Sitka High School

I have had two students at Sitka High School, one was extremely motivated and received plenty of opportunity to excell beyond 'normal' curriculum offerings. My other student struggled to survive. He received outstanding attention from the staff and counseling office. They continued to work with him and encourage him, while not lower the expectations. He was successful in his grades and more importantly in learning life skills. Sitka has the most outstanding music department in the State of Alaska. They regularly win at the Worlds Largest Jazz Festival, even when competing with schools 10 times their size. This department has had a strong structure and helps students be responsible young adults. The staff and administration are approachable and work hard to help both parents and students in obtaining a quality education. The counseling staff is an important part of student and staff activities. An excellent place to learn and grow.
--Submitted by Dwina Howey, a parent

The Sitka School District has chosen to use a Standard Based grading system based on a scale of 1-4 using the Alaska State Standards as a guide. Although, the district has a zero in the scale it considers itself to be a 4 point grading system rather than a 5 point, as in alpha grades. Therefore, converting a 1, 2, 3, or 4 to A, B, C, D, or F is fuzzy. The district has not entirely rid itself of the Alpha Grading System and, thus, creates confusion on the interpretation of the students grades. Consistency of teachers grading using the standards varies widely; my son had a overall grade of 3 in three different subject areas and his alpha conversion for those subjects ranged from A- to C+.
--Submitted by a parent