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Information Exchange Vol. 47 No. 27

INFORMATION EXCHANGE

Newsletter of the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development
July 26, 2019

Last call! Using FIRST Robotics to Teach STEM

Open to all K-12 educators interested in using robotics to inspire students during in-school or out-of-school time. 1 and 3-credit options available. July 29 - Aug 1 @ UAA. For more information, contact Rebecca Soza at rsoza@jedc.org.

Last call! Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program 

This program provides grants to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health providers for employment in schools and LEAs. The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortage of mental health professionals. Applications are due by August 5.

NEW! Registration Open: 2019 Alaska School Safety & Well-Being Summit

DEED will be hosting a comprehensive statewide School Safety & Well-Being Summit, September 18-20, 2019 at the Egan Center in Anchorage. National and state educational leaders, key staff, and other strategic partners will convene with school district teams to improve school safety in Alaska by both learning and sharing methods to: promote healthy development through trauma-engaged and restorative practices, improve school climate, and strengthen preparedness for any potential school crisis. All participating districts will receive funding via DEED to support sending teams of up to 6 people.  See attached flyer for additional details.

NEW! UAS College of Education Fall 2019 Course: Effective Coaching of Interns and Early Career Teachers

If you are going to be a coach for an intern/student teacher or an early-career teacher, this course is for you! This course will provide you with opportunities to explore and apply effective coaching/mentoring practices including: creating coaching plans, using effective language stems for coaching conversations, and direct practice in coaching experiences. You will engage in reflection and resource sharing with colleagues from across the state, as well as develop a toolbox to increase your confidence and capacity as a mentor and a coach. See attached course syllabus.

NEW! U.S. ED State Support Network Releases Technical Assistance Summary Report

The Network is a four-year technical assistance initiative of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) designed to support state and district school improvement efforts. The Network provides a variety of technical assistance services and resources to states and districts, ranging from customized support to individual states and districts to universal approaches (convenings and publications) aimed to support all OESE grantees.

Special Feature: August First Friday At The Alaska State Libraries, Archives, And Museum: Back To School Event

Celebrate National Coloring Book Day on First Friday, August 2, from 4:30 to 7:00 pm with back to school coloring pages from the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, and the Juneau School District. Learn about programs and services that your student or school may be eligible for, pick your favorite coloring pages, and relax at a coloring station. Light refreshments will be provided by the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives, and Museum.

Alaska ACTE Annual Awards Program Seeking Nominations

Each year the Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Board of Directors recognizes the outstanding work of the CTE professionals in Alaska through the annual award nomination process. Nominated by their peers, the recipients are celebrated at the Annual Award Luncheon held at the AK ACTE Professional Development Conference. This year’s conference will be held at the Hotel Captain Cook on October 13-16 with the luncheon date set for October 15. Submit nominations no later than September 13.

U.S. ED Seeking Public Comment on Title I Technical Amendments

Although the regulations were issued in final, U.S. ED is inviting public comment for 30 days to determine whether any additional technical changes are necessary to align these regulations with the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA. U.S. ED will consider these comments in determining whether to make further technical changes to the regulations or engage in additional rulemaking. 

Alaska School Leadership Academy Seeking Principals for 2019-20 Cohort

The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA) provides new Alaskan K-12 principals with networking, skill building, and professional mentoring support. Applications are currently being accepted for the 2019-20 cohort. Contact Sam Jordan sjordan@alaskaacsa.org at the Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) with questions.

Updated PTPC Handbook for Alaska Educators Now Available

The PTPC website has the updated version of the PTPC Handbook for Alaska Educators under Resources. 20AAC 10.310. DISTRIBUTION OF HANDBOOK – Copies of the Alaska State Professional Teaching Practices Commission’s Handbook for Alaska Educators shall be conspicuously displayed, and available, at every education institution in the state whose employees are members of the teaching profession under AS 14.20.370.

Save the Date: 2nd annual ACAC training in September

The Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE) will be conducting a free weeklong, full-day training at its Anchorage location this fall for representatives from education partner organizations and school districts to equip individuals working with students with a wide array of resources designed to help students access and benefit from postsecondary education and career training. Contact Dominika Szpotanska with questions at (907) 269-7971.

U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools program seeking Teacher Ambassadors

Become an ambassador with the U.S. Census Bureau’s Statistics in Schools (SIS) program, which uses Census Bureau statistics to educate pre-K through 12th grade students about the importance of a complete and accurate census count. SIS equips teachers with free and engaging activities to use in classrooms. For the 2019-2020 school year, new materials will be released that teach students about the importance of the 2020 Census count, and empowers them to share this knowledge with adults in their home. As an SIS ambassador, you will help your students, schools, and communities benefit from the 2020 Census. Email CLMSO.SISambassador@census.gov to apply today. 

UAA Early Career Teaching Seminar: Culturally Responsive Education

This fall, UAA will be offering an online graduate-level seminar for early career teachers in Alaska. The seminar--EDTL A692--applies a culturally responsive framework for exploring all aspects of teaching. EDTL A692 is approved by DEED for the Multicultural Education/Cross-Cultural Communication requirement for teacher certification. In addition, the three credits can be applied to the M.Ed. Teaching and Learning program, for those currently in the program or become M.Ed. T/L students in the future. See the attached flyer for further details.

Upcoming CTE Professional Development Opportunities

Coding and Computer Science

  • Coding Workshops, Code.org / ASDN, For more information contact Cheryl Bobo (cbobo@alaskaacsa.org) or https://asdn.org/. Learn to nurture creativity and problem-solving through coding at no cost.
    • August 12, 2019, Delta Junction, Elementary, K-5
    • September 23, 2019, Ketchikan, Elementary, K-3 & 4-5
  • Alaska Tech Learners (Computer Science), Prince William Sound College, Asynchronous during FY20, online. For more information contact Steve Johnson (swjohnson@alaska.edu).  A curriculum that's a combined PD for certified teachers and dual enrollment for high school students in computer science.

General

  • Math for Teachers, Prince William Sound College, August 7-9, 2019, Valdez. For more information contact Steve Johnson (swjohnson@alaska.edu). A 1-credit PD that teaches teachers how to use ALEKS and incorporate place-based instruction in math.

Trades

  • Small Engines Repair, Lower Kuskokwim SD, September 2019, Bethel. For more information contact Colin Stewart (colin_stewart@lksd.org). Learn the basics of small engines instruction. Specifically designed for small, rural schools.  
  • Multiple CTE PD Practicums, AVTEC, Ongoing, Seward. For more information contact Trish Hart (Trish.Hart@avtec.edu). Participate in 1-week drop-in practicums in multiple content areas to improve content or pedagogical skills. 

Natural Resources

  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, CASE Institute, July 21-30, 2019, Fairbanks / UAF. For more information contact Susan McCullough (smccullough@alaskapacific.edu) or visit www.akagteachers.org. Teachers who attend will be guided through a full year of curriculum and leave with the over 180 lessons in AFNR. This curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

eLearning Continuing Education Units Now Available

DEED is pleased to announce we are now offering one CEU for the completion of eligible eLearning courses. All eLearners who hold a current five or ten-year Alaska teaching, administrative, or special services certificate can earn one CEU for 15 hours of completed coursework. The eligible coursework includes courses required for school district personnel and teaching certificates. Please visit our eLearning page for more information on the eligible courses, and how to submit your information for certification.

Coming this Fall: Google Student Contest to Develop Open Source Software

Google Code-in is a contest to introduce pre-university students (aged 13–17) to open source software development. In the fall, Google chooses more than a dozen open source organizations to participate. The organizations create an extensive list of three- to five-hour tasks for students to work on. The tasks are categorized as Code, Documentation/Training, Outreach/Research, Quality Assurance, and Design. Competition begins in the fall; check the website for details.

School and District Report Card Feedback

DEED released the 2017-2018 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska. This new user-friendly website aims to provide clear, common information about all public schools and districts in our state. DEED has created two separate surveys – a District/School Personnel Feedback Survey and a Parent Survey. These links have been added as a tab to the Report Card site. Thank you for your participation in this survey and sharing your thoughts and experience with us.

District/School Personnel Feedback Survey

Parent Feedback Survey

U.S. Census Bureau Offering 2020 Census Statistics in Schools Program

The Statistics in Schools (SIS) program aims to increase awareness of, and overall public response to, the decennial census by engaging administrators, teachers, students, and their parents/guardians in public conversations about the census. The program provides materials that use Census Bureau data for students in pre-school through 12th grade such as lesson plans, data tools, fun facts, and more.

 To be added or removed from distribution or to submit news items, please contact Erin Hardin at (907) 465-6535 or erin.hardin@alaska.gov. This newsletter is available weekly and in archived form at https://education.alaska.gov/news/infoexch.

 

This newsletter contains hyperlinks to information created and maintained by other public and private organizations. These links are provided for the reader’s convenience. DEED does not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of this outside information. Furthermore, the inclusion of links is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse any views expressed, or products or services offered, on these sites, or the organizations sponsoring the sites.