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Information Exchange Vol. 47 No. 25

Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
July 12, 2019

NEW! Using FIRST Robotics to Teach STEM

Open to all K-12 educators interested in using robotics to inspire students during in-school or out-of-school time. 1 and 3-credit options available. June 29 - Aug 1 @ UAA. For more information, contact Rebecca Soza at rsoza@jedc.org.

NEW! Alaska ACTE Annual Awards Program Seeking Nominations

Each year the Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Board of Directors recognizes the outstanding work of the CTE professionals in Alaska through the annual award nomination process. Nominated by their peers, the recipients are celebrated at the Annual Award Luncheon held at the AK ACTE Professional Development Conference. This year’s conference will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook on October 13-16 with the luncheon date set for October 15. Submit nominations no later than September 13.

NEW! U.S. ED Seeking Public Comment on Title I Technical Amendments

Although the regulations were issued in final, U.S. ED is inviting public comment for 30 days to determine whether any additional technical changes are necessary to align these regulations with the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. U.S. ED will consider these comments in determining whether to make further technical changes to the regulations or engage in additional rulemaking. 

NEW! Alaska School Leadership Academy Seeking Principals for 2019-20 Cohort

The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA) provides new Alaskan K-12 principals with networking, skill building, and professional mentoring support. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019-20 cohort. Contact Sam Jordan sjordan@alaskaacsa.org at the Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) with questions.

NEW! 2019 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) Winners Announced

Dr. Stephen Rollins, dean of the UAA/APU Consortium Library and a leader in modernizing and digitizing Alaska libraries statewide; Irene Rowan, a lifelong activist in Alaska Native affairs responsible for Alaska Native/American Indian Heritage Month, Alaska Native Media Group, Alaska Native Book Fair, and much more; and Arctic Entries, a dynamic storytelling program that has captured the ears and imaginations of people across Alaska are this year’s award winners. The statewide CLIA awards are presented annually by the Alaska Center for the Book, the state’s liaison with the U.S. Library of Congress Center for the Book. The awards honor people and programs that have made a significant contribution in literacy, the literary arts, or the preservation of the written or spoken word.

NEW! Updated PTPC Handbook for Alaska Educators Now Available

The PTPC website has the updated version of the PTPC Handbook for Alaska Educators under Resources. 20AAC 10.310. DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBOOK – Copies of the Alaska State Professional Teaching Practices Commission’s Handbook for Alaska Educators shall be conspicuously displayed, and available, at every education institution in the state whose employees are members of the teaching profession under AS 14.20.370.

Reminder: Save the Date: 2nd annual ACAC training in September

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) will be conducting a free training at its Anchorage location this fall for representatives from education partner organizations and school districts to equip individuals working with students with a wide array of resources designed to help students access and benefit from postsecondary education and career training. Contact Dominika Szpotanska with questions at (907) 269-7971.

Reminder: Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program 

This program provides grants to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health providers for employment in schools and LEAs. The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortage of mental health professionals. Applications are due by August 5.

Special Feature: Alaska Farm to Summer Week Happening July 22-25

See attached Farm to Summer Toolkit for information about the Alaska Child Nutrition Programs and the Alaska Farm to School Farm to Summer Week Campaign celebration happening from July 22-26, 2019. This is a week of celebration supporting Alaska’s gardeners, farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and dairy through experience and education.

Alaska Humanities Forum Seeking Librarians for July Workshop

The Alaska Humanities Forum is looking for librarians to join a multi-day facilitation workshop this July 19 - 21 in Yukon Island! Full scholarships to librarians (and library volunteers with a recommendation from their local library) located outside Anchorage are being offered. Food, lodging, and water taxi are all included - the participant need only find a way to get to Homer. Three spots are available – first come first serve.

U.S. ED Invites LEA Applicants for School Climate Transformation Grant Program

The program “provides competitive grants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to develop, enhance, or expand systems of support for, and technical assistance to, schools implementing multi-tiered system of support, for improving school climate.” U.S. ED estimates that they will have $40 million available for these grants. There is no match or cost sharing requirement. Applications must be submitted to U.S. ED on or before July 22, 2019. If you have questions about this grant opportunity, please contact Carlette KyserPegram at 202-453-6732 or e-mail her at LEA.SCTG19@ed.gov.

U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools program seeking Teacher Ambassadors

Become an ambassador with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program, which uses Census Bureau statistics to educate pre-K through 12th grade students about the importance of a complete and accurate census count. SIS equips teachers with free and engaging activities to use in classrooms. For the 2019-2020 school year, new materials will be released that teach students about the importance of the 2020 Census count, and empowers them to share this knowledge with adults in their home. As an SIS ambassador, you will help your students, schools, and communities benefit from the 2020 Census. Email CLMSO.SISambassador@census.gov to apply today. 

UAA Early Career Teaching Seminar: Culturally Responsive Education

This fall, UAA will be offering an online graduate-level seminar for early career teachers in Alaska. The seminar--EDTL A692--applies a culturally responsive framework for exploring all aspects of teaching. EDTL A692 is approved by DEED for the Multicultural Education/Cross-Cultural Communication requirement for teacher certification. In addition, the three credits can be applied to the M.Ed. Teaching and Learning program, for those currently in the program or become M.Ed. T/L students in the future. See the attached flyer for further details.

Upcoming CTE Professional Development Opportunities

Coding and Computer Science

  • Coding Workshops, Code.org / ASDN, For more information contact Cheryl Bobo (cbobo@alaskaacsa.org) or https://asdn.org/. Learn to nurture creativity and problem-solving through coding at no cost.
    • August 12, 2019, Delta Junction, Elementary, K-5
    • September 23, 2019, Ketchikan, Elementary, K-3 & 4-5
  • Alaska Tech Learners (Computer Science), Prince William Sound College, Asynchronous during FY20, online. For more information contact Steve Johnson (swjohnson@alaska.edu).  A curriculum that's a combined PD for certified teachers and dual enrollment for high school students in computer science.

General

  • Math for Teachers, Prince William Sound College, August 7-9, 2019, Valdez. For more information contact Steve Johnson (swjohnson@alaska.edu). A 1-credit PD that teaches teachers how to use ALEKS and incorporate place-based instruction in math.

Trades

  • Small Engines Repair, Lower Kuskokwim SD, September 2019, Bethel. For more information contact Colin Stewart (colin_stewart@lksd.org). Learn the basics of small engines instruction. Specifically designed for small, rural schools.  
  • Multiple CTE PD Practicums, AVTEC, Ongoing, Seward. For more information contact Trish Hart (Trish.Hart@avtec.edu). Participate in 1-week drop-in practicums in multiple content areas to improve content or pedagogical skills. 

Natural Resources

  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, CASE Institute, July 21-30, 2019, Fairbanks / UAF. For more information contact Susan McCullough (smccullough@alaskapacific.edu) or visit www.akagteachers.org. Teachers who attend will be guided through a full year of curriculum and leave with the over 180 lessons in AFNR. This curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

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, sharon.fishel@alaska.gov.

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.

School and District Report Card Feedback

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

AAEC Announces Summer Arts Institutes for 2019

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 barbshort@gmail.com 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.

 To be added or removed from distribution or to submit news items, please contact Erin Hardin at (907) 465-6535 or erin.hardin@alaska.gov. This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form at https://education.alaska.gov/news/infoexch.

 

This newsletter contains hyperlinks to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the reader’s convenience. DEED does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.