Information Exchange: Vol. 45 No. 46

Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
December 1, 2017

#aklearns because…of school counselors! Andi Zink and Karen Stephan were recently recognized as the Alaska School Counselor and School Counselor Advocate of the Year.

#aklearns because….. is a new section in the Info Exchange where DEED would like to highlight an Alaskan educator, student, leader, volunteer, etc. each week who’s helping to ensure an excellent education for our students. Do you have someone in mind in your school district you’d like us to feature? Please email Erin Hardin with the details!

Last call! Get Students Hands-On with State Government: Letters of Intent for Alaska Close Up due Dec. 4

Schools and districts interested in having students participate in Alaska Close Up, a program of SERRC, can download the letter of intent, due Dec. 4, 2017, at SERRC.org. Through Alaska Close Up, Jr. Alaska Close Up and Government Internships, students in grades 7-12 visit the Capitol, meet their legislators and other government officials, and learn how the branches of government function through interactive activities including mock committee hearings.

Last call! Alaska Week of Code is Next Week!

December 4-8, DEED is encouraging Alaskan students, teachers, and communities to take one hour and try computer coding. It’s easy to participate. Choose an activity and let the tutorials guide your students! Register your school's participation on this map. Use the social media hashtags #AlaskaWeekOfCode and #aklearns to let us know all the great things your students are doing!

NEW! UA Seeking Executive Dean for the Alaska College of Education

The position will be based in Juneau and will have statewide responsibilities for coordinating and aligning UA Education programs at all three UA universities. The recruitment is open now and will remain open until filled.

NEW! State Board to Meet December 7 & 8 by Audio Conference

The meeting will begin at 2:00 p.m. on December 7 and 8:30 a.m. on December 8. The board’s meeting packet is available here. Topics include Alaska’s Education Challenge, an executive session to discuss the selection of the student advisor to the board, the annual board report to the legislature, an update on board bylaw changes, a proposed regulation regarding a world languages limited certificate, adoption of proposed regulations regarding Praxis II content area exams and guidelines for inclusion of students with disabilities and English learners in statewide assessments, and a review of Mt. Edgecumbe High School’s curriculum.

NEW! Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee Meeting Dec. 12

The Bond Reimbursement and Grant Review Committee will meet via teleconference on Tuesday, December 12, from 1:30 - 4:30 PM. The primary agenda items are to review the FY2019 capital improvement project (CIP) initial grant rankings and to hear subcommittee updates on recommendations for establishing cost-effective school construction standards.

NEW! Eagle Eye Citizen Project Takes Flight

Eagle Eye Citizen engages middle and high school students in solving and creating interactive challenges about Congress, American history, civics, and government with Library of Congress primary sources in order to develop students’ civic understanding and historical thinking skills.

NEW! AAEC Seeking Nominations for Statewide Champions of Arts Education

If you know of someone in your region doing an outstanding job increasing the arts, please nominate him/her for this award. Nominations due Feb.14, 2018, winners announced March 2018.

NEW! Speak Up Survey on Leveraging Technology open through January 19, 2018

Since 2003, Speak Up has helped education leaders include the voices of stakeholders in annual and long-term planning. More than five million participants have made Speak Up the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered input one education, technology, schools of the future, math and science instruction, career exploration, and professional development. There is no charge for schools and districts to participate. Participants will receive local data results with state and national comparisons.

Reminder: Notice of Proposed Changes to the Code of Ethics, Moral Turpitude, and Definitions in the Regulations of the PTPC

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission invites the public to submit written comments during the written comment period, which is currently open and ends on December 20, 2017, at 4:30 p.m.

Reminder: National World War II Museum 2018 Summer Teaching Institute

A free professional development program for social studies teachers. Both high school and middle school teachers are eligible to apply. Program participants receive six hours of graduate credit upon successful completion, not to mention free travel to the Museum in New Orleans AND Pearl Harbor, Hawaii!

Reminder: Registration Now Open for the 2018 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference

The pre-conference begins February 3, 2018. Click here for more information on the conference.

Reminder: Attention Graduating Seniors - 2018 Spike Jorgensen Scholarship Seeking Applications

The Coalition for Education Equity of Alaska (CEE) will award two scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to two deserving graduating seniors that reflect the need for financial assistance to further their academic goals. March 28, 2018 deadline for new scholarship applications. See attached flyer for details.

Reminder: AASL Launches National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, & School Libraries

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) launched the new, student-centered National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries at the AASL National Conference in Phoenix, November 9th - 11th. Six shared foundations - Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage - serve as an easy-to-understand framework that applies across all curricula.

Special Feature: The Alaska State Council on the Arts and the Office of Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins announced yesterday that one original design has been selected by public vote as Alaska’s new “Artistic License Plate”.

The winner is an aurora-inspired design by Anita Laulainen, a UAA graphic design student from Palmer, Alaska. Laulainen’s original design was one of one hundred forty-two submissions from Alaskans of all ages and geographic locations around the state.

Over 17,000 Alaskans weighed in on their favorite of five designs that were narrowed down by a panel of celebrity judges. The winning ArtPlate will be produced by DMV for the next four years, until the Alaska State Council on the Arts holds the next competition. The plates will be available for Alaskans to purchase in early summer 2018. The proceeds will be reinvested into artistic and cultural programs by ASCA in a continuing effort to diversify revenue and advance Alaska’s creative industry.

DEED Initial FY19 Capital Improvement Project Grant Rankings Available

DEED’s initial priority lists of district-submitted CIP grant applications for school construction and major maintenance projects are now available. Priority lists are used by the department, governor, and legislature to determine school construction and major maintenance projects for capital budget funding.

PTPC Revises the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession

In October 2016 the Professional Teaching Practices Commission proposed twelve changes to the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession. After considering public comments, the Commission made further revisions during their January 2017 meeting and then voted to accept all twelve proposals. A review by the Department of Law followed, resulting in their acceptance of nine of the proposals. For consistency and clarity, the regulations attorneys made minor wording and formatting changes. Three proposals were withdrawn. Several formats of the recently revised Code of Ethics are available in the “News” section of the PTPC website. The changes took effect September 27, 2017.

Subscribe to DEED’s Early Learning Updates Newsletter

The DEED Early Learning team puts out a bi-weekly newsletter featuring news about early learning inside and outside Alaska. This issue features the Alaska Early Childhood Council (AECCC), Best Beginnings survey, new DHSS guidelines on Childhood Wellness, and professional development opportunities.

2018 Alaska RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference Registration is Now Open

Maximize your impact on student learning – with a focus on personalized learning, effective instruction, and evidence-based practices. The conference will be held at the Dena'ina Center in Anchorage January 26-28. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from nationally recognized experts without the expense of out-of-state travel. Sign up now for the best choice of sessions. See the attached flyer for details.

Enhanced Learning Maps Conference Happening January 29-30 in Anchorage

The target audience is teachers of grades 2-8 in Focus and Priority Schools. This conference will take place on Monday and Tuesday following the RTI/Effective Instruction conference. Nationally-known educators Margaret Heritage and Karen Karp are on the Advisory Board for this project and will be presenting. There are travel stipends for this conference and opportunities for free credit as well.

Call for Student Entries – Letters about Literature

The Library of Congress invites students in grades 4 through 12 to enter the 25th Annual Letters about Literature Writing Competition. January 12, 2018 deadline.

AVTEC Offering Maritime Courses for High School Students

Introduction to Nautical Skills, HS Basic Training, HS Basic Shipboard Culinary Training, and more. Funding available for eligible high school students and high school CTE instructors. Registration open now! See the attached flyer for more info.

PAEMST Award Nomination Period Now Open

Nominations for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are open for teachers of grades K-6 through April 1, 2018. Contact: Sandy Schoff, state coordinator for mathematics. See attached letter for more info.

National History Day’s 2018 Normandy Institute Seeking Alaska Applicants

High-school sophomores or juniors passionate about WWII history can apply to National History Day's 2018 Normandy Institute - the organization wants participants from all 50 states. Along with an educator, students will travel to Normandy, France and participate in exciting primary source resource - all expenses paid.

DEED is Hiring!

Director to lead the Professional Teaching Practices Commission. Click here to apply by December 15.

Calling High School Seniors for the 2018 National Youth Science Camp

The NYSCamp is an honors program for two high-achieving high school students from each state in the United States and others from around the world. This residential summer experience is held in a rustic setting in West Virginia’s eastern mountains. Nov. 1, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2018 application window.

2018 Educator Cross-Cultural Immersion Program Seeking Applications

The three-credit graduate-level course is an experiential program that aims to increase the cultural responsiveness of urban Alaskan educators through a guided orientation and debrief, reflective activities, and a one-week summer immersion at a rural Alaskan culture camp. The course runs from May-October and all expenses are paid.

DEED Publishes Revised Project Delivery Method Handbook

The 2017 publication provides information on different approaches school districts and municipal entities can seek department approval to utilize when designing and constructing a capital project in compliance with statutes and regulations governing debt reimbursement and grant capital project funding (AS 14.11). Revisions include discussion on three additional project variants, expanded required alternative delivery directives, and new appendices with checklists and a template for options analysis.

Info Exchange Housekeeping:

This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form here. To submit news items, please email Erin Hardin or call 907-465-6535.