Welcome to the Early Learning Programs Page 

DEED provides support to the early learning community that serves children ages 3-5 years of age in school district and Head Start programs.  

To review the Alaska Pre-Elementary Program Goals and Activities, please click here.

Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate

As defined by Alaska Department of Education & Early Development Regulations, pre-elementary classrooms serving students 3-5 years of age and operated by a school district or a Head Start agency are required to annually submit a Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate Application to DEED.  This is due September 15 for programs who received approval the previous year or within 30-days before the program start date if the program has not been previously approved. (4 AAC 60.010 - .180)

To initiate, renew, or update a Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate Application, please click here.

To complete a Pre-Elementary End-of-Year Report, due June 30 annually, please click here.

Alaska Reads Act

Alaska Early Education Program Standards

The Alaska Early Education Program Standards are applicable to any early education program provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of age. The purpose of the standards is to provide a framework for high-quality early education and child development services that promote children's cognitive, social, and emotional growth for later success in school. The standards were prepared in response to passage of the Alaska Reads Act in May 2022 and became effective on July 1, 2023.  They are incorporated by reference in 4 AAC 60.190. 

Resources: 

• Alaska Early Education Program Standards 
• Alaska Standards Workbook
• Webinar Series: Understanding Alaska’s Early Education Program Standards and .5 ADM Approval

Early Education Program Grants

The Alaska Reads Act established the District Wide Early Education Program Grant, now being called the EEP Grants. The purpose of this grant program is to provide funding for the development or improvement of district-wide early education programs for students four and five years of age. To avoid duplication of programs and to facilitate resource sharing, districts must meet with each local and tribal Head Start program within their district prior to applying. Districts must also determine that an insufficient number of spaces in high-quality childcare programs is available for the number of kindergarten eligible children in the district.  Upon receipt of the grant, districts must agree to work towards the goal of meeting all Alaska Early Education Program Standards by the end of the three-year grant period. Districts will be prioritized for funding based on low performance rating in the System of School Support, DEED’s accountability system. 

The following school districts were awarded a District-Wide Early Education Program Grant (EEP Grant) for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 school years: 

• Denali Borough School District 
• Galena City School District 
• Hydaburg City School District 
• Iditarod Area School District 
• Kake City School District 
• Kuspuk School District 
• Lower Kuskokwim School District 

For the 2024-2025, 2025-2026, and 2026-2027 school years, the following school districts were awarded a District-Wide Early Education Program Grant (EEP Grant):

• Northwest Arctic Borough School District
• Alaska Gateway School District

Previous EEP Grant Application: 05-24-029

Previous EEP Grant Application Technical Assistance Webinar: EEP Grant TA Webinar on Vimeo.

Application for Early Education Program Approval and 0.5 ADM/Formula Funding

(EEP-ADM Application) 

Districts who . . . . .  

• Have operated an early education program for three or more years,  
• Have consulted with all high-quality child care programs within the school district boundaries [Sec 14.03.410(c)],  
• Have successfully implemented the Alaska Early Education Program Standards, and  
• Employ early education teacher(s) with the required and current teacher certification  

. . . . . are encouraged to apply for Early Education Program Approval.  Approval will be determined according to compliance with each of these requirements.  

Those districts who are approved will be eligible to report enrolled students in the district’s average daily membership (ADM) that determines Foundation Formula funding. Funding will be granted at a rate of 0.5 ADM for each eligible 4-year-old and 5-year-old students. 

The following district was awarded for its high-quality Early Education Program and is receiving .5ADM for its enrolled 4- & 5-year-olds for 2024-2025:
Anchorage School District

To Apply:

Submit the Intent to Apply form.  You may also access the form via the DEED forms page, form #05-24-034.

Application Timeline:  

• Applications due May 15
• Applicatants will be notified on or before September 1

Technical Assistance Webinar:

• 2024 Zoom Recording
• 2024 PowerPoint Presentation

Q&A Session:  2024 Q&A Zoom Recording

For questions about the Alaska Early Education Program Standards, Early Education Program Grant, and EEP-ADM Application, please contact Jayne McFarland at jayne.mcfarland@alaska.gov or (907) 269-7974 or visit the Alaska Reads Act Early Education Programs webpage.

School District Pre-Elementary Grants

Alaska Pre-Elementary Grants (PEG) promote school readiness and positive outcomes for participating children.  Information is gathered from funded programs to inform the longer-term implementation of accessible, affordable, mixed delivery, and high-quality early care and education. Alaska Pre-Elementary Grants are awarded to Alaska’s school districts in a three-year cycle.  The following school districts were awarded funds for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 School Years:

• Aleutians East Borough School District         
• Bristol Bay Borough School District
• Chugach School District
• Juneau School District
• Kodiak Island Borough School District
• Lake and Peninsula School District
• Nome School District
• Southwest Region School District
• Yukon-Koyukuk School District

For questions about school district pre-elementary grants, please contact Kristen Spencer at kristen.spencer@alaska.gov or (907) 465-4862.

Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council

The Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council (AECCC) promotes positive development, improved health outcomes, and school readiness for children prenatal through age eight.  The AECCC is co-chaired by the commissioners of the Department of Health and the Department of Education and Early Development and members include early childhood state staff, non-profit staff, trbial staff, parents, and early childhood educators.  The council meets quarterly. 

For more information, please go to the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council website or email aeccc@alaska.gov.

Early Learning Assessments

For more information about Early Learning Assessments, please contact Supanika Ordonez at (907) 465-8707.

Early Childhood Programs

Early Childhood Resources

For Parents 

♦  Read about child development by age at Alaska's Early Learning Guidelines

♦  Find developmental activities and pre and early reading resources at Best Beginnings

♦  Check your child's developmental progress by completing a developmental screen at All Alaska Pediatric Partnership (A2P2)

♦  Find a licensed child care in any Alaskan community at the Licensed Child Care Facility Database

♦  Find an approved preschool classroom based program, housed in either a school district or Head Start agency, at Pre-Elementary Programs Database

♦  Find a Home Visiting program at Home-Visiting Resource Network

For Early Childhood Educators, Agencies and School Districts 

♦  Alaska Associateion of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (AK-AIMH) 

♦  Alaska Reads Act early education program information (akreads)

♦  All Alaska Pediatric Partnership (A2P2)

♦  Anchorage Association for the Education of Young Children (A-AEYC)

♦  Alaska Early Education Program Standards (akreads)

♦  Northern Interior Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (NIA-AEYC)

♦  Reducing Early Childhood Exclusionary Practices in Alaska white paper

♦  Southeast Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (SEA-AEYC)

♦  thread