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News from Education & Early Development

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DEED News:

Last Call! Alaska State Council on the Arts Grants for Arts Education available for project support in 2020-21

  • The Round 1 Artists in Schools Residency Grant Program application deadline for the 2020-21 school year has been extended to May 31, 2020. The AIS Residency Grant program provides support to individual schools for teaching artist residencies of at least two weeks, at a school site and during the school day. School districts may apply for multi-site residency programs; nonprofit arts organizations and nonprofit parent/teacher organizations may apply for AIS residency grants on behalf of and in partnership with their local school sites/districts.
  • The Cultural Collaborations Project Grant applications for FY21 are also available, with a Round 1 deadline of June 1, for programs starting no earlier than July 1, 2020. The Cultural Collaborations Project Grant is for eligible schools/organizations to support arts education programs occurring outside the regular school day/year. This may include summer programs, after school programs, or other formats wherein children/youth work together with artists to increase skills and knowledge in the arts. Partnerships between schools, artists and community organizations are strongly encouraged; applicants may apply for up to three, subsequent years of support to develop/expand new arts education programs outside the regular school day/year.

For information about how to bring artists together with children and youth in your schools and communities through these grant programs, please visit the Alaska State Council on the Arts website, and/or email ASCA Arts Education Program Director, Laura Forbes for technical assistance.

Last Call! Promoting Child Development over the Summer Months

DEED is offering five weekly seminars to discuss a child’s development in the months before kindergarten, and natural activities families may engage in with children to promote this development over the summer.

NEW! Documenting the Impact of COVID-19 on life in Alaska

The Alaska State Libraries, Archives, and Museums Division is documenting the impact of COVID-19 on life in Alaska. You can help by sharing documents, images, journals, audio recordings, videos, and other digital or tangible items relating to COVID-19 in Alaska.

DEED Releases ‘Alaska’s Smart Start 2020’ Framework for Reopening Schools

In mid-March, Alaska’s schools closed their doors to students to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Now, as this school year comes to a close, DEED, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Services, has developed a framework for the reentry and reopening of K-12 schools for the 2020-2021 school year. The framework, branded ‘Alaska’s Smart Start 2020’, is centered on student learning and how the delivery of education will continue under guidelines developed by DHSS for how schools can safely operate in low, medium, and high-risk environments.

Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee Meeting June 16

The BR&GR Committee will meet via teleconference on Tuesday, June 16, at 1:30pm.  The primary topics of the meeting include revisions to the publications DEED CostFormat, Guide for School Facility Condition Surveys, and Alaska School Facilities Preventive Maintenance Handbook; and to hear subcommittee reports on cost-effective school construction standards.

Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program FY 21 Request for Applications

DEED is seeking applicants for the competitive Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (McKinney-Vento Act) funding that would begin providing activities in the fall of the 20-21 school year. The purpose is to provide a free, appropriate public education for all homeless children and youth by removing barriers to their enrollment and attendance in school and supporting their educational success. Applications are due June 23.  For questions, please contact Cecilia Miller at 907-465-8703.

Proposed Science Waiver from US ED

In spring 2021, DEED wants to administer the new PEAKS Science Assessment as a full-census field test in grades 5, 8, and 10 in lieu of the Alaska Science Assessment. To do this, Alaska needs a waiver from specific requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). If Alaska does not seek a waiver, students in grade 4, 8 and 10 would be tested using the previous Alaska Science Assessment. This means that students in grades 8 and 10 would need to take both the Alaska Science Assessment and the PEAKS Science Assessment in spring 2021. For more information, please review the Information on the Proposed Science Waiver from United States Department of Education. To submit public comment on the proposed waiver, please complete the Public Comment Survey. If you have any questions, please contact Isaac Paulson, Assessments Administrator.

New eLearning Course: Self-Care for Educators

DEED is proud to announce the new eLearning course, Self-Care for Educators. Educators are faced with stressors everyday in a normal classroom. Now, during a pandemic, educators face additional pressures and practicing self-care is more important than ever. This course provides health-enhancing information on how to manage compassion fatigue and secondary trauma by practicing self-care strategies.  Learn about the important factors of self-care, strategies to help you practice in your every-day life and how to avoid compassion fatigue and burnout.  Active self-care reduces teacher turnover and depression, anxiety, anger and fatigue among teachers. In taking care of ourselves and each other, we provide positive role modeling for students. Please visit DEED’s eLearning page to login. The course can be found in the catalog under All Courses or Trauma-Engaged Schools. Email eLearning@alaska.gov for more information or assistance with your account. 

BrainPOP Subscription

Many of you know that Alaska has a statewide license to BrainPOP, but did you know that your teachers can unlock additional features through individual accounts that can only be set up at the school level? At no additional charge to you?

  • For students to access BrainPop: click the LOG IN tab (not ENTER CODE)
  • For teachers to whose schools are set up to use BrainPop Educator: use the ENTER CODE

If you have the username and password for DEED’s statewide subscription, please only share it in a way that no one on the internet besides your patrons or students can access the username/password. (i.e. direct e-mail ok, posting to your social media/website/blog is NOT.) If you don’t have the current SLED database credentials, visit the SLED Password Request form and fill it out completely. Expect a response within one business day. The SLED usernames and passwords are good for nearly all the SLED Databases and resources. One request will empower you to help with just about anything SLED related.

Contact Martha Ketsdever, BrainPOP Account Manager for Alaska State Libraries, for more information at marthak@brainpop.com.

Seeking Public Review and Comment on State Content Standards

DEED is seeking review and comment on state content standards. We encourage parents, educators, and communities to take a few minutes to provide input on Alaska's current English Language Arts and Mathematics standards adopted in 2012.

Summer Food Service Program Looking for Local Sites

Too many children who rely on school meals do not have access to meals in the summer. Are there children in your community who will go hungry this summer? DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs is looking for school districts, parks and recreation departments, non-profit organizations, and churches to operate Summer Food Service Program feeding sites for children and youth in low-income areas in Alaska. All sponsors receive training and technical assistance from DEED/CNP prior to starting their Summer Food Service Program, and throughout the program’s duration. For questions or to register contact Jennifer Cherian at jennifer.cherian@alaska.gov or (907) 465-4969. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.