

Source: State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
Source Link: http://www.eed.state.ak.us/stats/DropoutRates/DropoutRatesByDistrict.pdf

Discussion:

The discussion will be written after a full convening of Sitka Indicators stakeholder group.

Sitka School District Enrollment Declines

How are we doing?

The number of students attending Sitka schools has dropped by 15% since 1990. In the same time period the 0-17 population dropped by 9%. The figures here do not include non-district home school/correspondence enrollment.

Why is this important?

Lower enrollment impacts the public school budget and the size of Sitka’s workforce in future years. Drops in school enrollment typically reflect demographic changes and changes in the birth rate which may be reflective of an aging population and changes in the community’s employment opportunities.

High School Students Take Advantage of Options

How are we doing?

Sitka’s high school students have several options for earning a diploma: Sitka High School, Pacific High School (an alternative high school), REACH (a home school correspondence program), and the GED. Pacific High School accommodates approximately 50 students per year, while 16-25 students have taken advantage of the GED in the last four years, down from a high of 39 in 1995. The dropout rate is down to 25 from a high of 42 in 1995-1996, which was the first year dropouts from Pacific High School were included in the count.

Why is this important?

A high school diploma is considered a necessary credential for entering the job market or continuing one’s education. Behind the credential are the educational attainment and skills needed to begin a productive adult life. Educational attainment leads to better job opportunities, higher income, and greater productivity.

Sitka High School Graduation Exam Scores Improve

How are we doing?

In the spring of 2000, the State of Alaska began administering high stakes graduation tests to all sophomores within the state. Results for the Sitka School District that year indicate a performance at or near the state averages. In 2001, Sitka High School tenth graders outperformed the state average by 14%. In addition to demographics, factors affecting the scores are the physical environment for testing, attitudes toward testing, students’ test taking skills, alignment of the curriculum with test content, and the quality of the instructional program.

Why is this important?

All students graduating in 2004 and beyond will be required to pass the HSGQE (High School Graduation Qualifying Exam) in order to receive a diploma. Certain jobs will be closed to those not obtaining a diploma. The quality of both the educational system and its graduates impacts the entire community.

Post-Secondary Options Serve Wide Spectrum of Students

How are we doing?

The number of post-secondary students enrolled at UAS-Sitka is at a level about equal to a decade ago. A three-year increase of about 25% was experienced immediately after the closure of the pulp mill. Most of the students enrolled at UAS-Sitka are part-time and represent the typical “community college” population. Sheldon Jackson College’s residential campus attracts an enrollment that is predominantly full-time students seeking BA and BS degrees.

Why is this important?

Access to a variety of lower division, general education courses, bachelor programs and vocational training is critical to the well-being of a healthy community. The post-secondary institutions in Sitka have the capacity and resources to meet these needs and to respond to specific industry workforce needs.

Public Library Use High in Sitka

How are we doing?

Since 1990 the number of citizens using the library, the collection size, and the number of items circulated have increased substantially. The number of visitors grew by 35%, the collection size grew by 24%, and the items circulated grew by 33%. Reference questions have held steady over the last 10 years.

Why is this important?

Library usage in a community reflects the value citizens place on life long learning and civic involvement. Those who regularly visit the library become advocates for the services their library offers and, in the case of young children, become avid readers and life long library users.

Student Population Returns to Level of 1980s

How are we doing?

The number of students attending Sitka schools has dropped by 10% since it peaked in 1992, returning to the level of enrollment of the 1980s. Although this is a significant drop, it is not the first time enrollment has gone down without a parallel decrease in the city’s total population. The figures here do not include enrollment in Kindergarten, Pacific High School or the Home School/Correspondence program.

Why is this important?

Lower enrollment impacts the public school budget and the size of the labor pool in years to come. A drop in school enrollment typically reflects demographic changes in the population which may be a reflection of changes in employment opportunities or a change in the median age of the population.

High School Options Prove Important

How are we doing?

About one out of five Sitka High School students choose alternative educational options or drop out of school. Nationally, 25% of those who enter as freshmen do not graduate four years later. Sitka’s dropout numbers have recently shown a decline. Pacific High School and the GED program probably contribute to this decline. The last column of the chart shows the proportion of total class enrollment of students who have left Sitka High from 1990-1999.

Why is this important?

A high school diploma is considered a necessary credential for going into the job market or going on to further education. Behind the credential are the educational attainment and skills needed to begin a productive adult life. Educational attainment leads to better job opportunities, higher income, and greater productivity. Civic participation is higher and the need for social services is lower for those with a high school education.

One-Fourth of Sitka Students Apply for School Lunch Assistance

How are we doing?

From 1996-1999, a quarter of Sitka students have received school lunch assistance, a higher percentage than the preceding three years. While the number of students served by this program has varied, the percentage of the total student population receiving assistance has remained constant for the last four years.

Why is this important?

The qualifications for free and reduced lunches are related to family size and income, and have not changed significantly since 1993. The number of students participating in the program reflects an economic need among families with school-aged children.