Interior Distance Education Of Alaska (Idea) vs. Alternative Learning Systems
Should you attend Interior Distance Education Of Alaska (Idea) or Alternative Learning Systems? Visitors to our site frequently compare these two schools. Compare their rankings, test scores, reviews and more to help you determine which school is the best choice for you.
School Overview
School
Top Rankings
Interior Distance Education Of Alaska (Idea) ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Alaska for:
Category
Attribute
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Alternative Learning Systems ranks among the top 20% of public schools in Alaska for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Overview
Interior Distance Education Of Alaska (IDEA) in Fairbanks, AK, serves 7,486 students from prekindergarten through grade 12, with a student–teacher ratio of approximately 125:1, which is substantially higher than typical ratios for the district and state.
The school's math proficiency in 2023 is 40%, which is approximately equal to the Galena City School District average of 40% and higher than the Alaska state average of 32%.
Reading proficiency is 52%, ranking in the top 10% statewide and higher than the state average of 29% and district average of 47%; this reflects an overall strong performance relative to peers.
Science proficiency ranges from 65% to 69%, placing IDEA among the top 10% of Alaska public schools and significantly above the state average of 38% in 2022.
The graduation rate at IDEA is 77%, which is approximately equal to the district average of 77% but slightly lower than the state average of 78%; the graduation rate improved from 73% in 2020 to 77% in 2023.
Alternative Learning Systems in Fairbanks, AK, serves 193 students from Pre–K to 12 with a student–teacher ratio of 16:1, which is higher than the district ratio at Lathrop High School (1:19) but lower than Interior Distance Education Of Alaska (1:121).
The school has 56% minority enrollment and is ranked among the top 20% most diverse public schools in Alaska, indicating notable demographic diversity in this Fairbanks public high school.
Math proficiency is 20%, which is lower than the Alaska state average of 32% and the district average of 33%, continuing a multi–year trend of below–average math performance.
Reading proficiency ranges from 11–19%, lower than the state average of 29% and district average of 32%, with no improvement observed in recent years.
Graduation rates remain low at 30–34%, which is significantly lower than the state average of 78% and district average of 76%, placing the school in the bottom 50% for this key parent priority metric.
School Type
n/a
Alternative
Grades Offered
PK-12
PK-12
Total Students
7,486 students
193 students
% Male | % Female
51% | 49%
53% | 47%
Total Classroom Teachers
62 teachers
12 teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
n/a
16:1
n/a
Test Scores
Overall Testing Rank
#100 out of 441 schools in AK
(Top 30%)
(Top 30%)
#329 out of 441 schools in AK
(Bottom 50%)
(Bottom 50%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
40%
≤20%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
52%
11-19%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
65-69%
≤10%
Graduation Rate
77%
30-34%
Students by Grade
Students by Grade
Pre-K Students
273
8
Kindergarten Students
570
-
Grade 1 Students
593
-
Grade 2 Students
575
1
Grade 3 Students
579
1
Grade 4 Students
586
1
Grade 5 Students
560
3
Grade 6 Students
551
2
Grade 7 Students
564
5
Grade 8 Students
528
4
Grade 9 Students
451
21
Grade 10 Students
528
20
Grade 11 Students
483
62
Grade 12 Students
645
65
Students by Ethnicity
% American Indian
10%
21%
% Asian
1%
2%
% Hispanic
3%
9%
% Black
1%
3%
% White
74%
44%
% Hawaiian
1%
4%
% Two or more races
10%
17%
Diversity Score
0.44
0.73
Additional Information
Eligible for Free Lunch
n/a
8%
n/a
Eligible for Reduced Lunch
n/a
3%
n/a
