- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 46 No. 20
Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
June 8, 2018
NEW! State Board Approves Regulations Implementing Alaska’s ESSA Plan
The State Board of Education and Early Development, meeting May 31 by audio conference, adopted regulations implementing Alaska’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan and sent out for public comment two proposed regulation projects. The adopted regulations are required to implement accountability and school support and improvement systems for schools and districts in Alaska, as specified in ESSA and Alaska’s state plan. Alaska’s ESSA plan was approved by the U.S. Department of Education on May 16, 2018.
NEW! UA President Jim Johnsen announces Cathy Sandeen as next UAA chancellor
Sandeen currently is chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. She succeeds UAA Interim Chancellor Sam Gingerich and will begin her new position on September 15.
NEW! Save the Date: SERRC LEAP Academy Professional Learning Opportunity happening August 6-10 at UAA
The training will be facilitated by seasoned teacher and administrator Albert E. Mussad, who has coached principals, supervisors, and teachers in chronically underperforming urban schools to improve student outcomes. He has earned Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. degrees in language teaching, testing, and learning from Georgetown University, and a Master's degree in educational administration from Rutgers University. The cost of the academy is $500. CEU available through UAA. Some stipends available.
NEW! Alaska Arts Education Consortium Hosting the 2018 Multicultural Arts Institute in July
AAEC has one more great opportunity to immerse yourself in the arts and learn strategies that will benefit your classroom and honor your students. The 2018 Multicultural Arts Institute will be held from Sunday, July 29 in the evening through Friday, August 3. There will be three teacher-leaders from diverse backgrounds including multicultural education, movement and poetry, and visual and media arts. 3 credits are available. Those from out of Bethel will be housed at the Lower Kuskokwim dorms.
NEW! Save the Date: SERRC Alaska Close Up Sessions set for February/March 2019
Students from across the state have the opportunity to get hands-on experience with Alaska State Government with a residential camp in Juneau. Students experience each branch of government with intensive lessons, mock hearings, and interactions with elected officials and public servants. 2019 dates are set for:
1. February 10-15, 2019: Alaska Close Up and Government Internship (Grades 9-12)
2. February 24-March 1, 2019: Alaska Close Up, Jr. Alaska Close Up and Government Internship (Grades 7-12)
NEW! Kake resident Louise Kadake selected to receive the University of Alaska's 2018 Teach for Alaska Scholarship award
Kadake will be awarded a $12,000 scholarship to study teacher education. She is a lifelong resident of Kake and will begin her studies this fall at the University of Alaska Southeast. The scholarship is part of the University's initiative to increase the number of Alaska educated teachers.
NEW! Save the Date: SERRC Career Connections sessions set for April 2019
Students from all over Alaska have the opportunity to participate in meaningful career exploration in one of Alaska's urban centers. Students are introduced to a variety of career paths and learn valuable workplace skills and behaviors in these Juneau-based residential camps. Students will learn about post-secondary training opportunities that can contribute to well-paying careers in a variety of fields. 2019 dates are set for:
1. April 7-12, 2019: Career exploration and job shadowing
2. April 21-26, 2019: Career exploration and job shadowing
Reminder: Alaska Staff Development Network is the New Regional Partner for Code.org
The Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) is now part of Code.org's nationwide network of Regional Partners to advance computer science education in K-12 schools across Alaska. ASDN will provide quality professional learning to educators throughout Alaska through district partnerships and by building a positive statewide computer science educator community. NEW! Elementary, middle, and high school teachers interested in upcoming professional development opportunities or in becoming a facilitator for Code.org curricula during the 2019-20 school year are encouraged to join the ASDN Code.org interest list. Applications will be available in the fall of 2018.
Special Feature: Highland Academy in Anchorage Wins “Best Design Viability” award at the Real World Design Challenge
Team Phoenix from Highland Academy Charter School in Anchorage won the first ever international merit award in the “Best Design Viability” category at the Real World Design Challenge National/International Finals. Merit awards are given to teams who are recognized as extraordinary in not only their countries, but around the world. The Real World Design Challenge is an annual competition that provides high school students, grades 9-12, the opportunity to work on real world engineering challenges in a team environment.
U.S. Department of Education Announces Student-Centered Pilot Program
The purpose of this pilot is to provide local education agencies (LEAs) with the flexibility to combine state, local, and eligible federal funds that it will allocate to schools using a formula that provides additional funding for students from low-income families, English learners, and other disadvantaged students. In exchange for meeting the requirements of the pilot and using a student-centered funding formula, the LEA receives freedom from many of the federal requirements for the funds included in the system. Applications are due July 15 for the 2019-2020 school year. To support LEAs interested in applying this summer, the Department is hosting webinars on June 20 and 21.
College Board Hosting Counselor Workshop at UAS Sept. 7, 9 am to noon
Open to all counselors and educators, this free workshops provides updates on College Board programs, as well as tools, tips, and resources designed to make it easier for you to clear a path to college and career success for your students. Take advantage of this FREE opportunity to network with colleagues and share best practices. Complimentary continental breakfast. Registration for the Juneau workshop will open soon.
Save the Date: Alaska School Safety & Well-Being Summit Happening September 18-19, 2018
DEED will be hosting a comprehensive statewide School Safety & Well-Being Summit, September 18-19, 2018 at the Egan Center in Anchorage. Each district will be provided funding up to $4300 to bring in a team that may include administrators, teachers, school counselors, parents, students, community members, and school board members. DEED has planned the Summit to accommodate teams of up to six from each district. More information to come. DEED Contact: Sharon Fishel, sharon.fishel@alaska.gov.
Alaskan Families Can Continue Learning All Summer With BrainPOP and Sesame Street eBooks
DEED and the Alaska State Library have provided all Alaskan families with unlimited access to BrainPOP and Sesame Street eBooks through the SLED database. Please share the attached flyer with specific directions on BrainPOP with students and families.
DEED Announces Updated eLearning Course: Equity Training for Educators
DEED partnered with the Western Educational Equity Assistance Center, the Association of Alaska School Boards, and the Juneau School District to update the existing eLearning course, Gender and Race Equity. In the revised course, now titled Equity Training for Educators, participants will learn about the extent of inequities in Alaska and the United States, become familiar with federal and state equity and civil rights laws, and learn how to identify inequities in schools. Resources and recommended strategies are available to help schools evaluate their school equity and remedy inequities that may be present. This course satisfies the required training elements under AS 14.18.060(b).
National Geographic Offering Grant Opportunity for Educators
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and National Geographic Fellow Paul Salopek is retracing the first humans’ migration on foot out of Africa and across the globe. Part of his journey will take him through Alaska in the coming years. The goal of this RFP is to expand the impact of Out of Eden Walk for children and youth by supporting a global network of educators who can use the initiative as a catalyst for teaching about the topics addressed by Paul Salopek’s journey.
Alaska Communications Seeking Nominations for Youth Summer of Heroes Scholarship
The 2018 Summer of Heroes scholarship program honors Alaska’s youngest heroes, individuals ages 6-18, who are making a difference in their communities through acts of generosity, courage, or achievement. Five winners will be selected and awarded a $1,500 scholarship. Nominations due July 20 by 5pm.
Ordering Window for Fall 2018 SAT and PSAT/NMSQT Materials Now Open
Order your PSAT and SAT® School Day materials by June 29 and be ready for testing in the fall. After this date, requests for additional low-income benefits will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For assistance contact Nancy Potter at npotter@collegeboard.org.
Sister School Exchange Program Accepting Applications for Cross-Cultural Exchange in Alaska
The Sister School Exchange Program (formerly Rose Urban Rural Exchange) is currently accepting applications for secondary educators who want to lead students on a cross cultural exchange in Alaska next school year. The program operates throughout the school year, matching a teacher and five students from a rural system community with a teacher and five students from urban Alaska. These teams work through a 6-8 week curriculum on cross-cultural understanding, and then take turns visiting and hosting each other. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Alaska Native Education Program, the Sister School Exchange has engaged in cross-cultural exchanges in Alaska for the last seventeen years.
Special Milk Program Looking for Sponsors
DEED’s Child Nutrition Programs unit is looking for school districts, private schools, residential child care institutions, youth shelters, and non-profit camps to participate in the Special Milk Program. Sponsors are reimbursed with federal funds for each ½ pint of milk served to eligible students (age 0-18) that do not have access to any other federally funded meal program (National School Lunch/Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Food Program or the Summer Food Program). For more information please contact Debbie Soto at debbie.soto@alaska.gov or (907) 465-8712.
Registration Now Open for the 2018 School Library Leadership Academy
The School Library Leadership Academy is a week-long, for-credit intensive workshop for school librarians who are established education leaders in their school or district. It is open to currently employed (SY17-18) Alaska Certified School Librarians, with at least .25 FTE in a school librarian/media role. The Academy will take place July 23rd – 27th in Juneau. The 2018 theme is “Picking up STEAM” and will focus on STEAM collaboration and integration within the context of American Association of School Librarians’ new National School Library Standards.
Info Exchange Housekeeping:
This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form on the DEED website. To submit news items, call Erin Hardin at 907-465-6535 or email erin.hardin@alaska.gov.