Alaska Standards
About Our Standards
Alaska has adopted standards in the following content areas: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Geography, Government and Citizenship, History, Skills for a Healthy Life, Arts, World Languages, Technology, Employability, Library/Information Literacy, Cultural Standards, and Alaska History. Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics are listed in the Alaska English/Language Arts and Mathematics Standards (pdf, word), all others can be found in the Alaska Content and Performance Standards, 4th edition.
For subject specific standards and resources, visit the sections below. Alternative standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities can be found under the Special Education section. For resources and tools designed to help educators understand and meet Alaska standards, visit the Teacher Toolbox page. Standards presentations given by DEED can be found on the past presentations page.
English Language Arts
Alaska did not adopt the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards. However, Alaskan stakeholders found our previous standards to be lower in rigor than other states’ standards and to lack clarity in terms of what students should know and be able to do. We wanted to increase our standards’ rigor so that Alaska’s high school graduates are better prepared for college education, technical training, and careers after high school. In 2012, the State Board of Education & Early Development adopted new academic standards for English Language Arts.
Standards
Standards and Targets by Grade
| Grade Level | Standards | Learning Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | ||
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | ||
| 8 |
Mathematics
The Alaska Mathematics Standards prepare Alaska students to be competitive on the national and world stage. These standards are a set of specific, rigorous expectations that build students’ conceptual understanding, mathematical language, and application of processes and procedures coherently from one grade to the next so all students will be prepared for post-secondary experiences.
Standards
- Mathematics standards (pdf, word, excel, text)
- Guide for reading math standards (pdf)
- Glossary for math standards (pdf, word)
- Shifts for Alaska math standards (pdf)
Standards and Targets by Grade
| Grade Level | Standards | Learning Targets | Vocab | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 1 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 2 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 3 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 4 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 5 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 6 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 7 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | ||
| 8 | PDF | Word | PDF | Word | Word |
Science
Standards
Resources
Arts
There are four overarching standards that reflect the artistic processes of creating, presenting, response, and connection. Each of the four overarching standards branches out into two or three anchor standards. Anchor standards describe the general knowledge and skills that teachers expect students to demonstrate throughout their education and experiences with the arts. These anchor standards are parallel across five arts disciplines: visual arts, music, media arts, theatre, and dance.
Standards
Culture
Cultural standards serve as a complement to content standards. Content standards stipulate what students should know and be able to do, cultural standards provide guidance on how to engage students in learning through the local culture. We recognize all forms of knowledge, ways of knowing, and world views as equally valid, adaptable, and complementary to one another in mutually beneficial ways. These cultural standards are not intended to be inclusive, exclusive, or conclusive, and should be reviewed and adapted to fit local needs.
Standards
Health & Physical Education
Standards-based health education curricula and instruction help students learn skills they will use to make healthy choices throughout their lifetime. It motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. Standards-based physical education is essential for the health and well-being of every Alaskan student including those with special needs.
Standards
English Language Proficiency
Standards
Helpful Links
Early Learning
Special Education
The following resources provide alternative educational standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities.