SB 8: "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; and providing for an effective date."
00 SENATE BILL NO. 8 01 "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to 02 school age eligibility; relating to funding for early education programs; establishing 03 early education programs and a voluntary parent program; relating to the duties of the 04 Department of Education and Early Development; relating to certification of teachers; 05 establishing a reading intervention program for public school students enrolled in 06 grades kindergarten through three; establishing a reading program in the Department 07 of Education and Early Development; establishing a teacher retention working group; 08 and providing for an effective date." 09 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 10 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section 11 to read: 12 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Reads Act.
01 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read: 02 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary 03 school consists of an early education [A PRE-ELEMENTARY] program approved 04 or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program 05 operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program 06 under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC 07 SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH 08 A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED 09 SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS 10 MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP 11 UNDER AS 14.17]. 12 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read: 13 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 14 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state 15 current information on the importance of early reading [LITERACY], including 16 (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies and reading 17 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765; 18 (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans; 19 (3) grade proficiency [RETENTION] standards and policies, 20 including retention, for the elementary school attended; 21 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read. 22 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read: 23 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature by February 15 of each year 24 by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress of each school and school 25 district toward high academic performance by all students. The report required under 26 this section must include 27 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)]; 28 (2) progress of the department 29 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 30 of AS 14.03.123; and 31 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited;
01 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 02 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 03 and school district; 04 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 05 curriculum with state education performance standards; 06 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 07 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 08 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 09 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND] 10 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 11 superintendents; 12 (8) the progress made to implement the reading intervention 13 programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, including data on how 14 school districts are using in-service days for culturally responsive professional 15 development in reading instruction; and 16 (9) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as 17 teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of 18 efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school 19 readiness. 20 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.080(d) is amended to read: 21 (d) A child who is five years of age on or before September 1 following the 22 beginning of the school year, and who is under school age, may enter a public school 23 kindergarten. A school district may waive the requirements of this subsection for a 24 child who achieves a passing score on an assessment approved by the 25 department. 26 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 27 (g) A child who is at least four, but not more than five, years of age on or 28 before September 1 following the beginning of the school year and who has not 29 attended a public school kindergarten may enter a public school early education 30 program. 31 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
01 (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district 02 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year 03 regarding 04 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each 05 classroom in grades kindergarten through three; 06 (2) the number and percentage of students 07 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated 08 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or 09 assessment tool; 10 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below 11 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or assessment tool, by 12 grade; 13 (C) retained in grades kindergarten through three and the 14 reasons for retention; 15 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 16 for grade progression based on the statewide screening or assessment tool; 17 (E) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 18 for grade progression based on an alternative standardized reading screening or 19 assessment; 20 (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills 21 for grade progression based on a student reading portfolio; 22 (G) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 23 good cause exemption under AS 14.30.765(i); 24 (3) the performance on the statewide screening or assessment tool of 25 students in a grade above grade three who were retained in grade three under 26 AS 14.30.765(g) or who progressed to grade four based on a good cause exemption 27 under AS 14.30.765(i). 28 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 29 Article 4. Early Education. 30 Sec. 14.03.410. Early education programs; grants. (a) The department shall 31 (1) provide training and assistance to develop and improve district-
01 wide early education programs that comply with standards adopted by the board under 02 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); and 03 (2) approve district-wide early education programs that comply with 04 the standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5), subject to the 05 limitations in (d) of this section. 06 (b) The department may award a grant to provide funding for a three-year 07 period for the development or improvement of a district-wide early education program 08 to a district that applies in a format prescribed by the department and that 09 (1) is eligible for a grant during the first fiscal year of the grant period 10 as specified under (c) of this section; or 11 (2) was eligible for a grant in a previous fiscal year under (c) of this 12 section, but did not receive a grant under this section in that fiscal year. 13 (c) The department shall rank the performance of all districts in the state in 14 accordance with the accountability system and performance designations required 15 under AS 14.03.123. The department shall divide all districts into six groups based on 16 performance ranking. Each group of districts is eligible for a grant in the following 17 fiscal years: 18 (1) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, the lowest performing 10 19 percent of districts; 20 (2) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, the second lowest 21 performing 15 percent of districts; 22 (3) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, the third lowest 23 performing 15 percent of districts; 24 (4) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the third highest 25 performing 20 percent of districts; 26 (5) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, the second highest 27 performing 20 percent of districts; 28 (6) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, the highest performing 29 20 percent of districts. 30 (d) The department may assess at any time a district's early education program 31 and approve the program if the program complies with the standards adopted by the
01 board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). The number of district-wide early education 02 programs that the department approves in a fiscal year may not result in a calculation 03 of state aid under AS 14.17.410(b) for all districts that exceeds the amount calculated 04 for the previous fiscal year by more than $5,000,000. If the number of programs 05 eligible in a fiscal year exceeds the number of programs that the department may 06 approve under this subsection, the department shall prioritize the approval of programs 07 based on the department's ranking of districts under (c) of this section. 08 (e) If the department does not approve the early education program of a 09 district awarded a grant under (c) of this section by the end of the district's three-year 10 grant period, the department may provide a one-year remediation grant to allow the 11 district one additional fiscal year to meet the early education program standards 12 adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the district is unable to meet the 13 early education program standards at the end of that fiscal year, the department may, 14 in the discretion of the commissioner, provide an additional remediation grant to allow 15 the district not more than one additional fiscal year to meet the standards. Nothing in 16 this section prohibits a district from using its own funds to continue the remediation 17 process. 18 (f) A student in an early education program may not be counted in a district's 19 ADM under AS 14.17.500 or 14.17.905 unless the department has approved the 20 program under (a)(2) of this section. 21 (g) A grant under this section is subject to appropriation, but may not supplant 22 other early education funding available to districts. 23 (h) In this section, 24 (1) "ADM" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 25 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 26 (3) "early education program" means a program 27 (A) for children who are four and five years of age and who 28 have not attended a public school kindergarten; and 29 (B) the primary function of which is educational. 30 Sec. 14.03.420. Parents as teachers program. (a) The department shall 31 design and implement a statewide parents as teachers program for the benefit of
01 children who are under five years of age. The program must provide a system of early 02 childhood education that 03 (1) is evidence-based; 04 (2) involves parents; 05 (3) is consistent with available research and best practices for high 06 quality early childhood education; 07 (4) incorporates guidelines adopted by the department for early 08 learning that 09 (A) enhance school readiness; 10 (B) increase parent understanding of child development and 11 developmental milestones; 12 (C) reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect; 13 (D) increase identification of health problems and 14 developmental delays through regular screenings; 15 (E) improve child health indicators, including immunization 16 rates; and 17 (F) increase parental involvement; and 18 (5) provides for effective and efficient coordination with or expansion 19 of early education programs operating in the state, to the extent permitted by law. 20 (b) A school district shall, to the extent space is needed and available, provide 21 for the use of a room in a school at no charge to support the program established under 22 this section. 23 (c) The department shall develop and enter into local partnerships to 24 implement the program established under this section. 25 * Sec. 9. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read: 26 (a) The department shall 27 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 28 except the University of Alaska; 29 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 30 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 31 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement
01 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 02 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 03 preparatory courses; 04 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 05 governing bodies and personnel; 06 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 07 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 08 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 09 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 10 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in detention 11 facilities in the state during the period of detention; 12 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 13 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 14 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 15 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 16 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 17 the members of each house; 18 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 19 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 20 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 21 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 22 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 23 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs 24 [PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS] that receive direct state or federal funding, 25 including early education programs provided by a school district for students 26 four and five years of age, and approve early education programs provided by a 27 school district under AS 14.03.410(a)(2); 28 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 29 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 30 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 31 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program;
01 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 02 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 03 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 04 licensed; 05 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 06 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 07 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 08 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 09 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 10 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 11 and costs, and final contract documents; 12 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 13 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 14 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 15 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 16 will lead to employment opportunities; 17 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 18 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 19 school bus driver training course; 20 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 21 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 22 behavior; 23 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 24 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 25 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 26 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 27 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 28 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 29 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 30 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 31 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language
01 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 02 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 03 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 04 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 05 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 06 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 07 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and 08 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as 09 described in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 10 * Sec. 10. AS 14.07.020(c) is amended to read: 11 (c) In this section, "early education program" ["PRE-ELEMENTARY 12 SCHOOL"] means a program [SCHOOL] for children ages three through five years if 13 the program's [SCHOOL'S] primary function is educational. 14 * Sec. 11. AS 14.07.050 is amended to read: 15 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 16 schools of the state, including a district-offered [DISTRICT OFFERED] statewide 17 correspondence study program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. 18 Nothing in this section precludes 19 (1) a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 20 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 21 curriculum material not provided by the school district; 22 (2) the department from selecting and purchasing supplementary 23 reading textbooks and materials for school districts to support reading 24 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 25 * Sec. 12. AS 14.07.165(a) is amended to read: 26 (a) The board shall adopt 27 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written 28 goals that are consistent with local needs; 29 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 30 AS 14.03.125; 31 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b);
01 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 02 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 03 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education 04 program provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of 05 age; the regulations must include 06 (A) standards for a locally designed, evidence-based 07 program that meets federal standards for early education programs and 08 complies with the day-in-session requirements provided under 09 AS 14.03.040; 10 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program 11 hold a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 12 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 13 credit hours in early childhood education or completes the 14 minimum credit hours within one year of the date the teacher's 15 employment with the early education program begins; or 16 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching 17 kindergarten or another early education program and have 18 completed additional coursework related to reading instruction, as 19 required by the department; 20 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children 21 four and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for 22 older children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the 23 content of an early education program to be culturally responsive to local 24 communities; and 25 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 26 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances 27 [REPEALED]. 28 * Sec. 13. AS 14.07.180(a) is amended to read: 29 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board shall establish 30 standards and a procedure for the review, ranking, and approval of mathematics and 31 English and language arts curricula for school districts to use in each grade level as
01 provided in this section. The board may include curricula delivered through virtual 02 education in the standards and procedure established under this subsection. Standards 03 established for the review, ranking, and approval of language arts curricula for 04 early education programs and grades kindergarten through three must be based 05 on the five components of evidence-based reading instruction identified by the 06 National Reading Panel. 07 * Sec. 14. AS 14.17.500 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 08 (d) Except as provided in AS 14.17.905(d), a student in an early education 09 program provided by a school district and approved by the department under 10 AS 14.07.020(a)(8) is counted as one-half of a full-time equivalent student. 11 * Sec. 15. AS 14.17.905(a) is amended to read: 12 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the determination of the number of schools in 13 a district is subject to the following: 14 (1) a community with an ADM of at least 10, but not more than 100, 15 shall be counted as one school; 16 (2) a community with an ADM of at least 101, but not more than 425, 17 shall be counted as 18 (A) one elementary school, which includes those students in 19 grades kindergarten through six and, except as provided in (d) of this 20 section, in an early education program provided by a school district and 21 approved by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8); and 22 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 23 seven through 12; 24 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 25 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 26 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 27 school in the district with the highest ADM. 28 * Sec. 16. AS 14.17.905 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 29 (d) A school district may not include in a school's ADM students who are four 30 and five years of age if the students are enrolled in an early education program that 31 receives state or federal funding other than funding under this chapter.
01 * Sec. 17. AS 14.20.015(c) is amended to read: 02 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 03 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 04 other state. However, a teacher holding a preliminary teacher certificate issued 05 under this section must complete three credits or the equivalent of coursework, 06 training, or testing requirements in evidence-based reading instruction approved 07 by the board to be eligible for an endorsement in elementary education issued by 08 the department. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing 09 requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing education 10 requirements established by the board in regulation. In this subsection, 11 "evidence-based reading instruction" means reading instruction informed by 12 research that supports improved educational outcomes. 13 * Sec. 18. AS 14.20.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 14 (l) A teacher certificated under this section must complete three credits or the 15 equivalent of coursework, training, or testing requirements in evidence-based reading 16 instruction approved by the board in regulation to be eligible for an endorsement in 17 elementary education issued by the department. A teacher may apply coursework, 18 training, or testing requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing 19 education requirements established by the board in regulation. In this subsection, 20 "evidence-based reading instruction" means reading instruction informed by research 21 that supports improved educational outcomes. 22 * Sec. 19. AS 14.30 is amended by adding new sections to read: 23 Article 15. Reading Programs. 24 Sec. 14.30.760. Statewide assessment. (a) To implement the district reading 25 intervention services established under AS 14.30.765, the department shall 26 (1) adopt a statewide screening or assessment tool to administer to 27 students in grades kindergarten through three to identify students with any reading 28 deficiencies, including students with characteristics of dyslexia; the screening or 29 assessment tool must evaluate 30 (A) phonemic awareness, letter naming fluency, letter sound 31 fluency, and letter word sound fluency of students in kindergarten;
01 (B) letter word sound fluency and oral reading fluency of 02 students in grade one; 03 (C) vocabulary and oral reading fluency of students in grades 04 two and three; 05 (2) support teachers of grades kindergarten through three by 06 (A) administering the statewide screening or assessment tool 07 three times each school year, once in the fall, once in the winter, and once in 08 the spring, to all students in grades kindergarten through three, with the 09 exception of students who demonstrate sufficient reading skills on the first 10 screening or assessment of the school year; 11 (B) providing methods to monitor student progress; 12 (C) providing targeted instruction based on student needs as 13 determined by the results of the screening or assessment tool; and 14 (D) providing additional assistance as determined by the 15 department; 16 (3) provide training to school district staff related to using the results 17 of the statewide screening or assessment tool and understanding evidence-based 18 reading interventions, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic 19 awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension; 20 (4) establish a process that allows the commissioner to waive, upon 21 request, use of the statewide screening or assessment tool required under this 22 subsection by a school district if the school district has adopted an evidence-based 23 reading screening or assessment tool and the screening or assessment tool is approved 24 by the department; 25 (5) review and approve alternative standardized reading screenings or 26 assessments for use by school districts. 27 (b) In adopting a statewide screening or assessment tool under (a)(1) of this 28 section, the department shall consider the following factors: 29 (1) the amount of time needed to administer the screening or 30 assessment, with the intention of minimizing effects on instructional time; 31 (2) the time frame for reporting screening or assessment results to
01 teachers, administrators, and parents or guardians; 02 (3) the integration of the screening or assessment with student 03 instruction and department support; 04 (4) recommendations from a task force, working group, or committee 05 created by law and charged with studying issues related to reading proficiency and 06 reading deficiencies; and 07 (5) whether the screening or assessment is culturally responsive to the 08 needs of particular communities. 09 Sec. 14.30.765. District reading intervention services. (a) Each school 10 district shall offer intensive reading intervention services to students in grades 11 kindergarten through three who exhibit a reading deficiency to assist students in 12 achieving reading proficiency at or above grade level by the end of grade three. The 13 district shall provide the intensive reading intervention services in addition to the core 14 reading instruction that is provided to all students in the general education classroom. 15 If practicable, the intensive reading intervention services must 16 (1) be provided by a reading teacher or a paraprofessional under the 17 supervision of a reading teacher to all students in grades kindergarten through three 18 who are determined to have a reading deficiency based on the statewide screening or 19 assessment tool adopted under AS 14.30.760(a)(1); 20 (2) provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, 21 phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, as necessary; 22 (3) use evidence-based reading intervention methods that have shown 23 proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within a single school year; 24 (4) include instruction with detailed explanations, extensive 25 opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for error correction and feedback; 26 (5) incorporate daily targeted small group reading instruction based on 27 student needs, either in person or online; 28 (6) monitor the reading progress of each student's reading skills 29 throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to student needs; 30 (7) be implemented during regular school hours through any available 31 method, including in person or through online delivery by teachers or specialty
01 reading coaches; 02 (8) be implemented outside of regular school hours, as directed in the 03 student's individual reading improvement plan under (b) of this section, for a student 04 who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide screening or assessment 05 tool; and 06 (9) be reviewed based on a department-approved response to 07 intervention or multi-tiered system support models, addressing additional support and 08 services needed to remedy identified needs. 09 (b) In addition to the reading intervention services provided under (a) of this 10 section, a school district shall provide an individual reading improvement plan for 11 each student in grades kindergarten through three who, based on the statewide 12 screening or assessment tool, is determined to have a reading deficiency. An 13 individual reading improvement plan developed under this section must 14 (1) be implemented not later than 30 days after identification of the 15 reading deficiency; 16 (2) be created by the student's reading teacher in consultation with the 17 school principal, the student's parents or guardians, and other pertinent district staff; 18 (3) describe the evidence-based reading intervention services the 19 student will receive to achieve and demonstrate sufficient reading skills; 20 (4) provide reading intervention services outside of regular school 21 hours for a student who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide 22 screening or assessment tool consistent with (a)(8) of this section; 23 (5) include a process for monitoring progress and adjusting the plan 24 based on student needs; 25 (6) require the district or school to provide the student's parents or 26 guardians with updates on the student's progress not fewer than 10 times during the 27 school year; and 28 (7) be culturally responsive. 29 (c) If at any time during the school year a student in grades kindergarten 30 through three demonstrates a reading deficiency, the district or school shall notify the 31 student's parents or guardians in writing or during a conference. The initial notification
01 must 02 (1) be provided to the student's parents or guardians not later than 15 03 days after identification of the reading deficiency; 04 (2) state that the district identified the student as having a reading 05 deficiency and that a reading improvement plan will be developed under (b) of this 06 section; 07 (3) describe current services that the district is providing to the student; 08 (4) describe the proposed evidence-based reading intervention and 09 supplemental instructional services and supports that the district will provide to the 10 student to address the identified area of reading deficiency; 11 (5) explain that the district or school will inform the parents or 12 guardians of the student's progress toward grade level reading as outlined in the 13 student's individual reading improvement plan; 14 (6) identify strategies for the parents or guardians to use at home to 15 help the student succeed in reading; 16 (7) explain that if the student has a reading deficiency at the end of the 17 school year, unless the student receives an exemption under (i) of this section or has 18 previously been retained in kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three, the 19 student may be prevented from progressing to the next grade level under (e) of this 20 section; and 21 (8) explain that a student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient 22 reading skills to progress to grade four under (g) of this section, unless the student 23 receives an exemption under (i) of this section or has previously been retained in 24 kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three. 25 (d) If a student does not demonstrate proficiency on the statewide screening or 26 assessment tool administered in the winter, the district or school shall inform the 27 student's parents or guardians about the process and deadline to request a good cause 28 exemption from delayed grade level progression under (j) of this section. 29 (e) If, not later than 45 days before the end of the school year, a teacher 30 determines that a student in grades kindergarten through three has a reading 31 deficiency, the student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall provide written
01 notification to and meet with the student's parents or guardians to determine whether 02 the student will be able to maintain adequate academic progress at the next grade level 03 and discuss delayed grade level progression as an intervention strategy. School staff 04 shall work with the parents or guardians to schedule a date, time, and place for the 05 meeting and, if no parent or guardian attends the meeting, the teacher and school staff 06 shall determine grade level progression. 07 (f) At the meeting described in (e) of this section, the parents or guardians, the 08 teacher, and the participating staff members shall decide whether the student will 09 advance to the next grade level in the next school year. If the parents or guardians, the 10 teacher, and the participating staff members are not in agreement, the parents or 11 guardians shall decide whether the student will advance to the next grade level unless 12 circumstances exist as specified in the policy adopted by the district that would 13 prevent advancement. 14 (g) A student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 15 progress to grade four. A student demonstrates sufficient reading skills for progression 16 by 17 (1) scoring at a proficient or higher achievement level on the statewide 18 screening or assessment tool or on the statewide summative assessment; 19 (2) achieving an acceptable score on an alternative standardized 20 reading screening or assessment as determined and approved by the department; or 21 (3) demonstrating mastery of reading standards through a student 22 reading portfolio based on criteria established by the department. 23 (h) The department shall develop a program to provide recognition to districts, 24 schools, school staff, and students for increases in the percentage of students in grade 25 three who demonstrate sufficient reading skills under (g) of this section. 26 (i) A school board may exempt a student from delayed grade level progression 27 for good cause. A good cause exemption is limited to 28 (1) a student with a disability whose individualized education plan 29 under AS 14.30.278 exempts the student from participation in the statewide screening 30 or assessment tool; 31 (2) a student with a disability who participates in the statewide
01 screening or assessment tool and has an individualized education plan under 02 AS 14.30.278 or a plan under 29 U.S.C. 794 that reflects that the student has received 03 intensive reading intervention services for two years or more but still demonstrates a 04 reading deficiency; 05 (3) a student who has received intensive reading intervention services 06 for two or more years but still demonstrates a reading deficiency; or 07 (4) a student whose primary language is other than English and who 08 has had less than two years of instruction in an English language learning program. 09 (j) A student's parents or guardians may request that the student receive a good 10 cause exemption under (i) of this section by submitting documentation to the principal 11 of the school in which the student is enrolled showing that an exemption is 12 appropriate. If the principal determines that the student meets one of the exemptions 13 under (i) of this section, the principal shall recommend to the school board in writing 14 that the school board grant the student a good cause exemption. The school board shall 15 accept or reject the principal's recommendation in writing and provide notice of its 16 decision to the student's parents or guardians and the principal. 17 (k) If a student in grade three does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills for 18 progression to grade four under (g) of this section, the district or school in which the 19 student is enrolled shall provide written notification to the student's parents or 20 guardians not later than 45 days before the end of the school year. The written 21 notification must 22 (1) state that the student did not demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 23 progress to grade four; 24 (2) explain the implementation of intervention or progression 25 strategies; 26 (3) describe the current services being provided to the student; and 27 (4) if the student's parents or guardians requested a good cause 28 exemption under (i) of this section and the school board rejected the request, include a 29 statement that the request for a good cause exemption was rejected and a copy of the 30 written notification the school board provided the parents or guardians under (j) of this 31 section.
01 (l) For a student who does not progress to the next grade level under (e) or (g) 02 of this section, or who progresses to the next grade level with a good cause exemption 03 under (i) of this section, the district in which the student is enrolled shall 04 (1) review the student's individual reading improvement plan; 05 (2) provide intensive reading intervention services to improve the area 06 of reading deficiency using effective instructional strategies to accelerate student 07 progress; 08 (3) provide additional services and support to improve the student's 09 identified area of reading deficiency, including 10 (A) a transitional instructional setting that is designed to 11 produce learning gains; 12 (B) supplemental tutoring offered by a person with specialized 13 reading training; 14 (C) an increase in time dedicated to the reading instruction 15 methods described in (a)(3) - (5) of this section, including more extensive 16 opportunities for guided practice and error correction and feedback; 17 (4) a plan for reading at home outlined in an agreement with the 18 parents or guardians, including parent participation in training workshops and regular 19 parent-guided home reading activities. 20 (m) A district or school may not retain a student under this section who was 21 previously retained in kindergarten, grade one, grade two, or grade three. 22 (n) In this section, 23 (1) "evidence-based reading intervention" means an intervention based 24 on reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence that has a demonstrated record of success 25 in adequately increasing a student's reading competency in the areas of phonemic 26 awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, 27 and reading comprehension; 28 (2) "reading teacher" means a teacher who holds a valid teacher 29 certificate under AS 14.20 and has demonstrated an effectiveness at instructing 30 students to read at or above grade level through student reading performance data and 31 teacher performance evaluations and who meets the requirements established by the
01 state Board of Education and Early Development in regulation. 02 Sec. 14.30.770. Department reading program. (a) The department shall 03 establish a reading program to provide direct support for and intervention in intensive 04 reading intervention services in the lowest performing 25 percent of schools serving 05 students in grades kindergarten through three as determined under AS 14.03.123, 06 selecting not more than 10 participating schools at a time. State funding provided to 07 participating schools for implementation of the reading program is in addition to the 08 amount of funding provided under AS 14.17. In conducting the program, the 09 department shall 10 (1) use the accountability system established in AS 14.03.123 to 11 identify low performing schools; 12 (2) establish an application process for school districts to apply to 13 participate in the program; 14 (3) select low performing schools from the schools that apply to 15 participate in the program; 16 (4) employ and assign a reading specialist for each school selected to 17 direct the implementation of the intensive reading intervention services established 18 under AS 14.30.765 by 19 (A) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by 20 working regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually; 21 (B) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading 22 instruction with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the 23 greatest positive effects on student achievement; 24 (C) training teachers in data analysis and using data to 25 differentiate instruction; 26 (D) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 27 (E) reporting on school and student performance to the 28 department; 29 (5) establish a reporting process for each reading specialist and support 30 reading specialist to submit updates to the department on implementation of the 31 program;
01 (6) work with reading specialists to create specific improvement goals 02 for each school selected, including measures of interim progress; 03 (7) select and purchase additional reading material for each school 04 selected to supplement the intensive reading intervention services; 05 (8) pay travel and associated costs for a reading specialist or support 06 reading specialist to attend relevant training sessions identified by or hosted by the 07 department; 08 (9) periodically review staff development programs for their 09 effectiveness in developing reading skills and, after consultation with school districts 10 and experts, recommend to the board for approval staff development programs that 11 (A) have been proven to assess and accelerate student progress 12 toward reaching reading competency; 13 (B) provide explicit and systematic skill development in the 14 areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and 15 comprehension; 16 (C) are evidence-based and reliable; 17 (D) provide initial and ongoing analysis of student progress 18 toward reaching reading competency; and 19 (E) include texts on core academic content to assist students in 20 maintaining or meeting grade-appropriate proficiency in academic subjects in 21 addition to reading; 22 (10) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel made 23 up of teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, and parents 24 of students in grades kindergarten through three to review and provide commentary on 25 the effectiveness of the reading intervention programs established under AS 14.30.760 26 - 14.30.775. 27 (b) The department may employ and assign a support reading specialist for 28 each school selected to participate in the program, as necessary, to support the reading 29 specialist assigned under (a)(4) of this section or serve as a reading specialist for a 30 school's early education program. 31 (c) A school selected to participate in the reading program established under
01 this section shall 02 (1) ensure that a reading specialist assigned to the school is not 03 required to perform functions that divert from the duties the department has assigned 04 to the reading specialist; 05 (2) coordinate with the reading specialist or specialists to redesign the 06 school's daily schedule to dedicate time to reading program activities, including 07 intensive reading intervention services identified in a written agreement between the 08 school and the department; 09 (3) present on the reading program established under this section and 10 the intensive reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765 at a public 11 meeting; the presentation must include 12 (A) the data the department used to identify the school as 13 eligible for the reading program; 14 (B) a detailed overview of the reading program and intensive 15 reading intervention services; 16 (C) a timeline for implementing the intensive reading 17 intervention services and meeting reading improvement goals; and 18 (D) the implications of the program for students, families, and 19 educators; 20 (4) provide notice of the public meeting required under (3) of this 21 subsection to the parents or guardians of each student at least seven days before the 22 date of the meeting; 23 (5) present an annual update on the school's implementation of the 24 reading program and intensive reading intervention services at a public meeting with 25 notice provided to the parents or guardians of each student at least seven days before 26 the date of the meeting; 27 (6) create partnerships between the school, the families of students, 28 and the community that focus on promoting reading and increasing the amount of time 29 that students spend reading. 30 (d) The department shall publish on the department's Internet website and 31 make available to the public
01 (1) a completed application from each school selected to participate in 02 the reading program; 03 (2) the reading program and intensive reading intervention services 04 implemented by each school selected to participate; and 05 (3) a data analysis conducted by an independent contractor of the 06 success of the reading program and intensive reading intervention services. 07 (e) The department may employ a person as a reading specialist or support 08 reading specialist under this section if the person 09 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 10 (A) has completed an approved graduate program for the 11 preparation of reading specialists at an approved institution of higher education 12 and a supervised practicum or internship as a reading specialist; or 13 (B) has at least three years of full-time, demonstrated 14 classroom teaching experience where reading instruction was a primary 15 responsibility; 16 (2) is knowledgeable about and demonstrates competency in reading 17 instruction, including 18 (A) an understanding of the five components of reading 19 instruction identified by the National Reading Panel; 20 (B) knowledge of and experience in implementing effective 21 reading instruction strategies and intervention methods; 22 (C) experience in designing and implementing a school-wide 23 response to intervention program or multi-tiered system support model; 24 (D) an understanding of and experience in reading screenings 25 or assessments and data analyses that inform instruction; 26 (E) knowledge of dyslexia and other learning disorders that 27 affect reading achievement; 28 (F) knowledge of and an ability to effectively articulate the 29 methods, issues, and resources involved in support of student instruction to a 30 wide variety of audiences, including staff, parents, and students whose primary 31 language is other than English; and
01 (3) meets other reading instruction coursework requirements 02 established by the department in regulation. 03 Sec. 14.30.775. Definitions. In AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, 04 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 05 (2) "parent" or "guardian" includes a natural, adoptive, and foster 06 parent, legal guardian, relative, and other adult person with whom the student has 07 resided and who has acted as a parent in providing for the student or has been 08 responsible for the student's welfare for a continuous period of time. 09 * Sec. 20. AS 47.17.290(12) is amended to read: 10 (12) "organization" means a group or entity that provides care and 11 supervision for compensation to a child not related to the caregiver, and includes a 12 child care facility, pre-elementary school, early education program, head start 13 center, child foster home, residential child care facility, recreation program, children's 14 camp, and children's club; 15 * Sec. 21. AS 14.03.410 is repealed July 1, 2032. 16 * Sec. 22. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 17 read: 18 TEACHER RETENTION WORKING GROUP. (a) A teacher retention working 19 group is established to review issues and make findings related to challenges with teacher 20 retention at public schools in the state and make recommendations for improvement in teacher 21 retention. Members of the working group serve without compensation. 22 (b) The teacher retention working group consists of the following members: 23 (1) the commissioner of education and early development or the 24 commissioner's designee; 25 (2) two superintendents who are members of the Alaska Council of School 26 Administrators, one from an urban area and one from a rural area; 27 (3) two teachers who are members of the National Education Association - 28 Alaska, one from an urban area and one from a rural area; 29 (4) two members of the Association of Alaska School Boards, one from an 30 urban area and one from a rural area; 31 (5) the chairs of the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education;
01 and 02 (6) two members of the state Board of Education and Early Development, one 03 from an urban area and one from a rural area. 04 (c) The teacher retention working group shall select a chair from among its 05 membership. 06 (d) The teacher retention working group shall meet periodically and prepare a report 07 of its findings and recommendations. The working group shall submit the report to the 08 governor and to the senate secretary and chief clerk of the house of representatives for 09 distribution to all legislators on or before January 15, 2022, and shall notify the legislature 10 that the report is available. The working group expires January 16, 2022. 11 * Sec. 23. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12 read: 13 APPLICABILITY. Section 18 of this Act applies to endorsements in elementary 14 education issued on or after the effective date of this Act. An endorsement in elementary 15 education issued before the effective date of this Act may not be renewed on or after the 16 effective date of this Act unless the teacher has completed three credits or the equivalent of 17 coursework, training, or testing requirements under sec. 18 of this Act. 18 * Sec. 24. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 19 read: 20 TRANSITION. To determine the lowest performing 10 percent of districts for 21 purposes of grant eligibility under sec. 8 of this Act, in fiscal year 2022, the Department of 22 Education and Early Development shall use school accountability rankings from the 2019- 23 2020 school year. 24 * Sec. 25. This Act takes effect July 1, 2021.