SCS HB 114(FIN) am S: "An Act relating to facilities constituting a school; relating to the powers and duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public schools and school districts; relating to early education programs; relating to funding for early education programs; relating to school age eligibility; relating to reports by the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to reports by school districts; relating to certification and competency of teachers; relating to screening reading deficiencies and providing reading intervention services to public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; relating to textbooks and materials for reading intervention services; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to the definition of 'parent' in education statutes; relating to a virtual education consortium; relating to the education loan program, the Alaska supplemental education loan program, and the teacher education loan program; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 114(FIN) am S 01 "An Act relating to facilities constituting a school; relating to the powers and duties of 02 the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to public schools and 03 school districts; relating to early education programs; relating to funding for early 04 education programs; relating to school age eligibility; relating to reports by the 05 Department of Education and Early Development; relating to reports by school 06 districts; relating to certification and competency of teachers; relating to screening 07 reading deficiencies and providing reading intervention services to public school 08 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; relating to textbooks and 09 materials for reading intervention services; establishing a reading program in the 10 Department of Education and Early Development; relating to the definition of 'parent' 11 in education statutes; relating to a virtual education consortium; relating to the 12 education loan program, the Alaska supplemental education loan program, and the
01 teacher education loan program; and providing for an effective date." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. AS 14.17.905(c) is amended to read: 04 (c) Notwithstanding (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section, in a community with an 05 ADM of greater than 425 that has only one facility administered as a school, 06 excluding charter schools, for students in grades kindergarten through 12, the 07 number of schools for the community shall be counted under (a)(2) of this section. 08 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 09 read: 10 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Reads Act. 11 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.040 is amended to read: 12 Sec. 14.03.040. Day in session. Each day within the school term is a day in 13 session except Saturdays, Sundays, and days designated as holidays by or according to 14 AS 14.03.050. A school board may approve Saturdays as a day in session. The day in 15 session in every school shall be at least four hours long, exclusive of intermissions, for 16 the first, second, and third grades and five hours, exclusive of intermissions, for [ALL 17 OTHER] grades four through 12. The commissioner may approve a shorter day in 18 session for any grade. The period of the day in session shall be devoted to the 19 instruction of pupils or to study periods for the pupils. 20 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read: 21 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary 22 school consists of an early education [A PRE-ELEMENTARY] program approved 23 or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program 24 operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program 25 under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC 26 SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH 27 A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED 28 SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS 29 MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP 30 UNDER AS 14.17].
01 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.060(e), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, 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 program [APPROVED OR] supervised by the 04 department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program operated by a head start 05 agency as a head start program under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c. 06 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read: 07 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 08 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state 09 current information on the importance of [EARLY] literacy and early reading, 10 including 11 (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies and reading 12 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765; 13 (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans; 14 (3) grade progression [RETENTION] standards and policies for the 15 elementary school attended; 16 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; 17 (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in 18 improving adult literacy. 19 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.072(a), as amended by sec. 5 of this Act, is amended to read: 20 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 21 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state 22 current information on the importance of literacy and early reading, including 23 (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies [AND READING 24 INTERVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER AS 14.30.765]; 25 (2) home reading plans; 26 (3) grade progression standards and policies for the elementary school 27 attended; 28 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; 29 (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in improving 30 adult literacy. 31 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read:
01 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by 02 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress 03 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. 04 The report required under this section must include 05 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)]; 06 (2) progress of the department 07 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 08 of AS 14.03.123; and 09 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 10 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 11 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 12 and school district; 13 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 14 curriculum with state education performance standards; 15 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 16 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 17 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 18 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND] 19 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 20 superintendents; 21 (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative 22 employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of 23 (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in 24 each category employed by each school district compared to the number 25 of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous 26 year; 27 (B) the total number of certificated administrative 28 employees employed by each school district compared to the total number 29 of teachers employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous 30 year; and 31 (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school
01 district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school 02 district on October 1 of the previous year; 03 (9) the progress made to implement the reading intervention 04 programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780, including data on how 05 school districts are using in-service days for culturally responsive professional 06 development in reading instruction; and 07 (10) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as 08 teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of 09 efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school 10 readiness. 11 * Sec. 9. AS 14.03.078(a), as amended by sec. 7 of this Act, is amended to read: 12 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by 13 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress 14 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. 15 The report required under this section must include 16 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120; 17 (2) progress of the department 18 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 19 of AS 14.03.123; and 20 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 21 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 22 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 23 and school district; 24 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 25 curriculum with state education performance standards; 26 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 27 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 28 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 29 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; 30 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 31 superintendents; and
01 (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative 02 employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of 03 (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in 04 each category employed by each school district compared to the number of 05 students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year; 06 (B) the total number of certificated administrative employees 07 employed by each school district compared to the total number of teachers 08 employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous year; and 09 (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school 10 district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school district 11 on October 1 of the previous year [; 12 (9) THE PROGRESS MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE READING 13 INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780, 14 INCLUDING DATA ON HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE USING IN-SERVICE 15 DAYS FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN 16 READING INSTRUCTION; AND 17 (10) THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PARTICIPATION RATES OF 18 THE PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER 19 AS 14.03.420, INCLUDING MEASURES OF EFFICIENCY AND 20 EFFECTIVENESS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM 21 ON SCHOOL READINESS]. 22 * Sec. 10. AS 14.03.078 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 23 (c) Each school district shall make available to the public the portion of the 24 report under (a)(8) of this section that pertains to the school district by posting the 25 information in a prominent location on the school district's or local community's 26 Internet website or by another easily accessible method. 27 (d) In this section, "administrative employee" means an employee who does 28 not provide direct classroom instruction for students as a regular part of the 29 employee's job. 30 * Sec. 11. AS 14.03.080(c) is amended to read: 31 (c) A child under school age who is at least four years of age at the
01 beginning of the school year may be admitted to a public school in the school district 02 of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the governing body of the school 03 district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed by the board evidencing that 04 the child has the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to perform satisfactorily for 05 the educational program being offered. A district's educational program must prescribe 06 that, except for students in an early education program, under school age students 07 advance through the curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A 08 governing body may delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief 09 school administrator of the school district. 10 * Sec. 12. AS 14.03.080(c), as amended by sec. 10 of this Act, is amended to read: 11 (c) A child under school age [WHO IS AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OF AGE 12 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR] may be admitted to a public 13 school in the school district of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the 14 governing body of the school district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed 15 by the board evidencing that the child has the mental, physical, and emotional capacity 16 to perform satisfactorily for the educational program being offered. A district's 17 educational program must prescribe that [, EXCEPT FOR STUDENTS IN AN 18 EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM,] under school age students advance through the 19 curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A governing body may 20 delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief school administrator 21 of the school district. 22 * Sec. 13. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 23 (g) A child who is five years of age on or before September 1 following the 24 beginning of the school year, and who is under school age, may enter a public school 25 kindergarten. 26 * Sec. 14. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 27 (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district 28 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year 29 regarding 30 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each 31 classroom in grades kindergarten through three;
01 (2) the number and percentage of students 02 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated 03 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool; 04 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below 05 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening tool, by grade; 06 (C) in grades kindergarten through three who did not progress 07 to the next grade and the reasons the students did not progress; 08 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 09 progress to grade four based on the statewide screening tool; 10 (E) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 11 waiver under AS 14.30.765(f); 12 (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 13 progress to grade four based on an alternative standardized reading screening; 14 (G) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 15 progress to grade four based on a student reading portfolio; 16 (3) the performance on the statewide screening tool of students in a 17 grade above grade three who did not progress to grade four or who progressed to grade 18 four based on a waiver under AS 14.30.765(f). 19 (i) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, the 20 department shall post on the department's Internet website and make available for 21 download the information reported under this section. The department shall post the 22 information in a single downloadable comma-separated values file or a similar single 23 downloadable file that allows data storage in tabular format. The file must include the 24 comprehensive information about each public school reported under (d) and (e) of this 25 section in a single list that may be sorted and compared. 26 (j) If the department receives the information required to be reported under 27 this section from multiple sources, the department shall consolidate the information. 28 Nothing in this section requires a district to provide duplicate information to the 29 department in separate documents. 30 * Sec. 15. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 31 Article 4. Early Education.
01 Sec. 14.03.410. Early education programs; grants. (a) The department shall 02 provide training and assistance to develop and improve district-wide early education 03 programs that comply with standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). 04 (b) The department may award a grant to provide funding for a three-year 05 period for the development or improvement of a district-wide early education program 06 to a district that has not received a grant under this section, applies in a format 07 prescribed by the department, provides the information required under (g) of this 08 section, and is eligible for a grant as specified under (c) of this section. Unless the 09 legislature appropriates another amount, total grant funding awarded to districts under 10 this subsection may not exceed $3,000,000 in a fiscal year. 11 (c) The department shall rank the performance of each district in the state in 12 accordance with the accountability system and performance designations required 13 under AS 14.03.123. When approving grants under (b) of this section, the department 14 shall prioritize eligible districts with lower performance, based on the department's 15 ranking of districts under this subsection. A district is eligible for a grant if the 16 department determines an insufficient number of children in the district attend high 17 quality child care programs, including head start programs, early education programs 18 provided by a local government, and early education programs provided by child 19 development agencies, that 20 (1) meet or exceed the standards adopted by the board under 21 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); and 22 (2) would continue operating after development of a district early 23 education program. 24 (d) If the department does not approve the early education program of a 25 district awarded a grant under (b) of this section by the end of the district's three-year 26 grant period, the department may provide a one-year remediation grant to allow the 27 district one additional fiscal year to meet the early education program standards 28 adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the district is unable to meet the 29 early education program standards at the end of that fiscal year, the department may, 30 in the discretion of the commissioner, provide an additional remediation grant to allow 31 the district not more than one additional fiscal year to meet the standards. Nothing in
01 this section prohibits a district from using its own funds to continue the remediation 02 process. 03 (e) A student in an early education program may not be counted in a district's 04 ADM under AS 14.17.500 unless the department has approved the program. 05 (f) A grant under this section is subject to appropriation, but may not supplant 06 other early education funding available to districts. 07 (g) Before applying for a grant under (b) of this section, a district shall, to 08 avoid duplicate programs and facilitate resource sharing to improve early education 09 within the district, consult with each local and tribal head start program within the 10 district's boundaries. An application submitted under (b) of this section must include 11 documentation establishing that the district consulted with each local and tribal head 12 start program within the district. 13 (h) In this section, 14 (1) "ADM" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 15 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 16 (3) "early education program" means a program, the primary function 17 of which is educational, for children who are four and five years of age and who have 18 not attended a public school kindergarten. 19 Sec. 14.03.420. Parents as teachers program. (a) The department shall 20 design and implement a statewide parents as teachers program for the benefit of 21 children who are under five years of age. The program must provide a system of early 22 childhood education that 23 (1) is evidence-based; 24 (2) involves parents; 25 (3) is consistent with available research and best practices for high 26 quality early childhood education; 27 (4) incorporates guidelines adopted by the department for early 28 learning that 29 (A) enhance school readiness; 30 (B) increase parent understanding of child development and 31 developmental milestones;
01 (C) reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect; 02 (D) increase identification of health problems and 03 developmental delays through regular screenings; 04 (E) improve child health indicators, including immunization 05 rates; and 06 (F) increase parental involvement; and 07 (5) provides for effective and efficient coordination with or expansion 08 of early education programs operating in the state, to the extent permitted by law. 09 (b) A school district shall, to the extent space is needed and available, provide 10 for the use of a room in a school at no charge to support the program established under 11 this section. 12 (c) The department shall develop and enter into local partnerships to 13 implement the program established under this section. 14 * Sec. 16. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 15 (a) The department shall 16 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 17 except the University of Alaska; 18 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 19 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 20 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 21 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 22 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 23 preparatory courses; 24 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 25 governing bodies and personnel; 26 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 27 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 28 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 29 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 30 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in juvenile 31 detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are defined in
01 AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 02 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 03 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 04 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 05 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 06 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 07 the members of each house; 08 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 09 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 10 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 11 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 12 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 13 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs 14 [PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS] that receive direct state or federal funding, 15 including early education programs provided by a school district for students 16 four and five years of age, approve an early education program provided by a 17 school district that complies with the standards adopted by the board under 18 AS 14.07.165(a)(5), and revoke approval of an early education program if the 19 program does not comply with the standards adopted by the board under 20 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); 21 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 22 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 23 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 24 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 25 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 26 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 27 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 28 licensed; 29 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 30 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 31 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the
01 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 02 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 03 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 04 and costs, and final contract documents; 05 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 06 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 07 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 08 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 09 will lead to employment opportunities; 10 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 11 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 12 school bus driver training course; 13 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 14 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 15 behavior; 16 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 17 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 18 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 19 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 20 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 21 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 22 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 23 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 24 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 25 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 26 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 27 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 28 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 29 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 30 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 31 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and
01 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as 02 described in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770; 03 (19) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel to 04 review and comment on the effectiveness of the programs created by the 05 department and the regulations adopted by the board to implement AS 14.03.410, 06 14.03.420, AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.770, and 14.30.800; the panel 07 (A) shall provide recommendations and guidance to the 08 board, the department, and the legislature on how to integrate early 09 education and reading programs created under this title with tribal 10 compacting or programs focused on cultural education within the 11 department; 12 (B) shall discuss support for reading in Alaska Native 13 languages and other non-English languages; 14 (C) must collectively represent the regions of the state and 15 include teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school 16 administrators, parents of students in grades kindergarten through three, 17 stakeholders from indigenous language immersion programs, 18 representatives from early education stakeholder groups, and researchers 19 of best practices for improving literacy performance, including best 20 practices for instruction of indigenous students and students whose first 21 language is not English. 22 * Sec. 17. AS 14.07.020(a), as amended by sec. 15 of this Act, is amended to read: 23 (a) The department shall 24 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 25 except the University of Alaska; 26 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 27 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 28 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 29 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 30 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 31 preparatory courses;
01 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 02 governing bodies and personnel; 03 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 04 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 05 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 06 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 07 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in juvenile 08 detention facilities or juvenile treatment facilities, as those terms are defined in 09 AS 47.12.990, in the state during the period of detention or treatment; 10 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 11 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 12 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 13 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 14 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 15 the members of each house; 16 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 17 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 18 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 19 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 20 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 21 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 22 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 23 a school district for students four and five years of age [, APPROVE AN EARLY 24 EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT 25 COMPLIES WITH THE STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD UNDER 26 AS 14.07.165(a)(5), AND REVOKE APPROVAL OF AN EARLY EDUCATION 27 PROGRAM IF THE PROGRAM DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE STANDARDS 28 ADOPTED BY THE BOARD UNDER AS 14.07.165(a)(5)]; 29 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 30 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 31 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any
01 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 02 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 03 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 04 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 05 licensed; 06 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 07 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 08 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 09 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 10 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 11 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 12 and costs, and final contract documents; 13 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 14 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 15 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 16 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 17 will lead to employment opportunities; 18 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 19 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 20 school bus driver training course; 21 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 22 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 23 behavior; 24 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 25 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 26 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 27 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 28 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 29 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 30 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 31 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent
01 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 02 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 03 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 04 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 05 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 06 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 07 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15) [; 08 (18) ESTABLISH A READING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE DIRECT 09 SUPPORT FOR AND INTERVENTION IN THE READING INTERVENTION 10 PROGRAMS OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AS DESCRIBED IN AS 14.30.765 11 AND 14.30.770; 12 (19) ANNUALLY CONVENE, EITHER IN PERSON OR 13 ELECTRONICALLY, A PANEL TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON THE 14 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAMS CREATED BY THE DEPARTMENT 15 AND THE REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD TO IMPLEMENT 16 AS 14.03.410, 14.03.420, AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.770, AND 14.30.800; THE PANEL 17 (A) SHALL PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS AND 18 GUIDANCE TO THE BOARD, THE DEPARTMENT, AND THE 19 LEGISLATURE ON HOW TO INTEGRATE EARLY EDUCATION AND 20 READING PROGRAMS CREATED UNDER THIS TITLE WITH TRIBAL 21 COMPACTING OR PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON CULTURAL 22 EDUCATION WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT; 23 (B) SHALL DISCUSS SUPPORT FOR READING IN 24 ALASKA NATIVE LANGUAGES AND OTHER NON-ENGLISH 25 LANGUAGES; 26 (C) MUST COLLECTIVELY REPRESENT THE REGIONS 27 OF THE STATE AND INCLUDE TEACHERS OF GRADES 28 KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THREE, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, 29 PARENTS OF STUDENTS IN GRADES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 30 THREE, STAKEHOLDERS FROM INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE 31 IMMERSION PROGRAMS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM EARLY
01 EDUCATION STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, AND RESEARCHERS OF BEST 02 PRACTICES FOR IMPROVING LITERACY PERFORMANCE, 03 INCLUDING BEST PRACTICES FOR INSTRUCTION OF INDIGENOUS 04 STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT 05 ENGLISH]. 06 * Sec. 18. AS 14.07.020(c) is amended to read: 07 (c) In this section, "early education program" ["PRE-ELEMENTARY 08 SCHOOL"] means a program [SCHOOL] for children ages three through five years if 09 the program's [SCHOOL'S] primary function is educational. 10 * Sec. 19. AS 14.07.030(a) is amended to read: 11 (a) The department may 12 (1) establish, maintain, govern, operate, discontinue, and combine area, 13 regional, and special schools; 14 (2) enter into contractual agreements with the Bureau of Indian Affairs 15 or with a school district to share boarding costs of secondary school students; 16 (3) provide for citizenship night schools when and where expedient; 17 (4) provide for the sale or other disposition of abandoned or obsolete 18 buildings and other state-owned school property; 19 (5) prescribe a classification for items of expense of school districts; 20 (6) acquire and transfer personal property, acquire real property, and 21 transfer real property to federal agencies, state agencies, or to political subdivisions; 22 (7) enter into contractual agreements with school districts to provide 23 more efficient or economical education services; reasonable fees may be charged by 24 the department to cover the costs of providing services under an agreement, including 25 costs for professional services, reproduction or printing, and mailing and distribution 26 of educational materials; 27 (8) provide for the issuance of elementary and secondary diplomas to 28 persons not in school who have completed the equivalent of an 8th or 12th grade 29 education, respectively, in accordance with standards established by the department; 30 (9) apply for, accept, and spend endowments, grants, and other private 31 money available to the state for educational purposes in accordance with AS 37.07
01 (Executive Budget Act); 02 (10) set student tuition and fees for educational and extracurricular 03 programs and services provided and schools operated by the department under the 04 provisions of (1) of this section and AS 14.07.020(a)(9), (11), and (12); 05 (11) charge fees to cover the costs of care and handling with respect to 06 the acquisition, warehousing, distribution, or transfer of donated foods; 07 (12) establish and collect fees for the rental of school facilities and for 08 other programs and services provided by the schools; 09 (13) develop a model curriculum and provide technical assistance for 10 early childhood education programs; 11 (14) notwithstanding any other provision of this title, intervene in a 12 school district to improve instructional practices under standards established by the 13 department in regulation, including directing the 14 (A) employees identified by the department to exercise 15 supervisory authority for instructional practices in the district or in a specified 16 school; 17 (B) use of appropriations under this title for distribution to a 18 district; 19 (15) notwithstanding any other provision of this title, redirect public 20 school funding under AS 14.17 appropriated for distribution to a school district, after 21 providing notice to the district and an opportunity for the district to respond, [WHEN] 22 (A) when necessary to contract for services to improve 23 instructional practices in the district; [OR] 24 (B) when the district has failed to take an action required by 25 the department to improve instructional practices in the district; if funding is 26 redirected under this subparagraph, the department shall provide the redirected 27 funding to the district when the department has determined that the required 28 action is satisfactorily completed; or 29 (C) in accordance with AS 14.07.070, when the district has 30 failed to comply with the school laws of the state or with the regulations 31 adopted by the department.
01 * Sec. 20. AS 14.07.050 is amended to read: 02 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 03 schools of the state, including a district offered statewide correspondence study 04 program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. Nothing in this 05 section precludes 06 (1) a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 07 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 08 curriculum material not provided by the school district; 09 (2) the department from selecting and purchasing supplementary 10 reading textbooks and materials for school districts to support reading 11 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 12 * Sec. 21. AS 14.07.050, as amended by sec. 19 of this Act, is amended to read: 13 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 14 schools of the state, including a district offered statewide correspondence study 15 program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. Nothing in this 16 section precludes 17 [(1)] a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 18 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 19 curriculum material not provided by the school district [; 20 (2) THE DEPARTMENT FROM SELECTING AND PURCHASING 21 SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR SCHOOL 22 DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT READING INTERVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED 23 UNDER AS 14.30.765 AND 14.30.770]. 24 * Sec. 22. AS 14.07.165(a) is amended to read: 25 (a) The board shall adopt 26 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 27 goals that are consistent with local needs; 28 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 29 AS 14.03.125; 30 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 31 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school,
01 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 02 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education 03 program provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of 04 age; the regulations must include 05 (A) standards for a locally designed, evidence-based 06 program that meets Head Start Program Performance Standards and 07 other federal standards required for early education programs to receive 08 federal funding; 09 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program 10 hold a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 11 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 12 credit hours in early childhood education or completes the 13 minimum credit hours within two years of the date the teacher's 14 employment with the early education program begins; or 15 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching 16 kindergarten or another early education program and have 17 completed additional coursework related to reading instruction, as 18 required by the department; 19 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children 20 four and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for 21 older children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the 22 content of an early education program to be culturally responsive to local 23 communities; 24 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 25 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances; 26 and 27 (E) standards for day in session requirements appropriate 28 for children four and five years of age; 29 (6) regulations establishing standards for day in session 30 requirements appropriate for kindergarten students [REPEALED]. 31 * Sec. 23. AS 14.07.168 is amended to read:
01 Sec. 14.07.168. Report to the legislature. Not later than the 30th legislative 02 day of each regular session of the legislature, the board shall prepare and present in 03 person to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education an annual 04 report that describes the efforts of the board to develop, maintain, and continuously 05 improve a comprehensive quality public education system, as provided for under the 06 bylaws of the board. The report must include 07 (1) a summary of the resolves and rationales provided in support of 08 policy decisions made under AS 14.03.015; 09 (2) program and curriculum changes made, discussed, or 10 recommended in meetings held under AS 14.07.125; 11 (3) additional information relevant to efforts made to improve and 12 maintain the public education system; 13 (4) a summary of implementation and utilization of the consortium 14 established under AS 14.30.800, including a review of consortium effectiveness 15 and the participation rates of districts, teachers, and students. 16 * Sec. 24. AS 14.07.168, as amended by sec. 22 of this Act, is amended to read: 17 Sec. 14.07.168. Report to the legislature. Not later than the 30th legislative 18 day of each regular session of the legislature, the board shall prepare and present in 19 person to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education an annual 20 report that describes the efforts of the board to develop, maintain, and continuously 21 improve a comprehensive quality public education system, as provided for under the 22 bylaws of the board. The report must include 23 (1) a summary of the resolves and rationales provided in support of 24 policy decisions made under AS 14.03.015; 25 (2) program and curriculum changes made, discussed, or 26 recommended in meetings held under AS 14.07.125; 27 (3) additional information relevant to efforts made to improve and 28 maintain the public education system [; 29 (4) A SUMMARY OF IMPLEMENTATION AND UTILIZATION 30 OF THE CONSORTIUM ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.30.800, INCLUDING A 31 REVIEW OF CONSORTIUM EFFECTIVENESS AND THE PARTICIPATION
01 RATES OF DISTRICTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS]. 02 * Sec. 25. AS 14.07.180(a) is amended to read: 03 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board shall establish 04 standards and a procedure for the review, ranking, and approval of mathematics and 05 English and language arts curricula for school districts to use in each grade level as 06 provided in this section. The board may include curricula delivered through virtual 07 education in the standards and procedure established under this subsection. Standards 08 established for the review, ranking, and approval of language arts curricula for 09 early education programs and grades kindergarten through three must be based 10 on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral 11 language skills, and reading comprehension. 12 * Sec. 26. AS 14.14.115(a) is amended to read: 13 (a) To encourage cooperative arrangements between school districts and 14 between school districts and private businesses, nonprofit organizations, or 15 government agencies to provide more efficient or economical administrative or 16 educational services, a school district may receive a one-time cooperative arrangement 17 grant from the department of up to $100,000. The department shall ensure that 18 grant funds provided to districts under this section do not provide direct benefit 19 to private educational institutions. 20 * Sec. 27. AS 14.17.470 is amended to read: 21 Sec. 14.17.470. Base student allocation. The base student allocation is $5,960 22 [$5,930]. 23 * Sec. 28. AS 14.17.500 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 24 (d) Except as provided in (e) - (g) of this section, a student in a district-wide 25 early education program provided by a school district and approved by the department 26 under AS 14.07.020(a)(8) is counted as one-half of a full-time equivalent student. 27 (e) A school district may not include in a school's ADM students who are four 28 and five years of age if the students are enrolled in an early education program that 29 receives state or federal funding other than funding under this chapter. 30 (f) A school district may not include in a school's ADM students who are four 31 and five years of age if inclusion of the students would result in an increase of total
01 state aid attributable to district-wide early education programs approved under 02 AS 14.03.410 of more than $3,000,000 from the previous fiscal year. The department 03 shall prioritize the funding of district-wide early education programs, giving priority to 04 school districts with lower performance, based on the department's ranking of districts 05 under AS 14.03.410(c). When the number of students in a district-wide early 06 education program will result in an increase of total state aid attributable to district- 07 wide early education programs approved under AS 14.03.410 of more than $3,000,000 08 from the previous fiscal year, the department may identify the amount, up to 09 $3,000,000, available for the district's district-wide early education program. 10 (g) For purposes of AS 14.09.010, a student in a district-wide early education 11 program provided by a school district and approved by the department under 12 AS 14.07.020(a)(8) is counted as a full-time equivalent student. 13 * Sec. 29. AS 14.17.500(d), enacted by sec. 27 of this Act, is amended to read: 14 (d) A school district may not include in the school's ADM [EXCEPT AS 15 PROVIDED IN (e) - (g) OF THIS SECTION,] a student in a district-wide early 16 education program provided by the [A SCHOOL] district [AND APPROVED BY 17 THE DEPARTMENT UNDER AS 14.07.020(a)(8) IS COUNTED AS ONE-HALF 18 OF A FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT]. 19 * Sec. 30. AS 14.17.905(a) is amended to read: 20 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the determination of the number of schools in 21 a district is subject to the following: 22 (1) a community with an ADM of at least 10, but not more than 100, 23 shall be counted as one school; 24 (2) a community with an ADM of at least 101, but not more than 425, 25 shall be counted as 26 (A) one elementary school, which includes those students in 27 grades kindergarten through six and, except as provided in AS 14.17.500, in 28 an early education program provided by a school district and approved by 29 the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8); and 30 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 31 seven through 12;
01 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 02 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 03 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 04 school in the district with the highest ADM. 05 * Sec. 31. AS 14.17.905(a), as amended by sec. 29 of this Act, 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 14 AS 14.17.500, IN AN EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDED BY A 15 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER 16 AS 14.07.020(a)(8)]; and 17 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 18 seven through 12; 19 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 20 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 21 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 22 school in the district with the highest ADM. 23 * Sec. 32. AS 14.20.015(c) is amended to read: 24 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 25 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 26 other state. However, before teaching students in grades kindergarten through 27 three, a teacher certificated under this section must complete coursework, 28 training, or testing requirements, and demonstrate proficiency as determined by 29 the department, in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, 30 reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension approved by 31 the board in regulation. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing
01 requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing education 02 requirements established by the board in regulation. 03 * Sec. 33. AS 14.20.015(c), as amended by sec. 31 of this Act, is amended to read: 04 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 05 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 06 other state. [HOWEVER, BEFORE TEACHING STUDENTS IN GRADES 07 KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THREE, A TEACHER CERTIFICATED UNDER 08 THIS SECTION MUST COMPLETE COURSEWORK, TRAINING, OR TESTING 09 REQUIREMENTS IN PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, VOCABULARY 10 DEVELOPMENT, READING FLUENCY, ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS, AND 11 READING COMPREHENSION APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN REGULATION. 12 A TEACHER MAY APPLY COURSEWORK, TRAINING, OR TESTING 13 REQUIREMENTS COMPLETED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION TOWARD 14 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE 15 BOARD IN REGULATION.] 16 * Sec. 34. AS 14.20.020(i) is amended to read: 17 (i) A [BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 1998, A] person is not eligible for an initial 18 regular teacher certificate unless the person has taken and successfully completed a 19 competency examination or examinations designated, at the time the person took the 20 test, by the board. The board shall review nationally recognized examinations that are 21 designed to test the competency of new teachers and shall designate those 22 examinations that it finds adequately test the skills and abilities of new teachers. For 23 each examination designated under this subsection, the board shall establish the 24 minimum acceptable level of performance, including a passing score. The board 25 shall reevaluate the passing score for a competency examination at least once 26 every five years and shall review each examination designated by the board at 27 least once every three years. The board shall prioritize the review of those 28 examinations for which the minimum passing score deviates the most from the 29 mean passing score adopted by other jurisdictions. When reevaluating a passing 30 score for a competency examination, the board shall consider the historical effect 31 of the established passing score, the potential effect of changing the passing score,
01 and the passing score currently used for the examination by other jurisdictions. 02 The board may allow a teacher who passed a comparable competency 03 examination required by another jurisdiction to use a score from the other 04 jurisdiction to satisfy the competency examination requirements under this 05 subsection. The board shall adopt regulations to implement this subsection. A 06 regulation that changes the passing score on a competency examination takes 07 effect on the date that is one year after the date the board adopts the regulation, 08 or a later date prescribed by the board. In this subsection, "competency 09 examination" includes a basic competency examination with components in 10 reading, writing, and mathematics and a subject area examination that is specific 11 to the subject area in which the teacher will be teaching. 12 * Sec. 35. AS 14.20.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 13 (l) Before teaching students in grades kindergarten through three, a teacher 14 certificated under this section must complete coursework, training, or testing 15 requirements in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading 16 fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension approved by the board in 17 regulation. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing requirements 18 completed under this subsection toward continuing education requirements established 19 by the board in regulation. 20 * Sec. 36. AS 14.30 is amended by adding new sections to read: 21 Article 15. Reading Intervention. 22 Sec. 14.30.760. Statewide screening and support. (a) To implement the 23 district reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765, the department 24 shall 25 (1) adopt a statewide screening tool to administer to students in grades 26 kindergarten through three to identify students with reading deficiencies, including 27 students with characteristics of dyslexia; the screening tool must evaluate 28 (A) phonemic awareness, letter naming fluency, letter sound 29 fluency, and letter word sound fluency of students in kindergarten; 30 (B) letter word sound fluency and oral reading fluency of 31 students in grade one;
01 (C) vocabulary and oral reading fluency of students in grades 02 two and three; 03 (2) support teachers of grades kindergarten through three by 04 (A) administering the statewide screening tool three times each 05 school year, once in the fall, once in the winter, and once in the spring, to all 06 students in grades kindergarten through three, with the exception of students 07 who demonstrate sufficient reading skills on the first screening of the school 08 year; 09 (B) providing methods to monitor student progress; 10 (C) providing targeted instruction based on student needs as 11 determined by the results of the screening tool; and 12 (D) providing additional assistance as determined by the 13 department; 14 (3) provide training to school district staff related to using the results 15 of the statewide screening tool and understanding evidence-based reading 16 interventions, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, 17 phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading 18 comprehension; 19 (4) require that districts identify the early education programs attended 20 by students and report to the department the average score on each performance 21 screening tool by students in grades kindergarten through three who 22 (A) attended a state-approved early education program; 23 (B) attended a Head Start program; 24 (C) attended a private early education program; 25 (D) did not attend an early education program; 26 (5) establish a process that allows the commissioner to waive, upon 27 request, use of the statewide screening tool required under this subsection by a school 28 district if the school district has adopted an evidence-based reading screening tool and 29 the screening tool is approved by the department; 30 (6) review, approve, and assist districts developing alternative 31 standardized reading screening tools in any language for use by school districts.
01 (b) In adopting a statewide screening tool under (a)(1) of this section, the 02 department shall consider the following factors: 03 (1) the amount of time needed to administer the screening with the 04 intention of minimizing effects on instructional time; 05 (2) the time frame for reporting screening results to teachers, 06 administrators, and parents or guardians; 07 (3) the integration of the screening with student instruction and 08 department support; 09 (4) recommendations from a task force, working group, or committee 10 created by law and charged with studying issues related to reading proficiency and 11 reading deficiencies; and 12 (5) whether the screening tool is culturally responsive. 13 Sec. 14.30.765. Reading intervention services and strategies; progression. 14 (a) Each school district shall offer intensive reading intervention services to students 15 in grades kindergarten through three who exhibit a reading deficiency to assist 16 students in achieving reading proficiency at or above grade level by the end of grade 17 three. The district shall provide the intensive reading intervention services in addition 18 to the core reading instruction that is provided to all students in the general education 19 classroom. The intensive reading intervention services must, to the extent practicable, 20 (1) be provided by a district reading teacher, or paraprofessional under 21 the supervision of a reading teacher, to all students in grades kindergarten through 22 three who are determined to have a reading deficiency based on the statewide 23 screening tool adopted under AS 14.30.760(a)(1); 24 (2) provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, 25 phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading 26 comprehension, as necessary; 27 (3) use evidence-based reading intervention methods that have shown 28 proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within a single school year; 29 (4) include instruction with detailed explanations, extensive 30 opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for error correction and feedback; 31 (5) incorporate daily targeted small group reading instruction based on
01 student needs, either in person or online; 02 (6) monitor the reading progress of each student's reading skills 03 throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to student needs; 04 (7) be implemented during regular school hours through any available 05 method, including in person or through online delivery by teachers or specialty 06 reading coaches; 07 (8) be implemented outside of regular school hours, as directed in the 08 student's individual reading improvement plan under (b) of this section, for a student 09 who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide screening tool; 10 (9) be reviewed based on a department-approved response to 11 intervention or multi-tiered system support models, addressing additional support and 12 services needed to remedy identified needs; and 13 (10) support reading intervention at home by parents or guardians by 14 offering a list of adult literacy resources and organizations, providing opportunities for 15 parent or guardian participation in training workshops, and encouraging regular parent 16 or guardian-guided home reading activities. 17 (b) In addition to the reading intervention services provided under (a) of this 18 section, a school district shall provide an individual reading improvement plan for 19 each student in grades kindergarten through three who is determined to have a reading 20 deficiency based on the statewide screening tool. An individual reading improvement 21 plan developed under this section must 22 (1) be implemented not later than 30 days after identification of the 23 reading deficiency; 24 (2) be created by the student's reading teacher in consultation with the 25 school principal, the student's parent or guardian, and other pertinent district staff; 26 (3) describe the evidence-based reading intervention services the 27 student will receive to achieve and demonstrate sufficient reading skills; 28 (4) provide reading intervention services outside of regular school 29 hours for a student who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide 30 screening tool consistent with (a)(8) of this section; 31 (5) include a process for monitoring progress and adjusting the plan
01 based on student needs; 02 (6) provide to the student's parent or guardian at least 10 reading 03 progress updates each school year; 04 (7) be culturally responsive; and 05 (8) support the student reading at home with a parent or guardian by 06 offering a list of adult literacy resources and organizations, providing opportunities for 07 parent or guardian participation in training workshops, and encouraging regular parent 08 or guardian-guided home reading activities. 09 (c) If at any time during the school year a student in grades kindergarten 10 through three demonstrates a reading deficiency, the district or school shall notify the 11 student's parent or guardian. The initial notification must 12 (1) be provided to the student's parent or guardian not later than 15 13 days after identification of the reading deficiency; 14 (2) state that the district identified the student as having a reading 15 deficiency and that a reading improvement plan will be developed under (b) of this 16 section; 17 (3) describe current services that the district is providing to the student; 18 (4) describe the proposed evidence-based reading intervention and 19 supplemental instructional services and supports that the district will provide to the 20 student to improve the identified area of reading deficiency; 21 (5) explain that the district or school will inform the parent or guardian 22 orally or in writing, as selected by the parent or guardian, of the student's progress 23 toward grade level reading as outlined in the student's individual reading improvement 24 plan; 25 (6) identify strategies for the parent or guardian to use at home to help 26 the student succeed in reading; 27 (7) explain that if the student has a reading deficiency at the end of the 28 school year and is in grades kindergarten through two, the student's progression may 29 be delayed unless the student has previously not progressed to the next grade; 30 (8) explain that a student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient 31 reading skills to progress to grade four under (e) of this section, unless the student
01 receives a waiver under (f) of this section or has previously not progressed to the next 02 grade; 03 (9) explain the process and deadline to request a waiver under (f) of 04 this section; and 05 (10) identify mid-year progression as an option for students who do 06 not progress to the next grade. 07 (d) If it is determined, based on a statewide screening administered in the 08 spring, that a student in grades kindergarten through two has a reading deficiency, the 09 student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall notify and attempt to meet with 10 the student's parent or guardian to explain that the student will not be able to maintain 11 adequate academic progress at the next grade level. School staff shall work with the 12 parent or guardian to schedule a date, time, and place for the meeting, to be held not 13 later than 45 days before the end of the school year. Following that meeting, the parent 14 or guardian shall determine whether the student will progress to the next grade. If no 15 parent or guardian attends the meeting or if the parent or guardian does not determine 16 whether the student will progress to the next grade, the superintendent or the 17 superintendent's designee shall, after considering the student's best interest and 18 whether the student has previously not progressed to the next grade, determine 19 whether the student will progress to the next grade. 20 (e) A student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 21 progress to grade four. A student demonstrates sufficient reading skills to progress to 22 grade four by 23 (1) scoring at grade level or higher on the statewide screening tool or 24 on the statewide summative assessment; 25 (2) achieving an acceptable score on an alternative standardized 26 reading screening as determined and approved by the department; or 27 (3) demonstrating mastery of reading standards through a student 28 reading portfolio based on criteria established by the department. 29 (f) If it is determined, based on a statewide screening administered in the 30 spring, that a student in grade three has a reading deficiency, and the student does not 31 demonstrate sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four under (e) of this section,
01 the student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall notify and attempt to meet 02 with the student's parent or guardian to explain that the student is not prepared to 03 progress to grade four. School staff shall work with the parent or guardian to schedule 04 a date, time, and place for the meeting, to be held not later than 45 days before the end 05 of the school year. Following that meeting, the parent or guardian may decide that the 06 student will not progress to grade four or decide to progress the student to grade four 07 by signing a waiver developed by the department acknowledging that the student is 08 not prepared and agreeing that the student will participate in an additional 20 hours of 09 individual reading improvement plan intervention services during the summer before 10 the student enters grade four. If no parent or guardian attends the meeting or if the 11 parent or guardian does not determine whether the student will progress to the next 12 grade, the superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall, after considering the 13 student's best interests and whether the student has previously not progressed to the 14 next grade, determine whether the student will progress to grade four. 15 (g) A superintendent or superintendent's designee may exempt a student from 16 delayed progression when progression is in the student's best interests. When 17 determining if progression is in a student's best interests, the superintendent or 18 superintendent's designee shall consider whether 19 (1) the student has received intensive reading intervention services for 20 two or more years and still demonstrates a reading deficiency; 21 (2) the student's primary language is a language other than English; 22 and 23 (3) the student has a disability and has an individualized education 24 plan under AS 14.30.278 or a plan under 29 U.S.C. 794. 25 (h) If no parent or guardian attends the meeting, and a superintendent or 26 superintendent's designee decides that a student in grades kindergarten through three 27 will not progress to the next grade under (d) or (f) of this section, the district or school 28 in which the student is enrolled shall provide immediate oral and written notification 29 to the student's parent or guardian. The written notification must explain that the 30 parent or guardian may reschedule the meeting provided under (d) or (f) of this section 31 and that during a meeting
01 (1) for a student in grades kindergarten through two, the parent or 02 guardian may decide to progress the student; and 03 (2) for a student in grade three, the parent or guardian may decide to 04 progress the student to grade four by signing a waiver under (f) of this section. 05 (i) For a student who does not progress to the next grade under (d) or (f) of 06 this section, or who progresses to the next grade with a waiver under (f) of this 07 section, the district in which the student is enrolled shall 08 (1) review the student's individual reading improvement plan; 09 (2) provide intensive reading intervention services to improve the area 10 of reading deficiency using effective instructional strategies to accelerate student 11 progress; 12 (3) provide additional services and support to improve the student's 13 identified area of reading deficiency, including 14 (A) a transitional instructional setting that is designed to 15 produce learning gains; 16 (B) supplemental tutoring offered by a person with specialized 17 reading training; 18 (C) an increase in time dedicated to the reading instruction 19 methods described in (a)(3) - (5) of this section, including more extensive 20 opportunities for guided practice and error correction and feedback; 21 (4) develop a plan for reading at home outlined in an agreement with 22 the student's parent or guardian, including parent or guardian participation in training 23 workshops and regular parent or guardian-guided home reading activities. 24 (j) For a student who does not progress to grade one, grade two, or grade three 25 under (d) of this section, the district in which the student is enrolled shall, upon 26 request by the student's parent or guardian, develop a plan for the student's mid-year 27 progression. 28 (k) A school district shall adopt a policy providing for mid-year progression of 29 a student who does not progress to grade four under (f) of this section if the student 30 (1) demonstrates sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four on 31 the fall or winter statewide screening; and
01 (2) meets additional requirements determined by the district, including 02 satisfactory achievement in other subject areas. 03 (l) A district shall, for the remainder of the academic year, and, if necessary, 04 for additional school years, continue to implement an individual reading improvement 05 plan for a student promoted mid-year under (j) or (k) of this section. 06 (m) Unless a parent or guardian decides that a student will not progress to the 07 next grade under (d) or (f) of this section, a district or school may not delay the 08 student's progression under this section if the student previously did not progress to 09 the next grade. 10 (n) In this section, "reading teacher" means a teacher who 11 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate under AS 14.20; 12 (2) has demonstrated effectiveness in instructing students to read at or 13 above grade level as measured by student reading performance data and in teacher 14 performance evaluations; and 15 (3) meets the requirements established by the state Board of Education 16 and Early Development in regulation. 17 Sec. 14.30.770. Department reading program. (a) The department shall 18 establish a reading program to provide direct support for and intervention in intensive 19 reading intervention services annually in the lowest-performing 25 percent of schools 20 serving students in grades kindergarten through three as determined under 21 AS 14.03.123. The department shall determine how many schools may be adequately 22 served by the department's reading specialists and select schools from the lowest- 23 performing 25 percent of schools to participate in the reading program. A school 24 participating in the reading program that remains in the lowest-performing 25 percent 25 of schools as determined under AS 14.03.123 may apply to participate in the reading 26 program again in the following school year. State funding provided to participating 27 schools for implementation of the reading program is in addition to the amount of 28 funding provided under AS 14.17. In conducting the program, the department shall 29 (1) use the accountability system established in AS 14.03.123 to 30 identify low performing schools; 31 (2) establish an application process for school districts to apply to
01 participate in the program; 02 (3) select low performing schools from the schools that apply to 03 participate in the program; 04 (4) employ and assign reading specialists to direct the implementation 05 of the intensive reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765 by 06 (A) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by 07 working regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually; 08 (B) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading 09 instruction with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the 10 greatest positive effects on student achievement; 11 (C) training teachers in data analysis and using data to 12 differentiate instruction; 13 (D) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 14 (E) reporting on school and student performance to the 15 department; 16 (5) establish a reporting process for each reading specialist to submit 17 updates to the department on implementation of the program; 18 (6) work with reading specialists to create specific improvement goals 19 for each school selected, including measures of interim progress; 20 (7) select and purchase additional reading material for each school 21 selected to supplement the intensive reading intervention services; 22 (8) pay travel and associated costs for a reading specialist to attend 23 relevant training sessions identified by or hosted by the department; 24 (9) periodically review staff development programs for their 25 effectiveness in developing reading skills and, after consultation with school districts 26 and experts, recommend to the board for approval staff development programs that 27 (A) have been proven to assess and accelerate student progress 28 toward reaching reading competency; 29 (B) provide explicit and systematic skill development in the 30 areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading 31 fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension;
01 (C) are evidence-based and reliable; 02 (D) provide initial and ongoing analysis of student progress 03 toward reaching reading competency; and 04 (E) include texts on core academic content to assist students in 05 maintaining or meeting grade-appropriate proficiency in academic subjects in 06 addition to reading. 07 (b) A school selected to participate in the reading program established under 08 this section shall 09 (1) ensure that a reading specialist assigned to the school is not 10 required to perform functions that divert from the duties the department has assigned 11 to the reading specialist; 12 (2) coordinate with the reading specialist or specialists to redesign the 13 school's daily schedule to dedicate time to reading program activities, including 14 intensive reading intervention services identified in a written agreement between the 15 school and the department; 16 (3) present on the reading program established under this section and 17 the intensive reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765 at a public 18 meeting; the presentation must include 19 (A) the data the department used to identify the school as 20 eligible for the reading program; 21 (B) a detailed overview of the reading program and intensive 22 reading intervention services; 23 (C) a timeline for implementing the intensive reading 24 intervention services and meeting reading improvement goals; and 25 (D) the implications of the program for students, families, and 26 educators; 27 (4) provide notice of the public meeting required under (3) of this 28 subsection to the parent or guardian of each student at least seven days before the date 29 of the meeting; 30 (5) present an annual update on the school's implementation of the 31 reading program and intensive reading intervention services at a public meeting with
01 notice provided to the parent or guardian of each student at least seven days before the 02 date of the meeting; 03 (6) create partnerships between the school, the families of students, 04 and the community that focus on promoting reading and increasing the amount of time 05 that students spend reading. 06 (c) The department shall publish on the department's Internet website and 07 make available to the public 08 (1) a completed application from each school selected to participate in 09 the reading program; and 10 (2) the reading program and intensive reading intervention services 11 implemented by each school selected to participate. 12 (d) The department may employ a person as a reading specialist under this 13 section if the person 14 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20; 15 (2) has completed an approved graduate program at an approved 16 institution of higher education and 17 (A) has completed a supervised practicum or internship as a 18 reading specialist; or 19 (B) has at least three years of full-time, demonstrated 20 classroom teaching experience where reading instruction was a primary 21 responsibility; 22 (3) is knowledgeable about and demonstrates competency in reading 23 instruction, including 24 (A) an understanding of phonemic awareness, phonics, 25 vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading 26 comprehension; 27 (B) knowledge of and experience in implementing effective 28 reading instruction strategies and intervention methods; 29 (C) experience in designing and implementing a school-wide 30 response to intervention program or multi-tiered system support model; 31 (D) an understanding of and experience in reading screenings
01 and data analyses that inform instruction; 02 (E) knowledge of dyslexia and other learning disorders that 03 affect reading achievement; 04 (F) knowledge of and an ability to effectively articulate the 05 methods, issues, and resources involved in support of student instruction to a 06 wide variety of audiences, including staff, parents, and students whose primary 07 language is other than English; and 08 (4) meets other reading instruction coursework requirements 09 established by the department in regulation, including coursework in indigenous 10 language learning and culturally responsive education established in regulation by the 11 department in collaboration with indigenous language stakeholders. 12 Sec. 14.30.775. Regulation. The department shall, by regulation, define 13 "dyslexia" for the purposes of AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780. The department shall 14 consider the meaning of "dyslexia" given by the International Dyslexia Association 15 when adopting the definition by regulation. 16 Sec. 14.30.780. Definitions. In AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.780, 17 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 18 (2) "evidence-based reading intervention" means an intervention based 19 on reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence that has a demonstrated record of success 20 in adequately increasing a student's reading competency in the areas of phonemic 21 awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, 22 and reading comprehension. 23 * Sec. 37. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 24 Article 16. Virtual Education. 25 Sec. 14.30.800. Virtual education consortium. (a) The department shall, in 26 cooperation with school districts, establish a virtual education consortium for the 27 purpose of making virtual education and professional development resources available 28 to students and teachers in the state. The department shall establish standards for 29 consortium resources. The consortium shall create and maintain a database of virtual 30 education courses for students, training in virtual instruction for teachers, and 31 professional development courses for teachers of students throughout the state if the
01 coursework curriculum meets the state standards established by the department. The 02 database must be accessible to all school districts that participate in the consortium. 03 (b) For teachers delivering or facilitating virtual coursework to students 04 through the consortium database, the consortium shall provide training and 05 professional development on virtual instruction methods and the differences between 06 virtual instruction and instruction offered in a classroom. A teacher may not provide 07 instruction through a course for students that is in the database unless 08 (1) the teacher has completed the training or professional development 09 provided by the consortium; or 10 (2) the consortium determines that the teacher's previous experience 11 has prepared the teacher to provide virtual instruction and the teacher demonstrates the 12 skills necessary to provide virtual instruction. 13 (c) The consortium shall employ a reading specialist available to school 14 districts to provide virtual intensive reading intervention services. The duties of the 15 reading specialist include 16 (1) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by working 17 regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually; 18 (2) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading instruction 19 with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the greatest positive effects 20 on student achievement; 21 (3) training teachers in data analysis and using data to differentiate 22 instruction; 23 (4) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 24 (5) reporting on school and student performance to the department. 25 (d) The department may require a school district that participates in the 26 consortium to pay a fee to the consortium. If the department requires a fee, the 27 department shall establish the fee in regulations, based on a recommendation made by 28 the consortium, and may adjust the fee annually as necessary. The fees must 29 approximately equal the consortium's prorated administrative costs related to 30 reviewing and approving courses and maintaining the database. 31 (e) A school district that provides a course included in the database may
01 charge a fee to the school district in which a student who takes the course is enrolled. 02 The department shall establish the fee in regulations. 03 (f) The consortium may require, as a condition of participation, that school 04 districts that provide courses or have students participating in courses included in the 05 database under (a) of this section adopt the same school term and class schedule for all 06 or part of a school day. The school term must meet the requirements of AS 14.03.030. 07 (g) In this section, "virtual education" or "virtual instruction" means instruction delivered 08 through telecommunications or another digital or electronic method. 09 * Sec. 38. AS 14.43.122(b) is amended to read: 10 (b) For a borrower to be eligible for consolidation of a loan under this section, 11 the borrower must apply on a form approved by the corporation and must [PROVIDE 12 PROOF SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION THAT THE BORROWER] 13 (1) physically reside [RESIDES] in the state and have [HAS] 14 maintained a domicile in the state for not less than 12 consecutive months before 15 submitting an application for consolidation; 16 (2) be a previous borrower, cosigner, or beneficiary of an 17 education loan made under AS 14.43 or AS 14.44 [HAS NOT BEEN 18 PHYSICALLY ABSENT FROM THE STATE FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS IN 19 THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION FOR 20 CONSOLIDATION]; or 21 (3) be a graduate of a high school or postsecondary institution 22 physically located in the state [HAS NOT DECLARED RESIDENCY IN 23 ANOTHER STATE; 24 (4) HAS NOT RECEIVED A BENEFIT OF RESIDENCY IN 25 ANOTHER STATE]. 26 * Sec. 39. AS 14.43.173(a) is amended to read: 27 (a) In a school year, the corporation may finance a loan [TO AN ELIGIBLE 28 BORROWER] under AS 14.43.170 - 14.43.175 in a maximum amount to be 29 determined by the corporation to an eligible [ATTENDING AN ELIGIBLE 30 POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION NOT TO EXCEED] 31 (1) [$14,000 TO AN ELIGIBLE] undergraduate student attending an
01 eligible [A] college or university; 02 (2) [$15,000 TO AN ELIGIBLE] graduate student attending an 03 eligible [A] college or university; and 04 (3) [$10,000 TO AN ELIGIBLE] student attending an eligible [A] 05 career education program. 06 * Sec. 40. AS 14.43.173(b) is amended to read: 07 (b) The corporation may finance loans made under AS 14.43.170 - 14.43.175 08 to an eligible [A] borrower in a maximum total [IN AN] amount to be determined 09 by the corporation for [THAT IS NOT MORE THAN] 10 (1) an [A TOTAL OF $56,000 FOR] undergraduate study program; 11 (2) a [TOTAL OF $60,000 FOR] graduate study program; and [; OR] 12 (3) a combined [TOTAL OF $87,000 FOR] undergraduate and 13 graduate study program. 14 * Sec. 41. AS 14.43.173(d) is amended to read: 15 (d) The commission shall determine a borrower's loan award amount for a 16 specific school year, which [BASED ON A STUDENT'S ON-TIME, HALF-TIME, 17 AND FULL-TIME STUDENT STATUS AND] may not exceed the limits established 18 by the corporation [IN THIS SECTION] or the borrower's costs of attendance. 19 * Sec. 42. AS 14.43.175 is amended to read: 20 Sec. 14.43.175. Repayment of loans. A borrower's obligation to repay 21 [COMMENCE REPAYMENT OF] the principal of and interest on a loan made under 22 AS 14.43.170 - 14.43.175 begins not later [MORE] than six months following the 23 borrower's completion or other termination of the postsecondary program or on the 24 date [THAT] the borrower ceases to be enrolled in the program [ON] at least half 25 time. The commission and borrower may agree to a repayment schedule that 26 begins immediately upon disbursement of a loan [A HALF-TIME BASIS]. 27 * Sec. 43. AS 14.43.700 is amended to read: 28 Sec. 14.43.700. Definition. In AS 14.43.600 - 14.43.700, "rural" means a 29 community with a population of 7,500 [5,500] or less that is not connected by road or 30 rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks or a community with a population of 1,500 or less that 31 is connected by road or rail to Anchorage or Fairbanks.
01 * Sec. 44. AS 14.60.010 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: 02 (9) "culturally responsive" means showing respect for and recognition 03 of the traditions, beliefs, languages, values, and practices of the local culture that has 04 historically been present in the geographic area being served; 05 (10) "parent" or "guardian" includes a natural, adoptive, and foster 06 parent, stepparent, legal guardian, relative, and other adult person with whom a 07 student has resided and who has acted as a parent in providing for the student or has 08 been responsible for the student's welfare for a continuous period. 09 * Sec. 45. AS 47.17.290(12) is amended to read: 10 (12) "organization" means a group or entity that provides care and supervision 11 for compensation to a child not related to the caregiver, and includes a child care facility, pre- 12 elementary school, early education program, head start center, child foster home, residential 13 child care facility, recreation program, children's camp, and children's club; 14 * Sec. 46. AS 14.03.080(d) and 14.03.290(4) are repealed. 15 * Sec. 47. AS 14.03.120(h), 14.03.410, 14.03.420; AS 14.17.500(e), 14.17.500(f), 16 14.17.500(g); AS 14.20.020(l); AS 14.30.760, 14.30.765, 14.30.770, 14.30.775, 14.30.780, 17 and 14.30.800 are repealed. 18 * Sec. 48. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 VIRTUAL EDUCATION AVAILABILITY DEADLINE. The Department of 21 Education and Early Development shall make available virtual education courses and 22 professional development resources under sec. 36 of this Act on or before July 1, 2024. 23 * Sec. 49. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 24 read: 25 APPLICABILITY. Section 34 of this Act applies, 26 (1) on the effective date of sec. 34 of this Act, to teachers who begin teaching 27 students in grades kindergarten through three on and after the effective date of sec. 34 of this 28 Act; 29 (2) on July 1, 2024, to teachers who began teaching students in grades 30 kindergarten through three before the effective date of sec. 34 of this Act. 31 * Sec. 50. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
01 read: 02 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. Not later than the thirtieth day of the First 03 Regular Session of the Thirty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature, the Department of Education 04 and Early Development shall prepare and present to the legislative committees having 05 jurisdiction over education a report evaluating the virtual education consortium established 06 under AS 14.30.800 and the following programs established under this Act: the early 07 education program, the parents as teachers program, the reading intervention program, and the 08 department reading program. The report must include 09 (1) data analysis conducted by an independent contractor evaluating the 10 success of each program, including 11 (A) statistics measuring the effectiveness of each program in 12 accomplishing the program mission; 13 (B) the cost-effectiveness of each program; 14 (C) trends in reading screening scores by each group of students listed 15 in AS 14.30.760(a)(4) as the students progress through grade eight; 16 (2) recommendations from the panels convened under AS 14.07.020(a)(19); 17 and 18 (3) recommendations from the Department of Education and Early 19 Development addressing whether to extend, expand, contract, or repeal each program. 20 * Sec. 51. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 21 read: 22 TRANSITION. The number of district-wide early education programs that the 23 department approves under AS 14.03.410 in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, may not 24 result in more than $3,000,000 of total state aid attributable to early education programs. In 25 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, the number of district-wide early education programs 26 that the department approves may not result in an increase from the prior fiscal year of more 27 than $3,000,000 of total state aid attributable to early education programs. 28 * Sec. 52. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 29 read: 30 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Education and Early 31 Development and the state Board of Education and Early Development may adopt regulations
01 necessary to implement the changes made by secs. 1 - 36 and 43 - 50 of this Act. The 02 regulations take effect under AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but a regulation may 03 not take effect before the effective date of the relevant provision of this Act implemented by 04 the regulation." 05 * Sec. 53. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 06 read: 07 RETROACTIVITY. Section 43 of this Act is retroactive to January 1, 2016. 08 * Sec. 54. Section 52 of this Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 09 * Sec. 55. Sections 38 - 43 and 53 of this Act take effect July 1, 2022. 10 * Sec. 56. Sections 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 17, 21, 24, 29, 31, 33, and 47 of this Act take effect 11 June 30, 2034. 12 * Sec. 57. Except as provided in secs. 54 - 56 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2023.