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Information Exchange Vol. 47 No. 19

Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
May 24, 2019  

Last call! U.S. ED Request for Public Comment on Proposed New Institute of Education Sciences Priorities

On March 28, the U.S. Department of Education printed in the Federal Register a request for public comment for proposed new Institute of Education Sciences (IES) priorities that will guide the IES over the coming years. IES priorities are general updated by each new Director of IES. You can read the current set of priorities, adopted in 2010, at https://ies.ed.gov/director/board/pdf/priorities.pdf. Comments are due by May 28, 2019.

Last call! Alaska School Leadership Institute (ASLI)

The 11th Annual Alaska School Leadership Institute (ASLI) will be held in Anchorage May 29-31, 2019 at the Hilton Hotel. The Institute is designed to support the professional learning of teachers, teacher leaders, principals, site leaders, superintendents and district leaders from small schools or rural school districts to help prepare Alaska’s students as college, career, and culturally ready graduates.

Last call! 2019 Ted Stevens Young Alaskan Artist Award Competition

Young Alaskans pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree or program in music at an accredited institution are encouraged to apply for the 2019 Ted Stevens Young Alaska Artist Award. Winners receive a substantial monetary award and are presented in a full-length solo recital. The deadline is May 30, 2019.

Last call! AAEC Summer Arts Institutes for 2019

Engaging Students in Art & Culture: Summer Institute at Mat-Su (SAMS), May 28-31, Mat-Su Career and Technical High School, free to Mat-Su teachers, others $200 member district teachers, $300 non-member district teachers, 2 Ed 590 credits available.

Last call! ASDN Offering Summer Courses for Teacher Certification

There are a few spaces left in the Alaska History and Multicultural Education Courses with Father Michael Oleksa in Anchorage May 28-June 1. Meet the requirements for Alaska teacher certification with these blended learning classes. The classes are kicked off with Father Oleksa in Anchorage and continued online. Father Oleksa is a leader in the development of cross-cultural education in Alaska, an educator of Alaskan teachers, and a student of Alaska Native languages and cultures.

NEW! Save the Date: Alaska School Safety & Well-Being Summit Happening September 18-19, 2019

DEED will be hosting a comprehensive statewide School Safety & Well-Being Summit, September 18-19, 2019 at the Egan Center in Anchorage (pre and post conference days are being planned around different topics TBD). Each district will be provided travel funding to bring in a team that may include administrators, teachers, school counselors, parents, community members, and school board members. DEED has planned the Summit to accommodate teams of up to six from each district. More information to come. Contact: Sharon Fishel.

NEW! 8SAVES Curriculum Seeking High School Student and Educator Participation

The 8SAVES curriculum will be a series of short, interactive films in which the viewers will have to make wise and quick decisions to save someone's life from some of our country's top preventable killers - from heart attacks to opioid overdoses to gunshot wounds to strokes. It will be designed specifically for high school students; one of its primary objectives will be not only to help save lives and promote health education, but also to encourage student interest in STEM careers. High-school students (especially 9th graders) and educators are invited to participate in the development and testing of this cutting-edge new curriculum. Once the 8SAVES films are created, partner schools will be the first in the country to integrate the films into their science/health curriculum. Schools participating in the development and evaluation of at least 5 films will be given a stipend of approximately $2000 for STEM education, and receive an additional stipend for every film after the fifth. For further information, please contact Dr. Lorrel Brown-Toft at lorrelbrown@gmail.com regarding your interest by or before Monday, June 3.

Reminder: Public Comment Period for Publication “Swimming Pool Guidelines for Educational Facilities”

DEED has revised its publication Swimming Pool Guidelines for Educational Facilities. The publication is sited in regulation 4 AAC 31.020(a) and establishes department criteria to apply to AS 14.11.013(d) and AS 14.11.100(h). This draft moves towards a more clear and prescriptive document that provides maximum pool tank sizes and maximum facility sizes based on the number of students in the approved instructional learn-to-swim program. June 3 deadline to provide public comment.

Special Feature: Adrianne Schwartz of Juneau Recognized by the School Nutrition Association

Adrianne Schwartz of the Juneau School District has earned the distinctions of School Nutrition Association (SNA) 2019 Northwest Region Director of the Year and Alaska SNA 2019 Director of the Year. 

Within her first year as supervisor of the food service program, Schwartz added hot lunches and salad bars to all school sites, skyrocketing student lunch participation. Schwartz also implemented a school-sponsored Universal Breakfast program at the district’s elementary and middle schools, as well as their alternative high school. Working with a local interagency group, Schwartz reaches outside her school duties to address how the district meets hunger needs throughout the whole community. Leading by example, she creates fun events around special school nutrition promotions, including National School Lunch Week and National School Breakfast Week. Schwartz leads a monthly School Nutrition Advisory Committee and sits on the state USDA Foods Advisory Committee in an effort to ensure children in her district and across the state have access to healthy meals. 

Schwartz will be honored in July during the Red-Carpet Awards Ceremony at the SNA’s Annual National Conference, July 14 – 16, 2019 in St. Louis, MO. 

eLearning Continuing Education Units Now Available

DEED is pleased to announce we are now offering one CEU for the completion of eligible eLearning courses. All eLearners who hold a current five or ten-year Alaska teaching, administrative, or special services certificate can earn one CEU for 15 hours of completed coursework. The eligible coursework includes courses required for school district personnel and teaching certificates. Please visit our eLearning page for more information on the eligible courses, and how to submit your information for certification.

Coming this Fall: Google Student Contest to Develop Open Source Software

Google Code-in is a contest to introduce pre-university students (aged 13–17) to open source software development. In the fall, Google chooses more than a dozen open source organizations to participate. The organizations create an extensive list of three- to five-hour tasks for students to work on. The tasks are categorized as Code, Documentation/Training, Outreach/Research, Quality Assurance, and Design. Competition begins in the fall; check the website for details.

Lessons from State Teachers of the Year
The ‘Lessons from Teachers of the Year’ videos series is a partnership between Google for Education and the Council of Chief State School Officers that aims to elevate the teaching profession and capture the thinking of some of the United States’ best educators. Google recently released the videos from the 2019 State Teachers of the Year. Learn more about their personal passion projects, their thoughts on the future of education, and how they intend to use their platform to improve the education system in their state.

ACPE Announces Decision Day Alaska

Decision Day Alaska is inspired by the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA’s) National Signing Day. The goal of Decision Day Alaska is to recognize all high school seniors and celebrate their postsecondary plans, and, by doing so, encourage younger students to consider their future, and change the conversation around postsecondary education, whether it be a 2-year or 4-year college or university, vocational school, career training center, registered apprenticeship program, or the military. Contact Dominika Szpotanska at (907) 269-7971 for resources. See attached flyer for details. 

Alaska College of Education Offering Summer Courses for Teacher Certification

The Alaska College of Education will be offering two courses in July in Anchorage required for certification: Alaska Studies and Multicultural Education. Complete both courses in three weeks. 

Resilient Educators: Growing Your Best Self Workshop Happening June 10-11 at Alyeska Resort

Educators think regularly about student resilience, but don’t often get the time and support to focus on their own. In these beginner and advanced workshops by Brightways Learning, you’ll learn to amplify personal and professional strengths and satisfaction. CEUs, lodging, and airfare discounts are available. Check out the event flyer.  

Alaska Education Network Offering Instructional Leadership Webinars

The Alaska Education Network is a statewide initiative funded by Title II, Part A focused on uniting Alaska’s educational leaders with the intention of building community and capacity. There are five networks (graduation rates, leadership and equity, early childhood, reading strategies, and behavior support, safety & well-being. Two key components of an echo session are a Brief Didactic (30 minutes or less) and a Case Presentation (“problem of practice”). 

Alaska Communications Summer of Heroes Program Seeking Nominations

Alaska Communications is seeking nominations for their 9th annual Summer of Heroes initiative, honoring Alaska’s youngest heroes: individuals ages 6–18 who are making a difference in their communities through acts of generosity, courage or achievement. Five winners will each be awarded a $1,500 scholarship. Nomination period closes June 28.

School and District Report Card Feedback

Recently, DEED released the 2017-2018 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska. This new user-friendly website aims to provide clear, common information about all public schools and districts in our state. DEED has created two separate surveys – a District/School Personnel Feedback Survey and a Parent Survey. These links have been added as a tab to the Report Card site. Thank you for your participation in this survey and sharing your thoughts and experience with us.

District/School Personnel Feedback Survey

Parent Feedback Survey  

2017-18 Report Cards Now Available on DEED Website

The 2017-2018 report cards are now available online. The report cards provide parents and the public with important information on state, district, and school performance and progress. U.S. ED has issued a Parent Guide to State and Local Report Cards that may be a helpful resource.

AAEC Announces Summer Arts Institutes for 2019

Amplifying Stories through the Arts: Ketchikan Basic Arts Institute, June 3-14, Ketchikan High School, $500 member district teachers, $600 non-member district teachers, 20 Sealaska scholarships available to teachers from Ketchikan, Juneau and Yakutat, 4 Ed 590 credits available. 

Liitukut Allringumi: We are all learning together: Kodiak Multicultural Arts Institute, July 28-August 2, $249 member district teachers, $350 non-member district teachers. Email Barb Short with questions.

U.S. Census Bureau Offering 2020 Census Statistics in Schools Program

The Statistics in Schools (SIS) program aims to increase awareness of, and overall public response to, the decennial census by engaging administrators, teachers, students, and their parents/guardians in public conversations about the census. The program provides materials that use Census Bureau data for students in pre-school through 12th grade such as lesson plans, data tools, fun facts, and more.

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.