- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 46 No. 10
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
March 16, 2018
Last call! Free Preview of Princess Sophia Opera
Orpheus Project will present a free preview of The Princess Sophia Opera at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 17th, in the atrium of APK building at 395 Whittier Street in Juneau. Led by artistic director William Todd Hunt, local and guest artists will perform selections from The Princess Sophia Opera with piano accompaniment.
NEW! Call for Applications for the Alaska State System of Support Coaching Program
DEED is seeking responses from qualified and experienced Alaskan educators for the State System of Support (“SSOS”) Coaching Program. DEED is seeking experienced Alaskan educators who are interested in applying their education skills in a coaching setting to increase the capacity of low performing schools and districts to increase student achievement. Offerors must have knowledge of current research and practices in the six effective school domains of curriculum, assessment, instruction, supportive learning environment, professional development, and leadership. Coaches work as independent contractors. Applications are due May 2, 2018 by 4:00 pm.
NEW! UAF Offering Summer Teacher Workshop in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
This course involves a field component at Coal Creek and three classroom sessions available via web or in person in Fairbanks. Limited number of scholarships may be available. See attached flyer for details.
NEW! Inviting 4th-12th grade Anchorage & Mat-Su Students for the KidWind Challenge on April 7th
Get your kids or students involved in a free, fun, STEM event with the KidWind Challenge, organized by Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP). All you need are a motor, some parts, and lots of creativity to build a model wind turbine that will be tested in a wind tunnel on UAA campus on April 7th. Contact Colleen Fisk at education@realaska.org or 907-929-7770 ext. 6 for more info.
Reminder: State Board to Meet March 19 & 20 in Juneau
The State Board of Education and Early Development will meet on March 19 and 20 in the first-floor board room at 801 West 10th Street in Juneau. The meeting will begin at 11:00 a.m. March 19 and 8:30 a.m. March 20. The board’s meeting packet is available online.
Reminder: 2017-18 Alaska Developmental Profile Results Now Available
The Alaska Developmental Profile is an observational tool administered by teachers to all kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year. DEED reports the percentage of students who consistently demonstrate 13 kindergarten-readiness goals. The 2017-2018 results are now available by visiting the Assessment Results page and then clicking on the 2018 link.
Reminder: New eLearning course: Narcan Administration for an Opioid Overdose
DEED partnered with DHSS’s Office of Substance Misuse and Addiction Prevention to create the eLearning course, Narcan Administration for an Opioid Overdose. This is a secondary course to accompany the recently released, Opioids and the Opioid Epidemic 101. This is a short course providing a brief overview on overdoses related to opioids and how to properly administer Narcan, a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Users will also learn the appropriate actions to take in the event of an overdose at school.
Reminder: DEED Releases 21st Century Community Learning Centers FY19 Request for Applications
DEED is seeking applicants for competitive 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) funding that would begin providing programming in the fall of the 2018-19 school year. The goal of the 21st CCLC program is to raise student academic achievement by providing students engaging out-of-school-time academic assistance and educational enrichment opportunities. Any Alaska school district, community-based organization, tribal organization, or other public or private entity located in Alaska and working in partnership with their school and community is eligible to apply. Applications are due April 27, 2018. For questions, please contact Jessica Paris at jessica.paris@alaska.gov or 907-465-8716.
Reminder: New Exhibition Open at the Alaska State Museum
The exhibition, Ebb and Flow by the Anchorage-based Alutiiq artist, Linda Infante Lyons, has opened at the Alaska State Museum. Lyons’ paintings imagine scenes of hushed stillness, devoid of human presence and inhabited by flora and fauna. Her painting series, Ebb and Flow, includes medium and large format oil paintings of Alaska-inspired landscapes. Lyons’ is one of eight artists selected for the Alaska State Museum 2017-2019 Solo Artist Exhibition Series. The exhibit will be up through May 5th, 2018.
Special Feature: Alaska Readying for PEAKS Assessment Window to Open March 26
Students across the state will begin taking the Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) statewide assessment March 26. Schools will give the assessment to students in grades 3-9. This test provides students the opportunity to show their understanding of important skills in English language arts and mathematics at their grade level.
The statewide assessment is a summative assessment, which is one piece of a balanced assessment system. The assessment provides important information to parents, educators, policy makers, communities, and businesses about how Alaska’s schools and districts are performing.
DEED has numerous student preparation resources available to help students, educators, and parents become familiar with the assessment format. Additional parent and community resources are available to learn more about the purpose of the assessment. DEED staff have been working with districts to support them in ensuring all students have a positive testing experience this spring.
DEED Accepting Non-Profit Profiles for Inclusion in Alaska 21st CCLC External Organization Partner Pool
In order to increase the capacity of Alaska’s communities to offer high-quality 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) afterschool programs, DEED is assembling a list of Alaska non-profit organizations with relevant afterschool expertise that 21st CCLC grantees may be interested in partnering with when building their out-of-school-time applications and programs. Please note: DEED plans to release a 21st CCLC Request for Applications very soon, but an organization is not required to be included in the Alaska 21st CCLC External Organization Partner Pool in order to be eligible to apply for an Alaska 21st grant as a main applicant or to serve as a formal or informal partner on a grant application.
DEED Publishes Annual October 1 Enrollment Reports
The 2017-2018 enrollment reports are now available! These annual reports include the count of students enrolled on October 1 by district, school, grade level, and race/ethnicity. The reports are located on the Data Center page under Statistics & Reports.
AdvancED Improvement Network Offering Free Membership for Spring 2018
If your school district or one of the schools within is considering joining AdvancED, now is the time to act. AdvancED wants to help those looking to join AdvancED next school year by granting full access to all the AdvancED services at no cost for the remainder of this school year (see attached flyer). Give Tim Cline a call at 888-413-3669, ext. 5775 or email him at tcline@advanc-ed.org with your questions.
Summer Food Service Program Looking for Local Sites
DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs unit 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. Sponsors are reimbursed with federal funds for each eligible meal served at approved feeding sites. All sponsors receive training and technical assistance from DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs unit prior to starting their Summer Food Service Program, and throughout the program’s duration. Download the training registration soon, applications are due May 15, 2018.
Deadline Extended! Request for K-12 Talent Pool Nominations
DEED is looking for educators, relatively new to the profession, who demonstrate outstanding instructional and leadership abilities that impact students, colleagues, and the community. Do you know an educator relatively new to the field that exemplifies Alaska’s best? One who goes above and beyond? This is your opportunity to give something back to the educators who are of great value to your district, community and state. Nominate someone you know – today! Completed forms (see attached) must be submitted by April 15, 2018. For questions, please contact Cecilia Miller at cecilia.miller@alaska.gov 907-465-8703.
Governor Walker announces 20 scholarships for Alaskan students to study in China
20 scholarships have been made available for Alaskans to study abroad in China through the Chinese Consulate. Recipients will explore higher education through a variety of academic programs in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, law, economics, management, education, liberal arts, philosophy, history, and fine arts. Scholarships from the Chinese Consulate include tuition, accommodation, stipend and medical insurance. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2018.
Registration Open for UAF's Middle and High School Academy
The Alaska Summer Research Academy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks is accepting applications through April 15 for its middle and high school programs. The academy will be held each day from July 23-Aug. 3, 2018. Students accepted into the summer program will spend two weeks with a small group and two instructors exploring a topic in science, engineering, math or technology. The middle school program is for students who will be in grades six to eight in fall 2018. The high school program is for students who will be in grades nine to 12 in fall 2018. Financial aid may be available for qualified students.
CACREP Grants Accreditation to Two UAF School of Education Programs
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs in the UAF School of Education: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.Ed. degree) and School Counseling (M.Ed. degree). For further information contact Jane Monahan at (907) 474-5362.
Calling all High School Students Interested in a Maritime Career
Interested in fast tracking yourself into a lucrative and exciting maritime career? Funding available for eligible high school students and high school CTE instructors! Registration open now! See attached flyer for more info.
ALASBO is Offering Two $1,000 Scholarships to Graduating Seniors
The Alaska Association of School Business Officials (ALASBO) is offering two $1,000 scholarships for graduating high school seniors. The scholarship program is named for former school business official McClain J. "Mack" Easton. The application deadline is March 31.
RurAL CAP Offering Experiential-Based Learning and Cultural Activities Opportunity to Schools
RurAL CAP is offering an opportunity for all rural schools in Alaska to apply for an AmeriCorps member who will work with students by replicating the evidence-based, data-informed Project Venture model, which will engage primarily Alaska Native youth using experiential-based learning and cultural activities in 15 predominantly remote, rural communities across Alaska. Interested schools can contact Leilani Luhrs at (907) 529-0606 or lluhrs@ruralcap.com.
2019 Alaska Teacher of the Year Nomination Period Open
Alaska has many outstanding teachers that are worthy of this award. Any interested Alaska citizen may make nominations for the Alaska Teacher of the Year (TOY). The Alaska TOY Program is an excellent way to acknowledge the expertise, skills, accomplishments, and professionalism of teachers within your school. Nominations are due by Monday, April 2, 2018. Contact Cecilia Miller at AlaskaTOY@alaska.gov or 465-8703 for more info.
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.
Subscribe to DEED Early Learning Updates Newsletter
The DEED Early Learning Team puts out a bi-weekly newsletter featuring stories about early learning in and outside of Alaska. This issue features upcoming events such as: CLASS Reliability Training, TSG WebEx on Kindergarten Readiness, upcoming SE-AEYC Conference, and Shanyaak'utlaax: Salmon Boy with artwork by Alaskan Artist Miachela Goade wins Best Picture Book of the Year!
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.
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.
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 Jigliotti, 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