The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Hanshew Middle School
Hanshew Middle School sits on Lake Otis Parkway in southeast Anchorage, serving seventh and eighth graders in the Anchorage School District. It is a traditional public middle school, not a charter or magnet, and its two-grade configuration means it exists purely as a transition point between elementary and high school. The enrollment is moderate for an Anchorage middle school, split nearly evenly between the two grades.
The student body is one of the more diverse in the district. White students make up the largest single group but do not form a majority. Alaska Native and American Indian students, Hispanic students, and students of two or more races each represent substantial shares, with smaller but present Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and Black populations. A moderate portion of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Data on English learners and special education enrollment was not reported, so a parent wanting to understand services for either group would need to ask the school directly.
On state assessments, Hanshew's results paint a mixed picture. In math, roughly a third of tested students reached proficiency on the AK STAR assessment. English language arts was slightly lower, with just over a quarter proficient. Science, tested through the ASA and given to one grade level, showed the weakest result, with about a fifth of students proficient. Participation was high across all three subjects. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible to say from the provided information whether these results are improving, declining, or holding steady. A parent comparing options may want to ask the school how recent cohorts have progressed and what interventions are in place for students below proficiency, especially in science.
Because Hanshew serves only seventh and eighth graders, there is no graduation rate, no AP or dual-credit data, and no college or career pathway information to report. Those measures simply do not apply to this grade band. The school does not have a reported Title I status, magnet designation, or charter status in the data provided. Information on staffing, attendance, discipline, course access, and specific program offerings was not available, so those dimensions cannot be characterized here. What the data does show is a school in the middle of Alaska's largest district, anchored in a city where the economy runs on military installations, aviation cargo, oil, healthcare, and tourism.
Anchorage itself is a sprawling municipality, car-dependent across most of its populated area, with a compact downtown and a network of paved trails that residents use for both recreation and commuting. The surrounding neighborhood near Lake Otis Parkway is part of the broader Anchorage Bowl, where residential streets, strip commercial corridors, and school sites spread across the lower bowl between the inlet and the mountains. Chugach State Park borders the eastern edge of the city, giving residents quick access to wild terrain. The housing market in the school's zip code sits above the state and national benchmarks for typical home values, with both prices and rents rising at a modest but steady pace over the past year. Estimated monthly mortgage costs exceed typical rents, which may factor into a family's housing calculus.
The district brief turned up no specific parent-relevant changes such as curriculum shifts, referendums, or facility decisions, so there is nothing to report on that front. What a family is looking at with Hanshew is a two-year stop in a diverse, mid-sized urban middle school with middling proficiency results, strong participation, and the resources and complications of being part of Alaska's largest school district. The gaps in the data, particularly around special populations and program offerings, mean a thorough evaluation will require a direct conversation with the school.
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