Exam results suggest Alaskan schools struggling

A statewide assessment of grade schoolers taken this spring has suggested education has some room for improvement.

The Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) exam was administered for the first time to students between third and 10th grade, testing for proficiency in mathematics, English language arts and science. Mirroring standards used in the widely-used National Assessment of Educational Progress, PEAKS provides a snapshot of student performance in relation to grade-level standards.

Overall, schools across the state did not achieve high marks. A handful of institutions’ studen...