- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 46 No. 1
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
January 5, 2018
Last call! 2018 Chinese Guest Teachers Program Seeking Hosts
Develop your Chinese program and bring a global perspective to your school. Since 2007, the Chinese Guest Teacher Program has placed more than 1,400 visiting teachers in hundreds of schools nationwide. All guest teachers are qualified, experienced teachers from China. After a rigorous selection and training process, they serve as full-time Chinese language instructors in U.S. schools. Informational webinar, Friday, January 12, 3 p.m. EST Register now.
NEW! Pathfinders Summer Institute 2018 Seeking Teachers
Infosys Foundation USA will host the Pathfinders Summer Institute 2018, an intensive week of in-person professional development in Computer Science and Making, at Indiana University Bloomington from July 15-20, 2018. Over 800 US K-12 US public school teachers will convene at #InfyPathfinders for high-quality hands-on training. All tuition, airfare, room and board for teacher participants will be paid.
NEW! Nominations due January 19 for the Inclusive Practice Award
The Governor’s Council on Disabilities & Special Education established the Inclusive Practice Award to recognize outstanding educators who work to ensure students with disabilities have the opportunity for an inclusive education with their peers as part of the general education curriculum.
NEW! DEED Announces Alaska Agencies Providing Free Meals to Children
These non-profit, for-profit, or governmental agencies include child care centers, adult day care centers, Head Start programs, emergency shelters, at-risk afterschool and outside school hour care centers, and family day care home providers. These agencies receive funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Child and Adult Care Food Program.
NEW! College Board Offering SAT School Day Opportunity
SAT School Day allows schools to offer the SAT to juniors and seniors in their school, providing the home court advantage on a weekday. The 2018 SAT School Day test dates are March 7, March 21, April 10, and April 24.
Reminder: Bureau of Indian Education Seeking Potential Candidates for Advisory Board for Exceptional Children
The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) requests nominations of individuals to serve on the Advisory Board for Exceptional Children. There will be eight positions available. Pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 1411(h)(6), the Advisory Board is composed of individuals involved in or concerned with the education and provision of services to Indian infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. Nominations due January 29. See attached federal register notice for more information.
Reminder: Nominate a Student for the 2018 Billy Michael Student Leadership Award
Nominees should have a strong record of volunteerism, school and/or community activism, or implementing creative solutions to recognized problems. Selected awardees will be flown (along with a chaperone) to New Orleans to participate in the Museum's American Spirit Awards celebration, June 7 –June 8, 2018. Nominations must be received by March 2, 2018.
Reminder: Spring 2018 CASE Scholarship Application Window Now Open
The Alaska Council of Administrators of Special Education is pleased to offer a $1000 scholarship to provide support for students currently enrolled in UAA, UASE, UAF, or an online program and pursuing a career in special education. January 24 application deadline. See attached flyer for details.
U.S. ED Seeking School Ambassador Fellows for 2018
The agency designed the program to enable outstanding teachers, principals, counselors, librarians, and other school-based professionals that interact with students on a daily basis to bring their expertise to the Department and expand their knowledge of the national dialogue about education. The application closes January 31, 2018, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.
Secretary DeVos Seeking Public Comment on Rural School & District Needs
In accordance with Section 5005 of the ESSA, Secretary DeVos is seeking information from the public regarding how the Department can improve upon its consideration of the unique needs of rural schools and districts as it develops and implements policies, programs, and procedures (see preliminary report and blog post). The Secretary intends to use this information in issuing a final report, as required under ESSA, describing the steps the Department will take to increase the participation of rural schools and districts in the development and execution of its initiatives. Comments must be received no later than February 20.
PLAAY Day 2018 is February 22
PLAAY stands for Positive Leadership For Active Alaska Youth and is an initiative of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame. The inspiration behind PLAAY Day is to galvanize communities and our state as a whole around the importance of living a physically active lifestyle. See attached info flyer for details.
New Test Item on PEAKS: Text Dependent Analysis
In the spring 2018 administration of PEAKS, the English language arts (ELA) section for grades 4-9 will include a writing item called a Text-Dependent Analysis (TDA). Students will write an essay based on evidence from a reading passage. With the inclusion of TDA, PEAKS addresses all of Alaska’s reading and writing standards.
Resources for Parents and Communities:
Fact Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Resources for Educators:
Power Point Presentation explaining the question type and resources to help prepare students
Educator Resources to accompany the Power Point Presentation
PEAKS Writer’s Checklist
2018 Justice for All Art Contest Now Open
Alaskan students are invited to interpret the importance of three concepts (fairness, diversity, equality) of our justice system in two-dimensional art forms and submit them by March 15, 2018. Winning entries and selected submissions will be displayed at courthouses statewide. See attached flyer for details.
Alaska Arts Education Consortium Seeking Teacher-Leaders for Summer 2018
AAEC is planning to hold three Arts Institutes during the summer of 2018. Themes and locations vary. They are seeking specialist educators that are interested in applying to be a teacher-leader. Perhaps you are interested or know someone that would be?
Registration Now Open for the Alaska School Nutrition Association Annual Conference
The AKSNA 50th Annual Conference is scheduled for February 13-15, 2018 at the BP Energy Center in Anchorage. Download a registration form and agenda summary. Pre-conference sessions on Nutrition 101 & Food Safety Certification will be held on February 12th. Additional registration fees are required for these sessions.
Steven R. Nelson Native Educator Scholarship Program Seeking Applicants
This scholarship program strives to increase Native representation in the field of education by providing financial support, mentoring, and internships for Native students in the Northwest who are pursuing a master’s degree in education policy, leadership, technical assistance, research, or a closely related field. Application window is open and closes March 31, 2018.
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.
Registration Now Open for the 2018 Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference
The pre-conference begins February 3, 2018. Visit the Alaska Statewide Special Education Conference website for more information on the conference.
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.
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.
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. Contacts: Sandy Schoff, state coordinator for mathematics or Joey Jogliotti, state coordinator for science.
Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form. To submit news items, call Erin Hardin at 907-465-6535 or email erin.hardin@alaska.gov.
Contact Us
- Erin Hardin: (907) 465-6535