A 2026 Snapshot of
The Arts in Alaskan School Districts
The Alaska Arts Education Data Project
2026 District Survey Results
Overview
In‬†2023‬†the‬†National‬†Endowment‬†for‬†the‬†Arts‬†and‬†Alaska‬†State‬†Council‬†on‬†the‬†Arts‬†awarded‬ funds‬†to‬†the‬†Alaska‬†Arts‬†Education‬†Consortium‬†to‬†investigate‬†what‬†was‬†happening‬†with‬†arts‬ education in Alaska.‬
Goal
â€The‬†goal‬†of‬†the‬†Alaska‬†Arts‬†Education‬†Data‬†Project‬†is‬†to‬†gather‬†data‬†and‬†analyze‬†the‬ accessibility,‬†equity,‬†and‬†quality‬†of‬†arts‬†education.‬†Arts‬†education‬†encompasses‬†teaching‬†and‬ learning‬†in‬†and‬†through‬†the‬†arts,‬†both‬†during‬†and‬†outside‬†of‬†school‬†days,‬†focusing‬†on‬ children,‬†youth,‬†and‬†communities.‬†We‬†champion‬†a‬†vision‬†of‬†equity,‬†diversity,‬†and‬†inclusion‬ that‬†ensures‬†the‬†full‬†and‬†fair‬†participation‬†of‬†all‬†students‬†in‬†arts‬†programs,‬†policy‬†formation,‬ and decision-making, making sure all voices are heard.‬
Key Contacts
â€Annie Calkins – Lead Investigator: anniecalkins@gmail.com‬
Sonta Hamilton – Co-coordinator: sontahamilton@gmail.com
â€Barbara Adams – Project Researcher: badams.aas@gmail.com
2026 Survey
A 2026 voluntary district survey, designed by a cross-sector working group, was conducted for the third consecutive year. The first launch in the 2023-2024 school year received responses from 18 out of 53 districts. The second year expanded to 42 of 53 districts, achieving a 79% response rate and covering all regions of the state. The third collection process, during the 2025-2026 school year, was streamlined by providing districts with their prior year’s responses and asking for updates. New data were collected from districts who did not respond in the second year. The third survey launch was conducted from March 27 through June 19, 2026. Complete or updated data were received from 52 out of 53 districts. The second round data were used for the one remaining district, which enabled a 100% response rate. This report shares a full landscape picture of arts education in Alaska’s public Pre-K-12th grade education system.
Download the Results Report
2026 AK Arts Ed Survey Results (41 downloads )
