Summary:
The 99676 zip code area is home to two schools: Susitna Valley High and Talkeetna Elementary, both part of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. While Talkeetna Elementary consistently outperforms district and state averages on standardized tests, Susitna Valley High has seen a decline in its statewide ranking and lags behind in overall academic performance.
Talkeetna Elementary stands out for its exceptional test scores, with 45.28% of students proficient or better in both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grades, significantly higher than the district's 38.97% and 40.17%, and the state's 31.5% and 31.11%. The school's 5th-grade students are particularly impressive, with 73.68% proficient or better in ELA and 57.89% in Math. In contrast, Susitna Valley High has seen a drop in its statewide ranking, falling from 24th out of 62 Alaska high schools in 2022-2023 to 57th out of 63 in 2023-2024, and its overall test scores trail the district and state averages.
Both schools serve a majority white student population and have similar high rates of free/reduced lunch recipients, at around 57-58%. While the schools have comparable spending per student and student-teacher ratios, their academic outcomes differ significantly. This suggests that factors beyond just funding and resources may be contributing to the contrasting performance, and the district may need to investigate further to understand the challenges faced by Susitna Valley High and implement strategies to address them, while also learning from the successes of Talkeetna Elementary.
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