00 Enrolled HJR 13 01 Urging adoption of the Alaska recommendations for implementing the No Child Left Behind 02 Act of 2001. 03 _______________ 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:  05 WHEREAS the Alaska Legislature strongly supports the intent and goals of the No 06 Child Left Behind Act and is committed to implementing state and federal school reform 07 initiatives aimed at ensuring that all children meet state academic standards and benefit from 08 the promise of the No Child Left Behind Act; and 09 WHEREAS specific provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act do not consider the 10 specific needs of Alaska's rural, remote, and small enrollment schools; and 11 WHEREAS Alaska faces unique implementation issues caused by conditions that 12 include but are not limited to the following factors: 13 percent of Alaska's students; 39 school districts each enroll less than one percent of Alaska's 14 students; 15 of teachers; Alaska has 506 schools, and, of these schools, 135 have fewer than 50 students, 01 and 82 enroll 25 or fewer students; 20 percent of Alaska's total schools employ three or fewer 02 teachers; 03 student population, about 23.4 percent are Alaska Native students; with the addition of 1,968 04 American Indian students, the total Alaska Native/American Indian student enrollment is 24.8 05 percent of the total student body; Alaska has a tremendously diverse range of culture and 06 language in its communities and schools; in many villages, the Native indigenous language is 07 the primary language used, and paraprofessionals provide cultural and language assistance 08 that allows students greater opportunity to participate in classes; 09 miles, have few schools, and have no roads; for example, one school district has an 10 enrollment of fewer than 2,200 students attending 10 schools that are not connected by roads 11 and are spread out over a district covering 88,000 square miles; if this school district were an 12 individual state, it would be the 12th largest state in the nation; 13 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges prompt 14 approval of the Alaska consolidated state application accountability workbook; and be it 15 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature asks the peer review team 16 of the United States Department of Education to take into account the uniqueness of Alaska 17 and its people; and be it 18 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the peer review 19 team of the United States Department of Education to thoughtfully consider the 20 implementation strategies recommended by the Alaska Department of Education and Early 21 Development in its application relating to (1) highly qualified teachers, (2) highly qualified 22 paraprofessionals, (3) English language assessment and Native language immersion, and (4) 23 choice and supplemental services, so that the children of Alaska may experience the full 24 benefits that the No Child Left Behind Act promises for each and every child in our state; and 25 be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature is committed to working 27 with Alaska's Congressional Delegation to effect responsible statutory amendments to the No 28 Child Left Behind Act that will enable Alaska to implement the No Child Left Behind Act if 29 the United States Department of Education does not approve the Alaska recommendations. 01 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President 02 of the United States; the Honorable Rod Paige, United States Secretary of Education; and to 03 the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the 04 Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.