In Today's Newsletter
1. Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate
2. Presidential Scholars and CTE Presidential Scholars
3. Assessment Feeback Needed
4. SAT Bootcamp
5. District-Wide Early Education Programs
6. IES Math Summit
7. Coffee and Content
8. Apply Today: U.S. Senate Youth Program
9. Pre-Elementary Assessment Tool
10. UFLI Professional Development
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Per regulation 4 AAC 60.036, all districts with a preschool classroom of 5 or more students aged 3-5 years must annually apply to DEED for Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate.
Applications are due September 15. To submit your application, go to www.education.alaska.gov/earlylearning or click the button below. Once at that website, please click on the link under the heading, “Pre-Elementary Approval to Operate.”
If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Spencer at kristen.spencer@alaska.gov.
The Department of Education and Early Development is seeking applications for both the 2024 Presidential Scholars and CTE Presidential Scholars programs. The state may nominate up to ten (10) male and ten (10) female high school seniors who exhibit exemplary academic achievement, and up to five (5) high school seniors who demonstrate outstanding success in Career and Technical Education programs. Scholars for both programs will be chosen by a commission on the basis of outstanding scholarship, as well as artistic achievement, leadership, and community service.
The programs are open to seniors graduating between January and June 2024 and who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Students at public, private, and home schools are eligible. Only two scholars per school may be nominated.
These are not a scholarship programs; they are recognition programs. Presidential Scholars and CTE Presidential Scholars will receive a medallion at an expenses-paid ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Applications are due by 4 p.m. November 3, 2023. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
For more information and to download student applications, please click the button below or visit: https://education.alaska.gov/RecognitionPrograms/
Questions?
DEED is recruiting for two virtual events that Alaska educators can be involved in the assessment item development process for the Alaska Science Assessment. If you have a strong understanding of Alaska's current academic standards, we'd love to have you participate:
Alaska Science Assessment Data Review
Alaska educators will review and provide feedback on test item data from the spring 2023 administration. This review will assist DEED and DRC in building operational assessments for future administrations. The data review will be held during off contract hours and participants receive a $100 stipend for full participation.
Tuesday, October 3 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Alaska Science Assessment Item Review
Alaska educators will provide feedback on newly developed test items to be field tested in spring 2024. Selected panelists will review for content, alignment to the K-12 Science Standards for Alaska, and bias and sensitivity. The review will be held during off contract hours and participants receive a $250 stipend for full participation.
Friday, October 6 – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 7 – 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Schoolhouse is offering a free four-week online bootcamp to help students prepare for the October 6th SAT. The course runs from September 7th - October 5th. The deadline to register is tomorrow, September 6th. Learn more about the course and register here: SAT Bootcamp | Schoolhouse.
DEED has updated guidance for districts interested in having an approved district-wide early education program (DWEEP).
This approved program leads to 0.5 ADM formula funding for four and five-year-old students enrolled in an approved DWEEP. Please click the button below or visit https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/early-education-programs2.There is an informational document once you click on District-Wide Early Education Program ADM Approval Requirements.
For more information, explore the abovementioned AK Reads website or email earlylearning@alaska.gov.
In October 2022, the Nation’s Report Card revealed that fourth- and eighth-grade students assessed in the 2021-22 school year experienced the largest declines in mathematics performance in the program’s history. These national declines in achievement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) highlight the unprecedented learning crisis that has followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before the pandemic, gaps in the mathematics achievement of students with the highest and lowest performance were already widening.
This September, national, state, and local leaders—along with educators, researchers, policymakers, and instructional experts—will convene to explore efforts to address this crisis. During the three-day summit, participants will discuss the latest scholarship on strategies for mathematics instruction and academic interventions; highlight solutions rooted in research and successful classroom practices; and explore emerging resources.
The Summit will address six themes across Pre-K–3, 4–8, and 9–12 grade-level spans:
- Increasing Opportunities to Learn and Raising Expectations for All
- Strategies for Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners
- High-Dosage Tutoring and Other Academic Recovery Strategies
- Learning Progressions and High School Pathways
- Language and Mathematics
- Leveraging STEAM Applications for In-Demand Careers
The Summit is free to attend and will take place at 8:00am - 1:30pm AKST on September 12, 19, and 26. You can read the agenda here.
This month, DEED is beginning a new event series - Coffee and Content. We will host an amazing line up of Science of Reading speakers. Each month, a new reading leader will share a direct to classroom technique or strategy to add to your SOR toolkit (curricular agnostic), followed by some casual educator chat.
Have questions about reading or choosing interventions? Perhaps you are a single teacher in a village school needing a collaboration partner, or maybe a student just has you stuck and you want a brainstorming partner? This will be an open time for conversation, sharing, and problem solving!
Dr. Timothy Rasinski will be joining us for September 18th.
The Department of Education & Early Development is soliciting applications for the U.S. Senate Youth Program—a national program sponsored by the Federal Senate and underwritten by the Hearst Foundation. It is open to juniors and seniors who hold elected positions in student government during 2023-2024 academic year. Students must be enrolled in a public or private school. State delegates will have outstanding leadership qualities and a strong commitment to public service. They generally rank in the one percent of their states academically.
Each delegate receives a $10,000 undergraduate scholarship and will participate in the USSYP Washington Week in Washington, D.C., March 2-9, 2024, where two Alaska students will join 102 other delegates for an intensive educational program about the workings of the Senate and the federal government overall.
Applications are due by 5 p.m. 25 October 2023. The application packet can be found by clicking the button below or by clicking here.
Only one scholar per school may be nominated. Incomplete applications will not be considered. For more information on the USSYP, please see https://education.alaska.gov/recognitionprograms. The Alaska contact is Dr. Bjorn Wolter at 907-465-6542 and bjorn.wolter@alaska.gov
All Alaska School District programs are welcome to utilize the Statewide Pre-Elementary Assessment tool, Teaching Strategies GOLD for PreK students.
Utilizing the statewide assessment tool is one of the Early Education Program standards for districts who wish to apply for 0.5 ADM funding for their students.
Please contact Supanika Ordoñez (supanika.ordonez@alaska.gov) to get your district added under the DEED license and to join our monthly statewide support calls.
Whether you are new to the UFLI Foundations program or looking to refresh your skills this back-to-school season, please join us in 3 implementation trainings. Week one will cover how to implement day one of UFLI, week two will cover implementing day two in the UFLI program, and week three will focus on using the CORE screener for UFLI placement.
Choose the 1 Session each week that is best for you! We have sessions on both Tuesdays or Wednesdays, from 4:00 to 5:00 PM AKST.
Implementing Day One: September 12th or 13th
Implementing Day Two: September 19th or 20th
Progress Monitoring and Differentiation: October 3rd or 4th
The sessions are held via Zoom, and a link will be sent to you prior to the session. For questions or more information, contact: tina.peyerk@alaska.gov
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