CSSSSB 6(EDC): "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SPONSOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 6(EDC) 01 "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to 02 school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing 03 early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the 04 Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; 05 establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in 06 grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department 07 of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; 08 and providing for an effective date." 09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 11 to read: 12 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Reads Act.
01 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read: 02 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary 03 school consists of an early education [A PRE-ELEMENTARY] program approved 04 or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program 05 operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program 06 under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC 07 SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH 08 A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED 09 SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS 10 MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP 11 UNDER AS 14.17]. 12 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read: 13 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 14 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state 15 current information on the importance of early reading [LITERACY], including 16 (1) intervention strategies and reading intervention services 17 provided under AS 14.30.765; 18 (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans; 19 (3) grade retention standards and policies for the elementary school 20 attended; 21 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read. 22 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read: 23 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature by February 15 of each year 24 by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress of each school and school 25 district toward high academic performance by all students. The report required under 26 this section must include 27 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)]; 28 (2) progress of the department 29 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 30 of AS 14.03.123; and 31 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited;
01 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 02 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 03 and school district; 04 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 05 curriculum with state education performance standards; 06 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 07 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 08 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 09 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND] 10 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 11 superintendents; 12 (8) the progress made to implement the reading intervention 13 programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, including data on how 14 school districts are using in-service days for professional development in reading 15 instruction; and 16 (9) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as 17 teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of 18 efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school 19 readiness. 20 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.080(d) is amended to read: 21 (d) A child who is five years of age on or before June 1 preceding 22 [SEPTEMBER 1 FOLLOWING] the beginning of the school year, and who is under 23 school age, may enter a public school kindergarten. A school district may waive the 24 requirements of this subsection for a child who achieves a passing score on an 25 assessment approved by the department. 26 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 27 (g) A child who is at least four, but not more than five, years of age on or 28 before June 1 preceding the beginning of the school year and who has not attended a 29 public school kindergarten may enter a public school early education program. 30 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 31 (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district
01 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year 02 regarding 03 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each 04 classroom in grades kindergarten through three; 05 (2) the number and percentage of students 06 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated 07 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or 08 assessment tool; 09 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below 10 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or assessment tool, by 11 grade; 12 (C) retained in grades kindergarten through three; 13 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 14 for grade progression based on the statewide screening or assessment tool; 15 (E) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 16 for grade progression based on an alternative standardized reading screening or 17 assessment; 18 (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 19 for grade progression based on a student reading portfolio; 20 (G) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 21 good cause exemption under AS 14.30.765(g); 22 (3) the performance on the statewide screening or assessment tool of 23 students in a grade above grade three who were retained in grade three under 24 AS 14.30.765(e) or who progressed to grade four based on a good cause exemption 25 under AS 14.30.765(g). 26 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 27 Article 4. Early Education. 28 Sec. 14.03.410. Early education programs; grants. (a) The department shall 29 provide training and assist districts in the development of early education programs, 30 and shall approve early education programs that meet the standards adopted by the 31 board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the department determines that the district's early
01 education program complies with the standards, the department shall approve the early 02 education program. If the department determines that the district's early education 03 program does not comply with the standards, the department shall provide assistance 04 to the district to improve the early education program to meet the standards. 05 (b) The department may award a grant to an eligible district to provide 06 funding for a three-year period for the development of a district-wide early education 07 program. At the end of the three-year grant period, the department shall assess the 08 district's early education program and determine whether the program complies with 09 the standards adopted under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). 10 (c) The department shall rank the performance of all districts in the state in 11 accordance with the accountability system and performance designations required 12 under AS 14.03.123. The department shall divide all districts into six groups based on 13 performance ranking. Each group of districts is eligible for a three-year grant in the 14 following fiscal years: 15 (1) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2020, the lowest performing 10 16 percent of districts; 17 (2) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, the second lowest 18 performing 15 percent of districts; 19 (3) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, the third lowest 20 performing 15 percent of districts; 21 (4) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, the third highest 22 performing 20 percent of districts; 23 (5) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the second highest 24 performing 20 percent of districts; 25 (6) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, the highest performing 26 20 percent of districts. 27 (d) In each fiscal year, the department may award a three-year grant to a 28 district that applies in a format prescribed by the department and that is in a group of 29 districts that 30 (1) is eligible for a grant during that fiscal year under (c) of this 31 section; or
01 (2) was eligible for a grant in a previous fiscal year under (c) of this 02 section, but did not receive a grant under this section in a previous fiscal year. 03 (e) If the department does not approve a district's early education program at 04 the end of the three-year grant period, the department may provide a one-year 05 remediation grant to allow the district one additional fiscal year to meet the early 06 education program standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the 07 district is unable to meet the early education program standards at the end of the fiscal 08 year, the department may, in the discretion of the commissioner, provide an additional 09 remediation grant to allow the district not more than one additional fiscal year to meet 10 the standards. Nothing in this section prohibits a district from using its own funds to 11 continue the remediation process. 12 (f) A student in an early education program may not be counted in the district 13 ADM under AS 14.17.500 or 14.17.905 until after the department determines that the 14 early education program complies with the standards adopted by the board under 15 AS 14.07.165(a)(5) and approves the program. The department may not approve an 16 early education program developed with a grant awarded under (b) of this section until 17 the end of the three-year grant period under (b) of this section or the additional 18 remediation period under (e) of this section. The department may approve a district's 19 early education program that does not receive a grant under this section at any time if 20 the early education program complies with the standards adopted by the board under 21 AS 14.07.165(a)(5). 22 (g) A grant under this section is subject to appropriation, but may not supplant 23 other early education funding available to districts. 24 (h) In this section, 25 (1) "ADM" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 26 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 27 (3) "early education program" means a program for children who are 28 four and five years of age and who have not attended a public school kindergarten if 29 the program's primary function is educational. 30 Sec. 14.03.420. Parents as teachers program. (a) The department shall devise 31 and implement a statewide parents as teachers program for the benefit of children who
01 are under five years of age. The program must provide a system of early childhood 02 education that 03 (1) is evidence-based; 04 (2) involves parents; 05 (3) is consistent with available research and best practices for high 06 quality early childhood education; 07 (4) incorporates guidelines adopted by the department for early 08 learning that 09 (A) enhances school readiness; 10 (B) increases parent understanding of child development and 11 developmental milestones; 12 (C) reduces the incidence of child abuse and neglect; 13 (D) increases identification of health problems and 14 developmental delays through regular screenings; 15 (E) improves child health indicators, including immunization 16 rates; 17 (F) increases parental involvement; and 18 (5) provides for effective and efficient coordination with or expansion 19 of pre-elementary education programs operating in the state, to the extent permitted by 20 law. 21 (b) A school district shall, to the extent space is needed and available, provide 22 for the use of a room in a school at no charge to support the program established under 23 this section. 24 (c) The department shall develop and enter into local partnerships to 25 implement the program established under this section. 26 * Sec. 9. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 27 (a) The department shall 28 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 29 except the University of Alaska; 30 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 31 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school
01 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 02 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 03 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 04 preparatory courses; 05 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 06 governing bodies and personnel; 07 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 08 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 09 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 10 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 11 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in detention 12 facilities in the state during the period of detention; 13 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 14 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 15 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 16 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 17 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 18 the members of each house; 19 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 20 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 21 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 22 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 23 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 24 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs 25 [PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS] that receive direct state or federal funding, 26 including early education programs provided by a school district for students 27 four and five years of age, and approve early education programs provided by a 28 school district that meet the standards adopted by the board under 29 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); 30 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 31 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional
01 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 02 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 03 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 04 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 05 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 06 licensed; 07 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 08 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 09 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 10 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 11 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 12 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 13 and costs, and final contract documents; 14 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 15 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 16 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 17 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 18 will lead to employment opportunities; 19 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 20 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 21 school bus driver training course; 22 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 23 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 24 behavior; 25 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 26 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 27 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 28 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 29 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 30 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 31 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three
01 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 02 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 03 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 04 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 05 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 06 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 07 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 08 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 09 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and 10 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as 11 described in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 12 * Sec. 10. AS 14.07.020(c) is amended to read: 13 (c) In this section, "early education program" ["PRE-ELEMENTARY 14 SCHOOL"] means a program [SCHOOL] for children ages three through five years if 15 the program's [SCHOOL'S] primary function is educational. 16 * Sec. 11. AS 14.07.050 is amended to read: 17 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 18 schools of the state, including a district offered statewide correspondence study 19 program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. Nothing in this 20 section precludes 21 (1) a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 22 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 23 curriculum material not provided by the school district; 24 (2) the department from selecting and purchasing supplementary 25 reading textbooks and materials for school districts in connection with reading 26 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 27 * Sec. 12. AS 14.07.165(a) is amended to read: 28 (a) The board shall adopt 29 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 30 goals that are consistent with local needs; 31 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under
01 AS 14.03.125; 02 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 03 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 04 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 05 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education 06 program provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of 07 age; the regulations must include 08 (A) standards for a 09 (i) half-day program consisting of not less than two 10 and one-half hours; 11 (ii) full-day program consisting of six hours; and 12 (iii) locally designed, evidence-based program that is 13 less than half a day that meets early education program standards; 14 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program 15 hold a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 16 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 17 credit hours in early childhood education or completes the 18 minimum credit hours within one year of the date the teacher's 19 employment with the early education program begins; or 20 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching 21 kindergarten or another early education program and have 22 completed additional coursework related to reading instruction, as 23 required by the department; 24 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children 25 four and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for 26 older children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the 27 content of an early education program to be culturally appropriate to 28 local communities; and 29 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 30 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances 31 [REPEALED].
01 * Sec. 13. AS 14.17.500 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 02 (d) Except as provided in AS 14.17.905(d), a student in an early education 03 program provided by a school district and approved by the department under 04 AS 14.07.020(a)(8) is counted as one-half of a full-time equivalent student. 05 * Sec. 14. AS 14.17.905(a) is amended to read: 06 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the determination of the number of schools in 07 a district is subject to the following: 08 (1) a community with an ADM of at least 10, but not more than 100, 09 shall be counted as one school; 10 (2) a community with an ADM of at least 101, but not more than 425, 11 shall be counted as 12 (A) one elementary school, which includes those students in 13 grades kindergarten through six, and, except as provided in (d) of this 14 section, in an early education program provided by a school district and 15 approved by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8); and 16 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 17 seven through 12; 18 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 19 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 20 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 21 school in the district with the highest ADM. 22 * Sec. 15. AS 14.17.905 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 23 (d) A school district may not include in the average daily membership of a 24 school students who are four and five years of age if the students are enrolled in an 25 early education program that receives state or federal funding other than funding under 26 this chapter. 27 * Sec. 16. AS 14.20.015(c) is amended to read: 28 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 29 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 30 other state. However, a teacher holding a preliminary teacher certificate issued 31 under this section must complete three credits or the equivalent of coursework,
01 training, or testing requirements in evidence-based reading instruction approved 02 by the board to be eligible for an endorsement in elementary education issued by 03 the department. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing 04 requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing education 05 requirements established by the board in regulation. 06 * Sec. 17. AS 14.20.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 07 (l) A teacher certificated under this section must complete three credits or the 08 equivalent of coursework, training, or testing requirements in evidence-based reading 09 instruction approved by the board in regulation to be eligible for an endorsement in 10 elementary education issued by the department. A teacher may apply coursework, 11 training, or testing requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing 12 education requirements established by the board in regulation. 13 * Sec. 18. AS 14.30 is amended by adding new sections to read: 14 Article 15. Reading Intervention Programs. 15 Sec. 14.30.760. Statewide assessment. (a) To implement the district reading 16 intervention services established under AS 14.30.765, the department shall 17 (1) adopt a statewide screening or assessment tool to administer to 18 students in grades kindergarten through three to identify students with reading 19 deficiencies, including students with characteristics of dyslexia; the screening or 20 assessment tool must evaluate 21 (A) phonemic awareness, letter naming fluency, letter sound 22 fluency, and letter word sound fluency of students in kindergarten; 23 (B) letter word sound fluency and oral reading fluency of 24 students in grade one; 25 (C) vocabulary and oral reading fluency of students in grades 26 two and three; 27 (2) support teachers of grades kindergarten through three by 28 (A) administering the statewide screening or assessment tool 29 three times each school year, once in the fall, once in the winter, and once in 30 the spring, to all students in grades kindergarten through three, with the 31 exception of students who demonstrate sufficient reading skills on the first
01 screening or assessment of the school year; 02 (B) providing methods to monitor student progress; 03 (C) providing targeted instruction based on student needs as 04 determined by the results of the screening or assessment tool; and 05 (D) providing additional assistance as determined by the 06 department; 07 (3) provide training to school district staff related to using the results 08 of the statewide screening or assessment tool and understanding evidence-based 09 reading interventions, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic 10 awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; 11 (4) establish a process that allows the commissioner to waive, upon 12 request, use of the statewide screening or assessment tool required under this 13 subsection by a school district if the school district has adopted an evidence-based 14 reading screening or assessment tool and the screening or assessment tool is approved 15 by the department; 16 (5) review and approve alternative standardized reading screenings or 17 assessments for use by school districts. 18 (b) In adopting a statewide screening or assessment tool under (a)(1) of this 19 section, the department shall consider the following factors: 20 (1) the amount of time needed to administer the screening or 21 assessment, with the intention of minimizing effects on instructional time; 22 (2) the time frame for reporting screening or assessment results to 23 teachers, administrators, and parents or guardians; 24 (3) the integration of the screening or assessment with student 25 instruction and department support; and 26 (4) recommendations from a task force, working group, or committee 27 created by law and charged with studying issues related to reading proficiency and 28 reading deficiencies. 29 Sec. 14.30.765. District reading intervention services. (a) Each school 30 district shall offer intensive reading intervention services to students in grades 31 kindergarten through three who exhibit a reading deficiency to assist students in
01 achieving reading proficiency at or above grade level by the end of grade three. The 02 district shall provide the intensive reading intervention services in addition to the core 03 reading instruction that is provided to all students in the general education classroom. 04 The intensive reading intervention services must 05 (1) be provided by a district reading teacher to all students in grades 06 kindergarten through three who are determined to have a reading deficiency based on 07 the statewide screening or assessment tool adopted under AS 14.30.760(a)(1); 08 (2) provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, 09 phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as necessary; 10 (3) use evidence-based reading intervention methods that have shown 11 proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within a single school year; 12 (4) include instruction with detailed explanations, extensive 13 opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for error correction and feedback; 14 (5) incorporate daily targeted small group reading instruction based on 15 student needs, either in person or online; 16 (6) monitor the reading progress of each student's reading skills 17 throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to student needs; 18 (7) be implemented during regular school hours through any available 19 method, including in person or through online delivery by teachers or specialty 20 reading coaches; 21 (8) be implemented outside of regular school hours, as directed in the 22 student's individual reading improvement plan under (b) of this section, for a student 23 who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide screening or assessment 24 tool; and 25 (9) be reviewed based on a department-approved response to 26 intervention or multi-tiered system support models, addressing additional support and 27 services needed to remedy identified needs. 28 (b) In addition to the reading intervention services provided under (a) of this 29 section, a school district shall provide an individual reading improvement plan for 30 each student in grades kindergarten through three who is determined to have a reading 31 deficiency based on the statewide screening or assessment tool. An individual reading
01 improvement plan developed under this section must 02 (1) be implemented not later than 30 days after identification of the 03 reading deficiency; 04 (2) be created by the student's reading teacher in consultation with the 05 school principal, the student's parents or guardians, and other pertinent district staff; 06 (3) describe the evidence-based reading intervention services the 07 student will receive to achieve and demonstrate sufficient reading skills; 08 (4) provide reading intervention services outside of regular school 09 hours for a student who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide 10 screening or assessment tool consistent with (a)(8) of this section; and 11 (5) include a process for monitoring progress and adjusting the plan 12 based on student needs. 13 (c) If at any time during the school year a student in grades kindergarten 14 through three demonstrates a reading deficiency, the district or school shall notify the 15 student's parents or guardians in writing or during a conference. The district or school 16 shall provide the student's parents or guardians with updates on the student's progress 17 every two weeks after the initial notification. The initial notification must 18 (1) be provided to the student's parents or guardians not later than 15 19 days after identification of the reading deficiency; 20 (2) state that the district identified the student as having a reading 21 deficiency and that a reading improvement plan will be developed under (b) of this 22 section; 23 (3) describe current services that the district is providing to the student; 24 (4) describe the proposed evidence-based reading intervention and 25 supplemental instructional services and supports that the district will provide to the 26 student to improve the identified area of reading deficiency; 27 (5) explain that the district or school will inform the parents or 28 guardians in writing of the student's progress toward grade level reading at least every 29 two weeks; 30 (6) identify strategies for the parents or guardians to use at home to 31 help the student succeed in reading;
01 (7) explain that if the student has a reading deficiency at the end of the 02 school year, unless the student receives an exemption under (g) of this section or has 03 previously been retained in kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three, the 04 student may be prevented from progressing to the next grade level under (d) of this 05 section; and 06 (8) explain that a student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient 07 reading skills to progress to grade four under (e) of this section, unless the student 08 receives an exemption under (g) of this section or has previously been retained in 09 kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three. 10 (d) If, not later than 45 days before the end of the school year, a teacher 11 determines that a student in grades kindergarten through three has a reading 12 deficiency, the student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall provide written 13 notification to and meet with the student's parents or guardians to determine whether 14 the student will be able to maintain adequate academic progress at the next grade level 15 and discuss delayed grade level progression as an intervention strategy. School staff 16 shall work with the parents or guardians to schedule a date, time, and place for the 17 meeting and, if no parent or guardian attends the meeting, the teacher and school staff 18 shall determine grade level progression. 19 (e) A student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 20 progress to grade four. A student demonstrates sufficient reading skills for progression 21 by 22 (1) scoring at a proficient or higher achievement level on the statewide 23 screening or assessment tool or on the statewide summative assessment; 24 (2) achieving an acceptable score on an alternative standardized 25 reading screening or assessment as determined and approved by the department; or 26 (3) demonstrating mastery of reading standards through a student 27 reading portfolio based on criteria established by the department. 28 (f) The department shall develop a program to provide recognition to districts, 29 schools, school staff, and students for increases in the percentage of students in grade 30 three who demonstrate sufficient reading skills under (e) of this section. 31 (g) A school board may exempt a student from delayed grade level
01 progression for good cause. A good cause exemption is limited to 02 (1) a student with a disability whose individualized education plan 03 under AS 14.30.278 exempts the student from participation in the statewide screening 04 or assessment tool; 05 (2) a student with a disability who participates in the statewide 06 screening or assessment tool and has an individualized education plan under 07 AS 14.30.278 or a plan under 29 U.S.C. 794 that reflects that the student has received 08 intensive reading intervention services for two years or more but still demonstrates a 09 reading deficiency; 10 (3) a student who has received intensive reading intervention services 11 for two or more years but still demonstrates a reading deficiency; or 12 (4) a student whose primary language is other than English and who 13 has had less than two years of instruction in an English language learning program. 14 (h) A student's parents or guardians may request that the student receive a 15 good cause exemption under (g) of this section by submitting documentation to the 16 principal of the school in which the student is enrolled showing that an exemption is 17 appropriate. If the principal determines that the student meets one of the exemptions 18 under (g) of this section, the principal shall recommend to the school board in writing 19 that the school board grant the student a good cause exemption. The school board shall 20 accept or reject the principal's recommendation in writing and provide notice of its 21 decision to the student's parents or guardians and the principal. 22 (i) If a student in grade three does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills for 23 progression to grade four under (e) of this section, the district or school in which the 24 student is enrolled shall provide written notification to the student's parents or 25 guardians not later than 45 days before the end of the school year. The written 26 notification must 27 (1) state that the student did not demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 28 progress to grade four; 29 (2) explain the implementation of intervention or progression 30 strategies; 31 (3) describe the current services being provided to the student; and
01 (4) if the student's parents or guardians requested a good cause 02 exemption under (g) of this section and the school board rejected the request, include a 03 statement that the request for a good cause exemption was rejected and a copy of the 04 written notification the school board provided the parents or guardians under (h) of 05 this section. 06 (j) For a student who does not progress to the next grade level under (d) or (e) 07 of this section, or who progresses to the next grade level with a good cause exemption 08 under (g) of this section, the district in which the student is enrolled shall 09 (1) review the student's individual reading improvement plan; 10 (2) provide intensive reading intervention services to improve the area 11 of reading deficiency using effective instructional strategies to accelerate student 12 progress; 13 (3) provide additional services and support to improve the student's 14 identified area of reading deficiency, including 15 (A) a transitional instructional setting that is designed to 16 produce learning gains; 17 (B) supplemental tutoring offered by a person with specialized 18 reading training; 19 (C) an increase in time dedicated to the reading instruction 20 methods described in (a)(3) - (5) of this section, including more extensive 21 opportunities for guided practice and error correction and feedback; 22 (4) a plan for reading at home outlined in an agreement with the 23 parents or guardians, including parent participation in training workshops and regular 24 parent-guided home reading activities. 25 (k) A district or school may not retain a student under this section who was 26 previously retained in kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three. 27 (l) In this section, 28 (1) "evidence-based reading intervention" means an intervention based 29 on reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence that has a demonstrated record of success 30 in adequately increasing a student's reading competency in the areas of phonemic 31 awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills,
01 and reading comprehension; 02 (2) "reading teacher" means a teacher who has demonstrated an 03 effectiveness at instructing students to read at or above grade level through student 04 reading performance data and teacher performance evaluations and who meets the 05 requirements established by the state Board of Education and Early Development in 06 regulation. 07 Sec. 14.30.770. Department reading program. (a) The department shall 08 establish a reading program to provide direct support for and intervention in intensive 09 reading intervention services in the lowest performing 10 percent of schools as 10 determined under AS 14.03.123, selecting not more than 10 participating schools at a 11 time. State funding provided to participating schools for implementation of the reading 12 program is in addition to the amount of funding provided under AS 14.17. In 13 conducting the program, the department shall 14 (1) use the accountability system established in AS 14.03.123 to 15 identify low performing schools; 16 (2) establish an application process for school districts to apply to 17 participate in the program; 18 (3) select low performing schools from the schools that apply to 19 participate in the program; 20 (4) employ and assign a reading specialist for each school selected to 21 direct the implementation of the intensive reading intervention services established 22 under AS 14.30.765 by 23 (A) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by 24 working regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually; 25 (B) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading 26 instruction with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the 27 greatest positive effects on student achievement; 28 (C) training teachers in data analysis and using data to 29 differentiate instruction; 30 (D) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 31 (E) reporting on school and student performance to the
01 department; 02 (5) establish a reporting process for each reading specialist and support 03 reading specialist to submit updates to the department on implementation of the 04 program; 05 (6) work with reading specialists to create specific improvement goals 06 for each school selected, including measures of interim progress; 07 (7) select and purchase additional reading material for each school 08 selected to supplement the intensive reading intervention services; 09 (8) pay travel and associated costs for a reading specialist or support 10 reading specialist to attend relevant training sessions identified by or hosted by the 11 department; 12 (9) periodically review staff development programs for their 13 effectiveness in developing reading skills and, after consultation with school districts 14 and experts, recommend to the board for approval staff development programs that 15 (A) have been proven to assess and accelerate student progress 16 toward reaching reading competency; 17 (B) provide explicit and systematic skill development in the 18 areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and 19 comprehension; 20 (C) are evidence-based and reliable; 21 (D) provide initial and ongoing analysis of student progress 22 toward reaching reading competency; and 23 (E) include texts on core academic content to assist students in 24 maintaining or meeting grade-appropriate proficiency in academic subjects in 25 addition to reading; 26 (10) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel made 27 up of teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, and parents 28 of students in grades kindergarten through three to review and provide commentary on 29 the effectiveness of the reading intervention programs established under AS 14.30.760 30 - 14.30.775. 31 (b) The department may employ and assign a support reading specialist for
01 each school selected to participate in the program, as necessary, to support the reading 02 specialist assigned under (a)(4) of this section or serve as a reading specialist for a 03 school's early education program. 04 (c) A school selected to participate in the reading program established under 05 this section shall 06 (1) ensure that a reading specialist assigned to the school is not 07 required to perform functions that divert from the duties the department has assigned 08 to the reading specialist; 09 (2) coordinate with the reading specialist or specialists to redesign the 10 school's daily schedule to dedicate time to reading program activities, including 11 intensive reading intervention services identified in a written agreement between the 12 school and the department; 13 (3) present on the reading program established under this section and 14 the intensive reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765 at a public 15 meeting; the presentation must include 16 (A) the data the department used to identify the school as 17 eligible for the reading program; 18 (B) a detailed overview of the reading program and intensive 19 reading intervention services; 20 (C) a timeline for implementing the intensive reading 21 intervention services and meeting reading improvement goals; and 22 (D) the implications of the program for students, families, and 23 educators; 24 (4) provide notice of the public meeting required under (3) of this 25 subsection to the parents or guardians of each student at least seven days before the 26 date of the meeting; 27 (5) present an annual update on the school's implementation of the 28 reading program and intensive reading intervention services at a public meeting with 29 notice provided to the parents or guardians of each student at least seven days before 30 the date of the meeting; 31 (6) create partnerships between the school, the families of students,
01 and the community that focus on promoting reading and increasing the amount of time 02 that students spend reading. 03 (d) The department shall publish on the department's Internet website and 04 make available to the public 05 (1) a completed application from each school selected to participate in 06 the reading program; 07 (2) the reading program and intensive reading intervention services 08 implemented by each school selected to participate; and 09 (3) a data analysis conducted by an independent contractor of the 10 success of the reading program and intensive reading intervention services. 11 (e) The department may employ a person as a reading specialist or support 12 reading specialist under this section if the person 13 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20; 14 (2) has completed an approved graduate program for the preparation of 15 reading specialists at an approved institution of higher education and 16 (A) has completed a supervised practicum or internship as a 17 reading specialist; or 18 (B) has at least three years of full-time, demonstrated 19 classroom teaching experience where reading instruction was a primary 20 responsibility; 21 (3) is knowledgeable about and demonstrates competency in reading 22 instruction, including 23 (A) an understanding of the five components of reading 24 instruction identified by the National Reading Panel; 25 (B) knowledge of and experience in implementing effective 26 reading instruction strategies and intervention methods; 27 (C) experience in designing and implementing a school-wide 28 response to intervention program or multi-tiered system support model; 29 (D) an understanding of and experience in reading screenings 30 or assessments and data analyses that inform instruction; 31 (E) knowledge of dyslexia and other learning disorders that
01 affect reading achievement; 02 (F) knowledge of and an ability to effectively articulate the 03 methods, issues, and resources involved in support of student instruction to a 04 wide variety of audiences, including staff, parents, and students whose primary 05 language is other than English; and 06 (4) meets other reading instruction coursework requirements 07 established by the department in regulation. 08 Sec. 14.30.775. Definition. In AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, "district" has the 09 meaning given in AS 14.17.990. 10 * Sec. 19. AS 47.17.290(12) is amended to read: 11 (12) "organization" means a group or entity that provides care and 12 supervision for compensation to a child not related to the caregiver, and includes a 13 child care facility, pre-elementary school, early education program, head start 14 center, child foster home, residential child care facility, recreation program, children's 15 camp, and children's club; 16 * Sec. 20. AS 14.03.410 is repealed July 1, 2031. 17 * Sec. 21. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 18 read: 19 TEACHER RETENTION WORKING GROUP. (a) A teacher retention working 20 group is established to review issues and make findings related to challenges with teacher 21 retention at public schools in the state and make recommendations for improvement in teacher 22 retention. Members of the working group serve without compensation. 23 (b) The teacher retention working group consists of the following members: 24 (1) the commissioner of education and early development or the 25 commissioner's designee; 26 (2) two superintendents who are members of the Alaska Council of School 27 Administrators, one from an urban area and one from a rural area; 28 (3) two teachers who are members of the National Education Association - 29 Alaska, one from an urban area and one from a rural area; 30 (4) two members of the Association of Alaska School Boards, one from an 31 urban area and one from a rural area;
01 (5) the chairs of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education; 02 and 03 (6) two members of the state Board of Education and Early Development, one 04 from an urban area and one from a rural area. 05 (c) The teacher retention working group shall select a chair from among its 06 membership. 07 (d) The teacher retention working group shall meet periodically and prepare a report 08 of its findings and recommendations. The working group shall submit the report to the 09 governor and to the senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of representatives for 10 distribution to all legislators on or before January 15, 2021, and shall notify the legislature 11 that the report is available. The working group expires January 16, 2021. 12 * Sec. 22. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 13 read: 14 APPLICABILITY. Section 17 of this Act applies to endorsements in elementary 15 education issued on or after the effective date of this Act. An endorsement in elementary 16 education issued before the effective date of this Act may not be renewed on or after the 17 effective date of this Act unless the teacher has completed three credits or the equivalent of 18 coursework, training, or testing requirements under sec. 17 of this Act. 19 * Sec. 23. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 20 read: 21 TRANSITION. To determine the lowest performing 10 percent of districts for 22 purposes of grant eligibility under sec. 8 of this Act, in fiscal year 2021, the Department of 23 Education and Early Development shall use school accountability rankings from the 2018 - 24 2019 school year. 25 * Sec. 24. This Act takes effect July 1, 2020.