News from The Alaska Department of Education

February Activities at the APK and SJM

Check out the February 2021 issue of At the APK and SJM!  There’s a virtual youth activity for children in Juneau and a new (in-person) exhibit, Illustrating Alaska (featuring Caldecott winner, Michaela Goade among others), opens on Friday, February 5^th at the Alaska State Museum. There are also chances to learn more about Social Security.

As of now, all division facilities are open to the public.  See the newsletter for details and be sure to check lam.alaska.gov for the latest updates.  Beginning the week of January 4, the State Library and archives will be open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. and the APK Museum and the SJM will be open Wednesday through Saturday, noon – 4 p.m. 

Initial FY23 Attendance Area Report for District Review

District requests for changes to the attendance area report utilized to determine space eligibility for FY2023 school construction projects are due by March 1. Contact Sharol.Roys@alaska.gov for more information.

DEED Final FY22 Capital Improvement Project Grant Rankings Available

DEED’s FY2022 final school construction and major maintenance priority lists are now available. Final lists are brought to the State Board of Education for approval and forwarded to the Governor and Legislature for consideration during budget development in the upcoming session. 

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 (DEED/CNP) 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. For more information, please read the full blog post on this opportunity on DEED’s Info Exchange blog!  Completed applications are due by April 15.

Science Standards for Alaska (SSAs) Webinar Series

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is pleased to announce a series of webinars about the Science Standards for Alaska (SSAs).  Join educators from across the state to learn more about the new science standards. Presentations will include:

1. Key themes of the standards by grade span (K-2, 3-5, 6-9, and 9-12).
2. Strategies for incorporating the standards into existing lessons and units.
3. Planning to include the three-dimensional qualities of the standards with your students.

This series was created by Alaskan educators in order to share their experiences, challenges, and celebrations with you.

For reference, the schedule of webinars is below.  All webinars begin at 3:30 pm.

February 5 – 6-8 Standards

February 10 – 3-5 Standards

February 12 – 9-12 Standards

Women of Alaska Display Featured on Official Election Pamphlet

Women of Alaska is an exhibit on virtual display through the Alaska State Library and Archives. Women have played a significant role in shaping Alaska into the state it is today. Women of Alaska recognizes and celebrates their achievements and contributions to the economic, academic, social, cultural, and political fields within our communities.

Alaska Statewide Virtual System Discussion Board

AKSVS teachers, are you looking for a place of discussion and support? Interested in meeting and sharing with other Alaskan teachers using AKSVS? Check out the Teacher Channel Discussion Board through the Alaska Professional Learning Network.

Trauma Engaged Toolkit Professional Development Opportunities

This fall AASB & DEED will be hosting a series of webinars featuring the Transforming Schools Framework and Toolkit. The first session will take place on September 15^th and will focus on Self Care. Please continue to check back as more sessions are added.

New DEED Science Education Listserv

DEED launched a new Science Education Listserv! The listserv will be a space for science teachers in Alaska to share information on teaching practices, instructional resources, community partnerships, lesson plan and unit ideas, professional development opportunities, and to discuss topical concerns in science instruction. DEED will also use it to push out notifications regarding opportunities in science education.  All science teachers in Alaska (pre-K, K-12, and collegiate) are encouraged to join.

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.

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.

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.