Alaska has implemented an innovative approach to a balanced assessment system called the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR). The AK STAR summative assessments are administered each spring to students in grades 3-9. The AK STAR assessments were developed to provide information on student achievement, areas of strength and need, and progress toward mastery of the skills and concepts outlined in the Alaska English Language Arts and Mathematics Standards. The AK STAR assessments also provide information to parents, educators, policy makers, and communities about how Alaska's schools and districts are performing. This guide includes the following sections: (1) introduction; (2) test design; (3) reports; (4) score interpretation; and (5) suppression rules. It also includes appendices with sample reports, achievement level ranges, and achievement level descriptor (ALD) summary statements.