In October 1989 Alaska conducted its statewide student assessment. Over 23,000 students in grades 4, 6, and 8 completed the reading, mathematics, and language arts sections of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS). At the same time, a series of questionnaires asked building principals about their schools' philosophy, climate, and problems; asked teachers about their students' special needs, ethnicity, and bilingualism; and asked students about their study habits and attitudes. Although statewide average ITBS scores were similar to national norms, school district performance varied on the individual percentile scale from the single digits to the 70s. School size was not the primary determinant of basic skills achievement. Achievement was strongly related to English language proficiency and the cultural expectations of the community. Even large per pupil expenditures and low teacher-student ratios have not erased achievement differences across the state's cultural groups. Higher test scores were associated with having attended kindergarten, with habits of more frequent outside reading and less frequent television watching, with aspirations to attend college, and with lower teacher and principal turnover. Appendices include an ITBS answer sheet; teacher, student, and principal questionnaires; and profiles of student demographics and ITBS percentile ranks for the state and for a high and a low performing district. This report contains 32 references, 18 data tables, and 18 graphs. (SV)