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Information Exchange Vol. 46 No. 48 Dec 21st, 2018

NEW! State Board Approves Discovery Peak Charter School Application

The State Board of Education and Early Development, meeting December 18 by audio conference, unanimously approved Discovery Peak Charter School’s application for a period of ten years, terminating on July 1, 2029. The board also approved its draft annual report to the legislature, and the minutes of the September 14-15 and October 24 meetings. Lastly, the board amended its meeting schedule. The next board meeting will be held February 4-5, 2019 in Juneau instead of on January 23, 2019.

NEW! Career Connections Seeking 9-12th Grade Student Participants

Career Connections - Career Awareness is a week-long, hands-on career exploration program held in Juneau, Alaska, open to all 9-12th graders. As part of the program, students visit a variety of exciting job sites in diverse fields, as well as tour the University of Alaska Southeast campus and the UAS Technical Center. This year, Career Connections has two sessions: April 7-12, 2019 and April 21-26, 2019. District registration is due on Friday, February 1, 2019.

NEW! Educator Cross-Cultural Immersion Program Accepting Applications

The Alaska Humanities Forum's ECCI program is currently accepting applications from educators (teachers and staff) in urban Alaska interested in building stronger relationships with their students and families from different cultural backgrounds. The program takes place from May-September 2019, earns three graduate-level credits, and includes one week of travel to a culture camp in rural Alaska over the summer. All costs are covered. Apply by Feb. 28, 2019.

NEW! Teach to Lead Accepting Idea Submissions for its 17th Teacher Leadership Summit

Calling teacher leaders! Do you have an idea to address a perceived need in your school, district, or state? The Teach to Lead team is accepting idea submissions through January 28 for its 17th Teacher Leadership Summit, March 29-31 in Philadelphia, where teams will receive critical support to turn their ideas in action.

NEW! Federal Commission on School Safety Releases Comprehensive Resource Guide for Keeping Students, Teachers Safe at School

After months of research, visiting successful programs around the nation, and receiving testimony from experts and concerned citizens, the Federal Commission on School Safety released a 177-page report detailing 93 best practices and policy recommendations for improving safety at schools across the country. Utilizing the information gathered, the Commission report offers a holistic approach to improving school safety, ranging from supporting the social and emotional well-being of students to enhancing physical building security.

NEW! AAEC Seeking Teacher-Leader Applications for 2019 Summer Arts Institutes

  1. Summer Academy: May 28-31, 2019 in Palmer
  2. Kodiak Multicultural Arts Institute: July 29-August 2, 2019 in Kodiak
  3. 2019 Basic Arts Institute: 10 days long (dates TBD) in Ketchikan or Juneau

Contact Barbara Short with questions. Applications due January 4, 2019.

Reminder: Registration Open for the AASB 2019 Leadership Fly-In & Youth Advocacy Institute

Join the Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) for their first 2019 Fly-In to show that the unity of Alaska’s school boards can lead positive change, February 9-12 in Juneau. School Board Members: build boardsmanship skills, discuss key legislative issues, meet with legislators, and learn how new legislation will affect your district. Register students to attend the 2019 Youth Advocacy Institute (YAI) so they can come together and learn from their peers, build relationships with policymakers, and gain advocacy skills. 

Reminder: AASB’s 28th Annual June Nelson Scholarship Competition Now Open

Attention High School Seniors: Don't Wait! Apply Now! The Association of Alaska School Boards (AASB) is proud to announce its 28th Annual June Nelson Scholarship Award Competition. This 2018-2019 school year, AASB will award fifteen $1,500 scholarships to apply toward post-secondary education. Thirteen of these scholarships are available for graduating seniors, and two may be awarded to returning college sophomores. The scholarship may be applied toward the student's choice of a business, trade, or a college institution. Application Deadline: Midnight, March 25, 2019. Winners Announced: Saturday, April 6, 2019. 

Reminder: Introducing ACPE’s Apply Now Alaska Initiative

Attention school counselors and college and career advisors! The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) is inviting you to join Apply Now Alaska. Apply Now Alaska is a part of the American College Application Campaign, a nationwide effort to increase the number of low-income and first-generation students applying to postsecondary institutions – community colleges, universities, vocational/career training schools. The focus of this initiative is to encourage and assist high school seniors as they navigate the complex admissions process, and to ensure each participating student submits at least one application. See attached flyer for details and/or contact Dominika Szpotanska for more info.

Special Feature: Preventing Learning Loss this Winter Break

Winter break is a time of celebration and relaxation. While the days away from school provide a well-deserved break for students, it also provides the opportunity for learning loss. In response, a special Homeroom blog offers “10 Fun Ways to Prevent Learning Loss this Winter Break,” ensuring students return to school revitalized and ready for a new year of learning. For example, are you giving gifts this holiday? Gift students educational toys/games. Science experiments and scrapbooking kits are great ways to make learning exciting and hands-on. Are you spending time with others during the break? Ask friends/family members to bring books to read with students during their visit. Moreover, if you are traveling, visit a museum or historical site to expose students to new concepts. Don’t forget to ask about student and teacher discounts!

Sheldon Jackson Museum Hands-On Loan Program Available to Alaska Educators

The Hands-On Loan Program provides the chance to learn interactively by borrowing items from the Hands-On collection, a special collection apart from the State of Alaska's permanent collections. The program is free (except for the cost of return shipping) and is open to all Alaska based teachers, students, librarians, home school programs, and museums.

2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) Competition Now Open

The 2019 National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) competition is now open to Alaskan high school students who will graduate by June 30, 2019. It is a residential science education program that honors and challenges two graduating high school science students from each state and others from selected countries around the world. NYSC is offered at NO COST to its participants so that selected delegates may attend regardless of their financial status. The application window is open as of December 7th, and closes at 11:59pm on February 28th.

K-12 Exercise Starter Kits for Active Shooter Training Now Available

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Intergovernmental Affairs has recently released Exercise Starter Kits (ESKs) designed specifically for the K-12 community that focus on an active shooter incident. ESKs are a set of tools and resources to self-conduct a tabletop exercise. The kits reinforce specific emergency plans, protocols, and procedures, while also testing and strengthening preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities. The new K-12 ESKs are available in three (3) K-12 school levels: elementary school, middle/junior high school, and high school.

2019 KidWind Challenge and Teacher Training

The 2019 Alaska KidWind Challenge will be held on Saturday, March 2nd in the Mat-Su area, hosted by the Renewable Energy Alaska Project. Students work in teams to design and build a model wind turbine at home or school and bring it to the competition to measure the energy output in a wind tunnel as well as present their design to a panel of judges. It is open to 4th-12th graders and there will be Middle School (4th-8th grade) and High School (9th-12th grade) divisions. A training for teachers will be held on Saturday, January 12th from 8:30am - 3pm, and continuing education credit will be available, with a stipend to cover the cost. If you are interested in the training and/or competition and would like more info, email Colleen Fisk.

Free CE Credit for High School Science Teachers

Are you a high school science teacher who wants to teach a unit on energy in your Environmental Science, Physics, or other advanced class next semester? UAF Bristol Bay Campus is offering an opportunity to teach their Home Energy Basics class to high school students. The students can earn 1 college credit (as long as they are 16 or older) and the teacher can also earn one continuing education credit through UAF. Better yet, UAF has a grant to cover the cost of the credits so it’s completely free for you and your students! If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Colleen Fisk at Renewable Energy Alaska Project or Mark Masteller at UAF.

Natural Disaster Health and Safety Resources Available

Natural disaster health and safety resources for schools and families are available on DEED’s homepage at https://education.alaska.gov. School and district contact information can be found at https://education.alaska.gov/doe_rolodex/schoolcalendar.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is Seeking Alaska Nominees

Anyone may nominate exceptional STEM teachers teaching grades 7-12. (Awards alternate between elementary and secondary teachers.) Teachers may also self-nominate. The President bestows up to 108 awards each year. Since the program’s inception, over 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom and to their profession. Nomination period closes March 1, 2019. Contact Ms. Joey Jigliotti with questions.

RFP 190000028 for Alaska Safe Children’s Act Curricula Development

DEED is seeking interested contractors to work with our staff to develop curricula for grades 7-12 on sexual abuse, sexual assault, teen dating violence and abuse awareness and prevention. At the present time, there is a lack of grade level specific curriculum that is tailored to Alaska that meets the requirements of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. DEED believes that the development of Alaska specific curricula will be useful for local school districts in Alaska to provide the required education to students under the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. For more information please contact DEED Procurement Officer, Rob Roys, at (907) 465-8654.

Registration is open for the 2019 Alaska RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference

January 25-27 in Anchorage. Dr. Jo Boaler, Stanford University, is the keynote speaker. Featured conference topics include mathematical mindset, student engagement and self-efficacy, computational thinking and computer science, collaborative leadership, close reading, social emotional learning, formative feedback, productive group work, restorative practices, visible learning for literacy, Tier II behavioral interventions, and using data to increase impact of classroom management and reading interventions. Contact Kathy Blanc with questions.

PTPC Code of Ethics of the Education Profession Updated

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission (PTPC) has made three revisions to the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, which took effect August 2, 2018. There are four downloadable versions of the newly revised Code of Ethics on the PTPC website. 11 x 17” posters of the updates code of ethics can be shipped to a school district upon request. Contact Melody Mann for more information.

2019 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference (ASSEC) Registration Now Open

Join the largest gathering of special educators in Alaska at ASSEC for high quality professional development relevant to the cultural, rural, and remote characteristics of our great state. February 25-27, 2019 in Anchorage. 

Applications Now Open for Summer Computer Science Workshops for Grade 6-12 Teachers

Applications are now open for the 2019 Code.org Summer Workshops in Alaska. Middle and high school teachers can apply for scholarships to participate in the 5-day CS Discoveries (Grades 6-10) or CS Principles (Grades 9-12 and AP) summer workshops in Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau. Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.

2019 National Missing Children's Day Poster Contest Seeks Alaska Submissions

The 2019 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest of open to any Alaskan fifth grader, with entries due January 15, 2019 at 5pm. The Alaska State Troopers are coordinating this year’s Alaska state contest. Send submissions and any questions to Lt. Paul Fussey.

Register for the AASB 2019 School Climate and Connectedness Survey (SCCS)

Join over 30 Alaska school districts who collect and use school climate data each year to improve and strengthen school environments, relationships, and connections between students, staff, and families. SCCS’s interactive survey platform makes survey administration, reporting, and analysis interactive and user-friendly. Participating districts also receive free webinars and training on overseeing survey administration and using the interactive platform. Additional support on how to use survey results includes on-site workshops or video conferences led by AASB staff. Districts choose a two-week window between January 18 - March 22 to take the survey.

The 2019 ASTE iDidAContest is Now Accepting Submissions

ASTE recognizes the best photos, movies, documentaries, podcasts, music, books, apps and things through its 19th annual digital media contest. Deadline is January 31, 2019.

The Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) Code.org Fundamentals (K-6) Curriculum Training Enrollment Now Open

Contact Cheryl Bobo with questions.

Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form at DEED Information Exchange. To submit news items, call 907-465-6535 or email Erin Hardin.