HB 44: "An Act relating to education; relating to public schools and school districts; establishing a cultural education program; and providing for an effective date."
00 HOUSE BILL NO. 44 01 "An Act relating to education; relating to public schools and school districts; 02 establishing a cultural education program; and providing for an effective date." 03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 04 * Section 1. AS 14.07.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 05 (d) The cultural education program is established in the department. In 06 carrying out the program, the department shall 07 (1) employ not fewer than three program staff members; 08 (2) assist a school district with curriculum development and 09 curriculum modification so that the curriculum meets culturally based standards 10 appropriate to the region the school district serves; 11 (3) support school district development of school terms and calendars 12 that comply with AS 14.03.030 and accommodate local cultural traditions and 13 lifestyles; 14 (4) assist school districts with creating orientation materials, training
01 materials, and professional development for school district employees that 02 communicate what can be expected in a cross-cultural environment using culturally 03 based standards; in this paragraph, "cross-cultural environment" means an 04 environment in which people from two or more cultures with different norms, values, 05 verbal and nonverbal communication styles, and beliefs interact on a regular basis; 06 (5) develop culturally responsive curriculum, assessments, and 07 professional development for school district employees that meet the standards 08 established by the state Board of Education and Early Development under 09 AS 14.07.165(a)(7). 10 * Sec. 2. AS 14.07.165(a), as amended by sec. 21, ch. 40, SLA 2022, is amended to read: 11 (a) The board shall adopt 12 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 13 goals that are consistent with local needs; 14 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 15 AS 14.03.125; 16 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 17 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 18 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 19 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education program 20 provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of age; the 21 regulations must include 22 (A) standards for a locally designed, evidence-based program 23 that meets Head Start Program Performance Standards and other federal 24 standards required for early education programs to receive federal funding; 25 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program hold a 26 valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 27 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 28 credit hours in early childhood education or complete the minimum 29 credit hours within two years of the date the teacher's employment with 30 the early education program begins; or 31 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching
01 kindergarten or another early education program and have completed 02 additional coursework related to reading instruction, as required by the 03 department; 04 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children four 05 and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for older 06 children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the content of an 07 early education program to be culturally responsive to local communities; 08 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 09 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances; and 10 (E) standards for day in session requirements appropriate for 11 children four and five years of age; 12 (6) regulations establishing standards for day in session requirements 13 appropriate for kindergarten students; 14 (7) regulations establishing standards for culturally responsive 15 curriculum, assessments, and professional development for school district 16 employees. 17 * Sec. 3. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to article 15 to read: 18 Sec. 14.30.773. Support for reading improvement plans. The state shall 19 provide to a school district, for each student in grades kindergarten through three who 20 is determined to have a reading deficiency based on the statewide screening or 21 assessment tool, $1,000 to provide the support, intervention, and services the student 22 needs for the student's reading improvement plan, including teacher and 23 paraprofessional career development. 24 * Sec. 4. AS 14.30.773 is repealed. 25 * Sec. 5. Section 4 of this Act takes effect on the effective date of sec. 47, ch. 40, SLA 26 2022. 27 * Sec. 6. Except as provided in sec. 5 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2023.