New:

NEW! Cybersecurity Workforce Development Webinar

As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the Cybersecurity and Infrasturctor Security Agency and the National Cyber Security Alliance are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, October 19 at 9:00 am AKST for all students (K-12 and higher education) interested in a career in cybersecurity.  For more information and to register, please visit this link.

Reminder:

Alaska Poetry Out Loud registration now open

The Juneau Arts & Humanities Council, Alaska State Council on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation present Poetry Out Loud™ in partnership. This national arts education program encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills and build self-confidence, while also learning more about both classic and contemporary poetry.

Complete information, timeline, and registration is available on the Alaska Poetry Out Loud web page hosted by the Juneau Arts & Humanities Council at https://www.jahc.org/education/poetry-out-loud/. Poetry Out Loud (POL) competitions take place at the classroom, school, regional, state, and national level; the Alaska State POL Committee will work with communities, schools and students to participate in the state program as best fits the context of your schools and communities within the program eligibility guidelines. The Alaska Regional POL competition will be conducted as a video-adjudicated process for the 2021-2022 cycle, and we hope to gather in-person in Juneau for the State Competition in March, should conditions of public health and safe travel permit. State POL Champions will advance to the national finals, which are planned to take place in Washington, DC, April 26-27, 2022, where $50,000 in awards and school stipends will be distributed. To connect with the Alaska POL Committee with questions about registration and participation, you can contact Alaska POL coordinators at pol@jahc.org or laura.forbes@alaska.gov.

Code.org offering free virtual PD for K-5 educators

This Code.org Virtual PD is for all K-5 educators, whether you are serving students in-person or online. 

Code.org's Computer Science Fundamentals is a web-based curriculum and does not require any additional software to be added to devices. It includes "plugged" and "unplugged" lessons. 

It aligns to the Alaska State Computer Science Standards, teaches digital literacy, logic and computational thinking. 

Upcoming courses:

• November 3, 10, 17
• December 1, 6, 9

For more information contact Code.org Alaska Program Manager Cheryl Bobo at cbobo@alaskaacsa.org or visit https://asdn.org/code-org/

Short-Term Job Opportunity with the National Assessment of Educational Progress

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in public and private schools in the United States know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is conducted between the last week in January and the first week in March every other (even) year, employing thousands of staff. NAEP has short term opportunities at various positions to work on this important study of U.S. education.  Job assignments begin in late 2021 and last until March 2022.  Visit http://www.WorkNAEP.com and provide your name and email.  You will be contacted via email when the application is available with instructions on how to apply.

International Dyslexia Association - Alaska Branch - Continuing Education Scholarships
Scholarships are available through the International Dyslexia Association, Alaska Branch (IDA Alaska) for professional development opportunities – good for classroom educators, advocates, or parents. Also, check out the new FREE one-year membership for teachers!

IDA branches across the nation, as well as other organizations aligned with the Science of Reading, are successfully presenting high-quality virtual conferences, webinars, certification programs, and continuing education programs. IDA Alaska compiled a list of recommended opportunities and hopes to support educators on their continuing education journey. Continuing education opportunities not on this list, if aligned with the Science of Reading, can be eligible upon approval. For more information on IDA Alaska scholarship awards (up to $500 per participant) visit: www.ak.dyslexiaida.org, or go to IDA Alaska’s 2021 Q2 Newsletter

Creating Resilient Youth Workshops from Brightways Learning

Want to change the trajectory of the lives of children and youth? Then don’t miss these 2-day professional development workshops! Join us October 22-23 in-person in Anchorage, Alaska or virtually for these unique hybrid events.

• Resilient Youth: Connection Matters
• Fortifying Student Resilience with Full-Color Web Coaching

These workshops will enable you to help youth to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. The strength-based principles and practices of the Full-Color Web of Support Framework™ will equip you with tools to support students so they can recognize, appreciate, and amplify their unique talents and characteristics while decreasing negative behaviors. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower youth to reach their potential and achieve their dreams!  Learn more and register. 

Nominations open for K-6 cycle for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is now accepting nominations for the K-6 cycle. Anyone may nominate exceptional science, technology, math, and/or computer science teacher. Awardees receive a citation signed by the President of the United State, a trip to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, and access to a network of award-winning teachers from across the country. To nominate or apply, visit www.paemst.org. The nomination deadline is Jan. 7, 2022.

Anonymous Reporting Systems and Wellness Programs available to districts AT NO COST

SERRC is partnering with STOPit Solutions, one of the nation’s leading experts in school safety, to bring its Anonymous Reporting System (ARS) and SEL & Compliance Training Center (SCTC) to 65,000 students across Alaska for three years at no cost. STOPit delivers their programs to over 6,000 districts nationwide and serves millions of students and staff. Their programs have helped save and change the lives of thousands. Their CEO and school teams are from Sandy Hook Promise – so they understand the needs of schools and constraints they face.

The combined programs teach and empower students, staff, and administrators to recognize and anonymously report safety, misconduct, and compliance concerns BEFORE they escalate into a crisis while also providing curriculum to educate and help prevent such concerns from ever occurring. Funding is being provided through the Stop School Violence Act – a Department of Justice grant awarded to SERRC.

If this is something your district is interested in, contact Ryan Stanley at ryans@serrc.org or (907) 433-7444.

Free Opportunity: Itinerant School Counselor Program

SERRC - Alaska's Educational Resource Center is piloting a new Itinerant School Counselor program. 

An Alaska licensed school counselor will address:

• Social-emotional support
• Mental and behavioral health and wellbeing for students
• Staff training
• Parent learning opportunities

Services will be available in one-on-one and small group sessions with virtual delivery.

Contact Emily Dwyer to apply for this grant funded opportunity. SERRC is looking for two districts to pilot this new program.

For more information: Contact Emilyd@serrc.org

Alaska Academic Decathlon and Pentathlon Partners with UAA to Offer Coaches 500-Level Post Baccalaureate Credits

The Academic Decathlon (HS) and Pentathlon (MS) are national scholastic competitions designed to stimulate intellectual growth, create critical thinkers and create lifelong learners. Both programs are team competitions where students match their intellects with students from other schools. High school students are tested in ten categories on a common theme and middle school students compete in five categories (2021-2022 Theme: Water - A Valuable Resource).  

Next year's programs will offer college credit for both coaches (500 level) and high school students, scholarships for UAA, UAF and UAS along with scholarships that can be used at any higher education institution. Both the high school and middle school program offer medals to individual participants and trophies to the winning teams. The Alaska Academic Decathlon State Competition will take place February 17-20, 2022, on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus.

The Alaska Academic Decathlon and Pentathlon are programs of SERRC - Alaska's Educational Resource Center. 

Find out more at www.akacadeca.org.

REL Northwest Educator Retention and Turnover: 2021 Update

Updated data show that teacher turnover in Alaska has remained steady but high, while principal turnover in the state decreased this academic year. A new infographic, compiled by Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Northwest as a follow-up to their 2019 report, illustrates how rural schools continue to be hardest hit by turnover. Additionally, it suggests strategies for improving teacher and principal recruitment and retention.

FCC Emergency Broadband Benefit Outreach Toolkit

Teachers - If you have students who need broadband at home, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Outreach Toolkit provides infographics, Twitter and Facebook posts, flyers, posters and handouts to help you tell students and parents about this program to help households struggling to afford internet service during the pandemic. As of May 12, 2021, eligible households will be able to enroll in the program to receive a monthly discount off the cost of broadband service from an approved provider.

Enhanced Learning Maps Project helps students personalize path the student success

Enhanced Learning Maps provide standards-focused materials that foster the conditions for improving student achievement, including online tools deliberately designed to support and inform personalized learning.

These tools encourage interactions that elicit evidence of student thinking, leading to conversations that engage students and teachers in formative assessment processes.

Resource Manual for Transitioning from Secondary to Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities

Lee Waters, Ed.D. with the Anchorage School District in collaboration with the UAA Center for Human Development LEND Without Walls has created a manual to assist all those involved with the education of students with disabilities.  This manual is designed to be a helpful resource for anyone involved with the transitional needs of students with disabilities from secondary to postsecondary education.  The manual is available through ASD’s website: https://www.asdk12.org/PostsecondaryTransitionManual.

FDA Releases New Agricultural Biotechnology Curriculum for Middle and High School Students

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing the availability of Science and Our Food Supply: Exploring Food Agriculture and Biotechnology, a new, free and online supplemental curriculum for middle and high school students on the science behind genetically engineered plants. This curriculum is the latest release of the FDA’s award-winning supplemental curriculum series Science and Our Food Supply. Through labs, activities, and interactive discussions, the curriculum aims to help teachers instruct middle and high school students about traditional and modern agricultural methods, with a focus on genetic engineering and genome editing techniques that are used to produce foods commonly called “GMOs.”

The Parent’s Guide to Filling out the FAFSA Form

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is the student’s application, we know that parents often play a large role in the process. With that in mind, the U.S. Department of Education wanted to provide instructions for parents who are starting the FAFSA form on behalf of their child.

U.S. Department of Education Releases Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide

The U.S. Department of Education released a new Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide, a resource to help parents and guardians understand how digital tools can provide tailored learning opportunities, engage students with course materials, encourage creative expression, and enrich the educational experience.

UA Dual Enrollment Resources

Are you interested in dual enrollment opportunities at the University of Alaska? Members of the University of Alaska Transition Coalition (UATC) are available to assist with curriculum alignment, dual enrollment, and other opportunities that support the transition of secondary students to continue their training and education at the postsecondary level.

Girls Who Code at Home Activities

Girls Who Code releases free computer science activities for students, educators, and parents on Mondays. Some online, some offline, of varying levels of difficulty. Each activity features a woman in tech who pioneered innovative technology.

Awareness Materials on Family and Youth Homelessness

As a result of the pandemic, and without the usual methods of outreach and identification, many families and youth experiencing homelessness may be even more disconnected from school and early childhood programs. The SchoolHouse Connection created PSAs and a social media toolkit to help raise awareness and provide information around educational rights. 

Online Story Circles for Educators and Community Members

Educator Story Circles are opportunities for small groups of people (educators and engaged community members) to gather together to listen and share thoughts and stories related to a common theme. No preparation is necessary, and each participant has the option to share or simply listen to others. Story Circles aren’t about performing. Rather, the purpose is to listen and connect. Participants who want to lead Story Circles with their own students or community members will have access to a free toolkit and will be eligible for a $200 stipend from the Alaska Humanities Forum.