Anchorage School District — Policy Analysis 2026
Grand Total
75 / 106
70.8%
Base Score
68 / 96
Extra Credit
7 / 10
Score by Section
| Section | Score | Max | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culturally Responsive Training | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Clear & Consistent Policies | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Restorative Justice Practices | 3 | 8 | Notes |
| Bias Awareness & Mitigation | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Culturally Relevant Curriculum | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Community Engagement & Collaboration | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion | 5 | 8 | Notes |
| Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Data Collection & Analysis | 6 | 8 | Notes |
| Student Voice & Leadership | 4 | 8 | Notes |
| Equitable Access to Support Services | 8 | 8 | Notes |
| Continuous Evaluation & Improvement | 7 | 8 | Notes |
| Extra Credit | 7 | 10 | Notes |
Suggestions to Improve the Score
Every item below its maximum, worst gap first, with the reviewer's own notes as the rationale.
Show suggestions (24)
- 1.4 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Regular feedback/measurement on training effectiveness — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found showing a formal system for measuring or collecting feedback on the effectiveness of cultural competency trainings.
- 3.4 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Peer mediation program — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found of a formal ASD peer mediation program; search results only found peer mediation programs in other districts.
- 4.4 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Diverse perspectives & materials in curriculum — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No rating returned by the scoring model for this item.
- 8.2 [Mental Health & Trauma-Informed Practices]: Safe, supportive spaces (mindfulness/sensory) — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found confirming dedicated mindfulness or sensory support spaces implemented district-wide.
- 10.3 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Students facilitate restorative processes — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found showing students formally facilitate restorative processes in ASD schools.
- 10.4 [Student Voice & Leadership]: Student-led peer education — Currently: Not Implemented (0/2 pts). No public documentation was found of a formal student-led peer education program in ASD.
- EC5 [Extra Credit]: Describe additional policy… — Currently: Not rated (0/2 pts). No rationale recorded.
- 1.1 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mandatory cultural competency training for all staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). A federal grant document shows ASD's plan to <cite index="47-1">Deliver Culturally Responsive PD to all ASD staff</cite> and the district runs <cite index="159-5">Anchorage School District Trauma & Culturally Responsive Practices In-Service Modules</cite>, but there is no confirmation this is a mandatory, district-wide requirement for every employee rather than a targeted/grant-funded…
- 1.2 [Culturally Responsive Training]: Mentorship programs for culturally diverse staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The CIEL grant describes <cite index="47-1">2-year mentoring & PLCs for new grads</cite> specifically for Indigenous educators, and the district-wide <cite index="57-8">AEA/ASD Mentor program... develop an effective educator force that is responsive to the diverse academic needs and cultural backgrounds of all students</cite>, but no evidence of a formal mentorship program specifically for…
- 2.2 [Clear & Consistent Policies]: Regular policy reviews/updates — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). There is documented evidence of periodic policy revisions, such as the <cite index="98-1,98-7">student for discipline or convenience...Chemical or mechanical restraint of students is never allowed</cite> policy update, and state regulation requires periodic review, but no evidence of a defined regular review cycle specifically for the discipline code.
- 2.3 [Clear & Consistent Policies]: Staff training on consistent application — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). PBIS framework materials state that staff <cite index="112-9,112-10">respond to that behavior by planning ahead for how they will respond in a consistent, calm, effective manner...and have clear consequences that are fair and transparent</cite>, suggesting training toward consistency, though a dedicated staff training curriculum on consistent discipline application was not separately confirmed.
- 3.1 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Restorative circles/conferences to repair harm — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). A local commentary piece cites an Anchorage Education Association resolution stating district policy should <cite index="95-1,95-2">promote restorative justice practices... Schools and classrooms that implement trainings and strategies addressing implicit bias, equity, diversity, racial justice, and restorative justice</cite>, and the author notes he filed a records request to confirm distric…
- 3.2 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Staff training in restorative practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Evidence of union advocacy for restorative justice training and PBIS leadership teams that build in <cite index="28-5">coaching, social, emotional, behavioral, academic, equity, mental health, physical health, wellness, and trauma</cite> content, but no confirmed formal restorative-practices staff training curriculum specific to ASD.
- 3.3 [Restorative Justice Practices]: Curriculum integrates conflict-resolution skills — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). ASD's Mental Health & Student Support division integrates <cite index="22-3">academic, cultural, and linguistic development, as well as physical, social-emotional, and behavioral well-being</cite> supports including SEL curricula, but no specific evidence that conflict-resolution skills are a formal, embedded curriculum standard.
- 4.1 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Implicit bias training for staff — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The Board issued a Memorandum in response to racial injustice, and union guidance calls for <cite index="95-2">trainings and strategies addressing implicit bias, equity, diversity, racial justice, and restorative justice</cite>, but no confirmation of a mandatory district-wide implicit bias training program.
- 4.3 [Bias Awareness & Mitigation]: Cultural competence checks in hiring — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Talent Management's stated mission is to <cite index="84-1">recruit, hire, and retain a qualified and diverse workforce</cite>, but no specific evidence of formal cultural-competence screening built into the hiring/interview process.
- 5.2 [Culturally Relevant Curriculum]: Teacher PD on integrating diverse perspectives — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). Alaska Staff Development Network, which ASD subscribes to among other Alaska districts, offers courses like Creating Culturally Responsive Schools that <cite index="161-3">meets EED certification and recertification requirements in Multicultural Education</cite>, but this is a third-party, elective offering rather than a confirmed core ASD teacher PD requirement.
- 7.1 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Ongoing anti-bias/equity training — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). There is a Board statement on racial injustice and a call from the teachers' union for ongoing bias/equity training, but no confirmed evidence of a formal, ongoing anti-bias training requirement for all staff.
- 7.3 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Equity topics in staff meetings/PD — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The district's professional learning services reference equity work broadly, but there is no specific confirmation that equity topics are a standing agenda item in regular staff meetings district-wide.
- 7.4 [Professional Development on Equity & Inclusion]: Participation in equity-focused conferences — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). A former ASD Senior Director of Mental Health and Student Support <cite index="119-3,119-4">served as the Senior Director of Mental Health and Student Support for the Anchorage School District</cite> and presented on MTSS/PBIS at a statewide equity-related conference, suggesting some staff participation in equity-focused conferences, though not confirmed as a systematic district…
- 9.2 [Data Collection & Analysis]: Regular audits of discipline practices — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). ASD commissioned a one-time Equity Audit and Capstone synthesis where <cite index="110-2">ASD has partnered with Hanover Research and the Bond Educational Group on a series of projects related to equity</cite>, but there is no evidence this constitutes a recurring, regularly scheduled audit cycle specific to discipline.
- 9.3 [Data Collection & Analysis]: Data-informed interventions/adjustments — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The Equity Audit's <cite index="10-3">recommendations...are aligned with current School Board goals and guardrails</cite>, suggesting data informs some district planning, though a specific discipline-intervention feedback loop was not separately confirmed.
- 12.1 [Continuous Evaluation & Improvement]: Standing committee/task force for discipline equity — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). MECAC functions as a standing equity advisory committee, but it is a broad multicultural/equity body rather than one specifically charged with discipline equity.
- EC4 [Extra Credit]: Federally-funded CIEL (Cultivating Indigenous Educators & Leaders) project builds a pipeline of Indigenous educators with dedicated mentoring, PLCs, and a custom web-based cultural toolkit for classroom use. — Currently: In-work (1/2 pts). The grant document outlines plans to <cite index="47-1">Develop & Launch Web-Based Cultural Toolkit</cite> and provide <cite index="47-1">2-year mentoring & PLCs for new grads</cite>, a targeted grow-your-own strategy for Indigenous educator represent…