Let us explain...
NEW! The Alaska Reads Act updated webpage is live! Thanks to our tech team for all of their hard work. Please visit this page to read about the four new programs of the Alaska Reads Act (Early Education/Parents as Teachers, District Reading Intervention, Department Reading Program, and Virtual Education), and more information!
The Alaska Reads Act (HB114) was passed by the 32nd Alaska State Legislature and signed into law by Governor Dunleavy in June 2022. It created a statewide comprehensive K-3 reading policy designed to improve reading outcomes. Learn about the how and why here.
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2023 Alaska Science of Reading Symposium
2023 Symposium Goal Revealed!
Coming Next Spring: Science of Reading Symposium II
Plan to attend Alaska’s Science of Reading Symposium II. This Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and Region 16 Comprehensive Center co-sponsored event will be held from April 28th-30th at the Egan Center in Anchorage, Alaska. There is no registration fee. Come engage with other leaders and educators from around the state and nation.
The goal for this year’s symposium is to:
"Empower Alaskan educators to connect understanding of reading science to classroom and leadership practices, resulting in increased reading proficiency for students."
Experts in the field of reading will immerse us in new learning. We will celebrate great strides in reading science made in Alaska districts over the past year. Finally, we will spend time connecting the knowledge we have to practice in the classroom and make plans to continue the journey to improve reading across Alaska.
Registration will be capped at 1000 attendees. Links will be available soon and shared widely. Consider registering for Alaska’s Science of Reading Symposium II early to ensure registration. We hope to see you there!
REMEMBER, SAVE THE DATE!
- April 28-30
- Anchorage at the Egan Center
- 1000 participant cap
- Watch for registration announcements.
- Subscribe to this newsletter for monthly updates!
Conference coordinators are enthusiastically developing a framework for this year that will appeal to ALL grade levels and ALL educators. Everyone is a reading teacher!
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School Spotlight
This month DEED is highlighting Alaska Gateway School District. Please read about their journey to increasing reading proficiency for all students.
There have been significant changes at Alaska Gateway School District as we have delved deeper into the Science of Reading. We learned that the Science of Reading is the process of how brains learn to read! Through the lens of Science of Reading, we were prompted to start asking how we teach reading in Alaska Gateway.
We found that most of our schools and teachers utilized blended learning approaches based predominately on Balanced Literacy approaches. From there, our district reflection suggested that Balanced Literacy can look different from classroom to classroom and teacher to teacher. Some of our programming and instructional decisions benefited students, and other practices yielded fewer results and had less impact on reading achievement.
As we approached the topic of how to move forward, teachers and support staff attended reading workshops and classes and participated in school-based professional development. One pivotal moment came after a cadre of teachers, support staff, and administrators attended the Alaska Reading Symposium. That sealed the deal. Our next steps began a robust process of seeking a new program or curriculum matched with Science of Reading practices.
We met in small groups with DEED educators and consultants. Our committees read literature and peer-reviewed articles, and we had hard conversations about the next steps. We utilized a rubric, and a committee reviewed several currently on-trend reading programs over summer break. Our committee ultimately chose a program (Amplify CKLA) that met expectations in all areas on Ed Reports, a non-profit organization that reviews curriculum. Amplify CKLA also provides a program with an embedded universal screener and intervention support, which we felt was critical as we prepare for the Alaska Reads Act and multi-tiered supports.
Another essential part of our plan has been finding ways to increase connections with our families about our Strategic Plan Goal for every student to read on or above grade level by 3rd grade. Our research suggested that some of our students were entering kindergarten with limited exposure to reading and “lap time” with books. This year we implemented Project G.L.O.W. (Giving Little Ones Words). Each month our kindergarten students and their families will receive the gift of a free book and a family activity newsletter. At Alaska Gateway School District, we are excited about the changes and work with Science of Reading and believe a partnership approach with our families will have the highest impact!
2022 Eston Jennings
ejennings@agsd.us
Thank you Ms. Jennings and Alaska Gateway School District for all of your hard work and congratulations to your district on its amazing journey toward reading proficiency for all students! We at DEED appreciate you sharing this story with us!
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Have you had great success increasing student reading proficiency with an initiative or strategy in your school? Do you have something you are really excited about as an outcome of a shift to Science of Reading best practices? We are interested in hearing what amazing things are happening in your school to positively impact student reading proficiency and achievement. Please submit your story to the e-mail below. You may be chosen as the next spotlight for the Alaska Reading Newsletter in the future!
Please e-mail your submissions to: Jenn.Miller@alaska.gov
AKLearns
AKLearns is one of our education information webpages. We are working to develop a reading page on that site to keep you informed about upcoming opportunities in professional development, links to resources and your “one stop shop” for evidence-based reading.
Please visit AKLearns.org and bookmark it to check back frequently and view the PD calendar for upcoming sessions. There will be many options throughout this school year.
The Alaska Reading Playbook and related webinars can be accessed from AKLearns.org. AKLearns is maintained in partnership with Region 16 Comprehensive Center.
Keep an eye out for...
- Alaska Reads Act Guidance for School Districts
- Updated RTI/MTSS Refresh Information for School Districts
- Additional Science of Reading Professional Development
- Updated 2023 Alaska Science of Reading Symposium details
- Alaska Reading Strategic Plan Presentations
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September Curriculum PD Success
DEED kicked off its first round of Professional Development opportunities in September. Tracy Parker led a two-part series on the Heggerty program. The Heggerty program is a multi-sensory, systematic phonological, and phonemic awareness program. Phonemic awareness is a necessary skill for becoming a good reader. In this two-part series, attendees explored the Tier I and the intervention program components, examined movement to enhance student learning, and participated in discussions with other attendees from across the globe. This first offering of professional development saw over 65 participants, representing 17 Alaskan school districts. The next series of professional development will begin September 21st. Check out https://aklearns.org/ for current and future professional development opportunities.
“I have several ideas to help me help my students; I can help them identify/isolate sounds, break words apart, put them together. Thank You!!”
- Alaskan educator attendee
“I started it for the first time today, but I felt so shaky.”
- Arizona educator attendee
Heggerty: Fall Session COMPLETED
Alaska Reading Playbook Series
The Fall Alaska Reading Playbook series concludes this month, with webinar offerings for both Educators (6 sessions) and Administrators (2 sessions). Overall, there were 118 participants. Both teachers and administrators attended from 29 Alaska school districts.
Did you miss the Fall opportunity to attend these engaging, important, and FREE webinars to learn about the Alaska Reading Playbook and its importance to reading improvement across the State of Alaska? Don't worry! Plans are in the works for a Winter Alaska Reading Playbook series. Stay tuned for details!
Click Alaska Reading Playbook for your own FREE downloadable or digital copy!
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Help Spread the Word!
Alaska Educators, we need your help! Please help us spread this information by subscribing below to receive this monthly newsletter. When you receive this newsletter, please forward it to teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and any other educational professionals /organizations that would benefit from this information. You can sign up for email updates on other topics from DEED at this link. Thank you for your service to the students of Alaska!
The Academic Support Team is here to help!
Contact any team member below for assistance with Alaska Reading Initiatives.
Alaska Reads Act inquiries go directly to akreads@alaska.gov.
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