Fairbanks North Star Borough School District

Personalizing learning for all students with cultural responsiveness in mind: The district is phasing in flexible, personalized learning in grades K-12 to meet the needs of all students in the classroom. Alaska has one of the highest Native student populations in the country; the district’s Native education team sees personalized learning as a way to embrace traditional methods of learning in schools. This strategy also empowers teachers to collaborate and draw on their knowledge and experience to find innovative methods of engaging students in the classroom.

Expanding access to K-8 schools: Research has shown that students who attend K-8 schools have higher achievement rates than students who attend separate middle schools. As a result, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is expanding several elementary schools to include seventh and eighth-grade classrooms, diversifying options for families across the district.

Ensuring student readiness through all-day kindergarten: An increasing number of students in Fairbanks experience poverty and other high-risk indicators, which affect school readiness. The district is prioritizing all-day kindergarten to ensure that all young learners have increased access to educational opportunity.