CSSB 111(EDC): "An Act relating to the 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 assessing 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 school operating funds; relating to a virtual education consortium; and providing for an effective date."
00 CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 111(EDC) 01 "An Act relating to the duties of the Department of Education and Early Development; 02 relating to public schools and school districts; relating to early education programs; 03 relating to funding for early education programs; relating to school age eligibility; 04 relating to reports by the Department of Education and Early Development; relating to 05 reports by school districts; relating to certification and competency of teachers; relating 06 to assessing reading deficiencies and providing reading intervention services to public 07 school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; relating to textbooks and 08 materials for reading intervention services; establishing a reading program in the 09 Department of Education and Early Development; relating to school operating funds; 10 relating to a virtual education consortium; and providing for an effective date." 11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 12 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section
01 to read: 02 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Academic Improvement and 03 Modernization Act. 04 * Sec. 2. AS 14.03.040 is amended to read: 05 Sec. 14.03.040. Day in session. Each day within the school term is a day in 06 session except Saturdays, Sundays, and days designated as holidays by or according to 07 AS 14.03.050. A school board may approve Saturdays as a day in session. The day in 08 session in every school shall be at least four hours long, exclusive of intermissions, for 09 the first, second, and third grades and five hours, exclusive of intermissions, for [ALL 10 OTHER] grades four through 12. The commissioner may approve a shorter day in 11 session for any grade. The period of the day in session shall be devoted to the 12 instruction of pupils or to study periods for the pupils. 13 * Sec. 3. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read: 14 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary 15 school consists of an early education [A PRE-ELEMENTARY] program approved 16 or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program 17 operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program 18 under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC 19 SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH 20 A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED 21 SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS 22 MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP 23 UNDER AS 14.17]. 24 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.060(e), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, is amended to read: 25 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary 26 school consists of an early education program [APPROVED OR] supervised by the 27 department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program operated by a head start 28 agency as a head start program under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c. 29 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read: 30 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 31 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state
01 current information on the importance of [EARLY] literacy and early reading, 02 including 03 (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies and reading 04 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765; 05 (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans; 06 (3) grade progression [RETENTION] standards and policies for the 07 elementary school attended; 08 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; 09 (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in 10 improving adult literacy. 11 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.072(a), as amended by sec. 5 of this Act, is amended to read: 12 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of 13 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state 14 current information on the importance of literacy and early reading, including 15 (1) culturally responsive intervention strategies [AND READING 16 INTERVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED UNDER AS 14.30.765]; 17 (2) home reading plans; 18 (3) grade progression standards and policies for the elementary school 19 attended; 20 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read; 21 (5) a list of resources and organizations that specialize in improving 22 adult literacy. 23 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read: 24 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by 25 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress 26 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. 27 The report required under this section must include 28 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)]; 29 (2) progress of the department 30 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 31 of AS 14.03.123; and
01 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 02 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 03 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 04 and school district; 05 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 06 curriculum with state education performance standards; 07 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 08 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 09 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 10 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND] 11 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 12 superintendents; 13 (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative 14 employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of 15 (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in 16 each category employed by each school district compared to the number 17 of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous 18 year; 19 (B) the total number of certificated administrative 20 employees employed by each school district compared to the total number 21 of teachers employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous 22 year; and 23 (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school 24 district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school 25 district on October 1 of the previous year; 26 (9) the progress made to implement the reading intervention 27 programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, including data on how 28 school districts are using in-service days for culturally responsive professional 29 development in reading instruction; and 30 (10) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as 31 teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of
01 efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school 02 readiness. 03 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03.078(a), as amended by sec. 7 of this Act, is amended to read: 04 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by 05 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress 06 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students. 07 The report required under this section must include 08 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120; 09 (2) progress of the department 10 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions 11 of AS 14.03.123; and 12 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited; 13 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school 14 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school 15 and school district; 16 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning 17 curriculum with state education performance standards; 18 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public 19 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123; 20 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and 21 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; 22 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and 23 superintendents; and 24 (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative 25 employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of 26 (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in 27 each category employed by each school district compared to the number of 28 students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous year; 29 (B) the total number of certificated administrative employees 30 employed by each school district compared to the total number of teachers 31 employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous year; and
01 (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school 02 district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school district 03 on October 1 of the previous year [; 04 (9) THE PROGRESS MADE TO IMPLEMENT THE READING 05 INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, 06 INCLUDING DATA ON HOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE USING IN-SERVICE 07 DAYS FOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN 08 READING INSTRUCTION; AND 09 (10) THE EFFECTIVENESS AND PARTICIPATION RATES OF 10 THE PARENTS AS TEACHERS PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER 11 AS 14.03.420, INCLUDING MEASURES OF EFFICIENCY AND 12 EFFECTIVENESS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE EFFECTS OF THE PROGRAM 13 ON SCHOOL READINESS]. 14 * Sec. 9. AS 14.03.078 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 15 (c) Each school district shall make available to the public the portion of the 16 report under (a)(8) of this section that pertains to the school district by posting the 17 information in a prominent location on the school district's or local community's 18 Internet website or by another easily accessible method. 19 (d) In this section, "administrative employee" means an employee who does 20 not provide direct classroom instruction for students as a regular part of the 21 employee's job. 22 * Sec. 10. AS 14.03.080(c) is amended to read: 23 (c) A child under school age who is at least four years of age at the 24 beginning of the school year may be admitted to a public school in the school district 25 of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the governing body of the school 26 district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed by the board evidencing that 27 the child has the mental, physical, and emotional capacity to perform satisfactorily for 28 the educational program being offered. A district's educational program must prescribe 29 that, except for students in an early education program, under school age students 30 advance through the curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A 31 governing body may delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief
01 school administrator of the school district. 02 * Sec. 11. AS 14.03.080(c), as amended by sec. 10 of this Act, is amended to read: 03 (c) A child under school age [WHO IS AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OF AGE 04 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR] may be admitted to a public 05 school in the school district of which the child is a resident at the discretion of the 06 governing body of the school district if the child meets minimum standards prescribed 07 by the board evidencing that the child has the mental, physical, and emotional capacity 08 to perform satisfactorily for the educational program being offered. A district's 09 educational program must prescribe that [, EXCEPT FOR STUDENTS IN AN 10 EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM,] under school age students advance through the 11 curriculum or grade level by the following school year. A governing body may 12 delegate the authority granted under this subsection to the chief school administrator 13 of the school district. 14 * Sec. 12. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 15 (g) A child who is five years of age on or before September 1 following the 16 beginning of the school year, and who is under school age, may enter a public school 17 kindergarten. 18 * Sec. 13. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 19 (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district 20 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year 21 regarding 22 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each 23 classroom in grades kindergarten through three; 24 (2) the number and percentage of students 25 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated 26 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or 27 assessment tool; 28 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below 29 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or assessment tool, by 30 grade; 31 (C) in grades kindergarten through three who did not progress
01 to the next grade and the reasons the students did not progress; 02 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 03 progress to grade four based on the statewide screening or assessment tool; 04 (E) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 05 waiver under AS 14.30.765(f); 06 (F) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a 07 good cause exemption under AS 14.30.765(h); 08 (G) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 09 progress to grade four based on an alternative standardized reading screening 10 or assessment; 11 (H) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills to 12 progress to grade four based on a student reading portfolio; 13 (3) the performance on the statewide screening or assessment tool of 14 students in a grade above grade three who did not progress to grade four or who 15 progressed to grade four based on a waiver under AS 14.30.765(f) or a good cause 16 exemption under AS 14.30.765(h). 17 * Sec. 14. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read: 18 Article 4. Early Education. 19 Sec. 14.03.410. Early education programs; grants. (a) The department shall 20 provide training and assistance to develop and improve district-wide early education 21 programs that comply with standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). 22 The department shall assess district-wide early education programs and approve 23 programs that comply with the standards adopted by the board under 24 AS 14.07.165(a)(5). The department may review an approved program at any time and 25 may revoke approval of a program if the program is not in compliance with the 26 standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). 27 (b) The department may award a grant to provide funding for a three-year 28 period for the development or improvement of a district-wide early education program 29 to a district that has not received a grant under this section, applies in a format 30 prescribed by the department, and is eligible for a grant as specified under (c) of this 31 section. Unless the legislature appropriates another amount, total grant funding
01 awarded to districts under this subsection may not exceed $3,000,000 in a fiscal year. 02 (c) The department shall rank the performance of each district in the state in 03 accordance with the accountability system and performance designations required 04 under AS 14.03.123. When approving grants under (b) of this section, the department 05 shall prioritize eligible districts with lower performance, based on the department's 06 ranking of districts under this subsection. A district is eligible for a grant if the 07 department determines an insufficient number of children in the district attend high 08 quality child care programs, including head start programs, early education programs 09 provided by a local government, and early education programs provided by child 10 development agencies, that 11 (1) meet or exceed the standards adopted by the board under 12 AS 14.07.165(a)(5); and 13 (2) would continue operating after development of a district early 14 education program. 15 (d) If the department does not approve, as provided in (a) of this section, the 16 early education program of a district awarded a grant under (b) of this section by the 17 end of the district's three-year grant period, the department may provide a one-year 18 remediation grant to allow the district one additional fiscal year to meet the early 19 education program standards adopted by the board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the 20 district is unable to meet the early education program standards at the end of that fiscal 21 year, the department may, in the discretion of the commissioner, provide an additional 22 remediation grant to allow the district not more than one additional fiscal year to meet 23 the standards. Nothing in this section prohibits a district from using its own funds to 24 continue the remediation process. 25 (e) A student in an early education program may not be counted in a district's 26 ADM under AS 14.17.500 unless the department has approved the program under (a) 27 of this section. 28 (f) A grant under this section is subject to appropriation, but may not supplant 29 other early education funding available to districts. 30 (g) In this section, 31 (1) "ADM" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990;
01 (2) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 02 (3) "early education program" means a program, the primary function 03 of which is educational, for children who are four and five years of age and who have 04 not attended a public school kindergarten. 05 Sec. 14.03.420. Parents as teachers program. (a) The department shall 06 design and implement a statewide parents as teachers program for the benefit of 07 children who are under five years of age. The program must provide a system of early 08 childhood education that 09 (1) is evidence-based; 10 (2) involves parents; 11 (3) is consistent with available research and best practices for high 12 quality early childhood education; 13 (4) incorporates guidelines adopted by the department for early 14 learning that 15 (A) enhance school readiness; 16 (B) increase parent understanding of child development and 17 developmental milestones; 18 (C) reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect; 19 (D) increase identification of health problems and 20 developmental delays through regular screenings; 21 (E) improve child health indicators, including immunization 22 rates; and 23 (F) increase parental involvement; and 24 (5) provides for effective and efficient coordination with or expansion 25 of early education programs operating in the state, to the extent permitted by law. 26 (b) A school district shall, to the extent space is needed and available, provide 27 for the use of a room in a school at no charge to support the program established under 28 this section. 29 (c) The department shall develop and enter into local partnerships to 30 implement the program established under this section. 31 * Sec. 15. AS 14.07.020(a) is amended to read:
01 (a) The department shall 02 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 03 except the University of Alaska; 04 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 05 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 06 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 07 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 08 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 09 preparatory courses; 10 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 11 governing bodies and personnel; 12 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 13 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 14 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 15 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social 16 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in detention 17 facilities in the state during the period of detention; 18 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 19 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 20 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 21 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 22 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 23 the members of each house; 24 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 25 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 26 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 27 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 28 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 29 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs 30 [PRE-ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS] that receive direct state or federal funding, 31 including early education programs provided by a school district for students
01 four and five years of age, and approve early education programs provided by a 02 school district under AS 14.03.410(a); 03 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 04 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 05 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 06 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 07 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 08 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 09 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 10 licensed; 11 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 12 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 13 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 14 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 15 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans" 16 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 17 and costs, and final contract documents; 18 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 19 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 20 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 21 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 22 will lead to employment opportunities; 23 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 24 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 25 school bus driver training course; 26 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 27 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 28 behavior; 29 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 30 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 31 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include
01 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 02 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 03 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 04 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 05 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 06 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 07 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 08 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 09 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 10 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 11 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 12 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15); 13 (18) establish a reading program to provide direct support for and 14 intervention in the reading intervention programs of participating schools as 15 described in AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 16 * Sec. 16. AS 14.07.020(a), as amended by sec. 15 of this Act, is amended to read: 17 (a) The department shall 18 (1) exercise general supervision over the public schools of the state 19 except the University of Alaska; 20 (2) study the conditions and needs of the public schools of the state, 21 adopt or recommend plans, administer and evaluate grants to improve school 22 performance awarded under AS 14.03.125, and adopt regulations for the improvement 23 of the public schools; the department may consult with the University of Alaska to 24 develop secondary education requirements to improve student achievement in college 25 preparatory courses; 26 (3) provide advisory and consultative services to all public school 27 governing bodies and personnel; 28 (4) prescribe by regulation a minimum course of study for the public 29 schools; the regulations must provide that, if a course in American Sign Language is 30 given, the course shall be given credit as a course in a foreign language; 31 (5) establish, in coordination with the Department of Health and Social
01 Services, a program for the continuing education of children who are held in detention 02 facilities in the state during the period of detention; 03 (6) accredit those public schools that meet accreditation standards 04 prescribed by regulation by the department; these regulations shall be adopted by the 05 department and presented to the legislature during the first 10 days of any regular 06 session, and become effective 45 days after presentation or at the end of the session, 07 whichever is earlier, unless disapproved by a resolution concurred in by a majority of 08 the members of each house; 09 (7) prescribe by regulation, after consultation with the state fire 10 marshal and the state sanitarian, standards that will ensure healthful and safe 11 conditions in the public and private schools of the state, including a requirement of 12 physical examinations and immunizations in pre-elementary schools; the standards for 13 private schools may not be more stringent than those for public schools; 14 (8) exercise general supervision over early education programs that 15 receive direct state or federal funding, including early education programs provided by 16 a school district for students four and five years of age [, AND APPROVE EARLY 17 EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDER 18 AS 14.03.410(a)]; 19 (9) exercise general supervision over elementary and secondary 20 correspondence study programs offered by municipal school districts or regional 21 educational attendance areas; the department may also offer and make available to any 22 Alaskan through a centralized office a correspondence study program; 23 (10) accredit private schools that request accreditation and that meet 24 accreditation standards prescribed by regulation by the department; nothing in this 25 paragraph authorizes the department to require religious or other private schools to be 26 licensed; 27 (11) review plans for construction of new public elementary and 28 secondary schools and for additions to and major rehabilitation of existing public 29 elementary and secondary schools and, in accordance with regulations adopted by the 30 department, determine and approve the extent of eligibility for state aid of a school 31 construction or major maintenance project; for the purposes of this paragraph, "plans"
01 include educational specifications, schematic designs, projected energy consumption 02 and costs, and final contract documents; 03 (12) provide educational opportunities in the areas of vocational 04 education and training, and basic education to individuals over 16 years of age who 05 are no longer attending school; the department may consult with businesses and labor 06 unions to develop a program to prepare students for apprenticeships or internships that 07 will lead to employment opportunities; 08 (13) administer the grants awarded under AS 14.11; 09 (14) establish, in coordination with the Department of Public Safety, a 10 school bus driver training course; 11 (15) require the reporting of information relating to school disciplinary 12 and safety programs under AS 14.33.120 and of incidents of disruptive or violent 13 behavior; 14 (16) establish by regulation criteria, based on low student performance, 15 under which the department may intervene in a school district to improve instructional 16 practices, as described in AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or (15); the regulations must include 17 (A) a notice provision that alerts the district to the deficiencies 18 and the instructional practice changes proposed by the department; 19 (B) an end date for departmental intervention, as described in 20 AS 14.07.030(a)(14)(A) and (B) and (15), after the district demonstrates three 21 consecutive years of improvement consisting of not less than two percent 22 increases in student proficiency on standards-based assessments in language 23 arts and mathematics, as provided in AS 14.03.123(f)(1)(A); and 24 (C) a process for districts to petition the department for 25 continuing or discontinuing the department's intervention; 26 (17) notify the legislative committees having jurisdiction over 27 education before intervening in a school district under AS 14.07.030(a)(14) or 28 redirecting public school funding under AS 14.07.030(a)(15) [; 29 (18) ESTABLISH A READING PROGRAM TO PROVIDE DIRECT 30 SUPPORT FOR AND INTERVENTION IN THE READING INTERVENTION 31 PROGRAMS OF PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AS DESCRIBED IN AS 14.30.765
01 AND 14.30.770]. 02 * Sec. 17. AS 14.07.020(c) is amended to read: 03 (c) In this section, "early education program" ["PRE-ELEMENTARY 04 SCHOOL"] means a program [SCHOOL] for children ages three through five years if 05 the program's [SCHOOL'S] primary function is educational. 06 * Sec. 18. AS 14.07.050 is amended to read: 07 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 08 schools of the state, including a district offered statewide correspondence study 09 program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. Nothing in this 10 section precludes 11 (1) a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 12 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 13 curriculum material not provided by the school district; 14 (2) the department from selecting and purchasing supplementary 15 reading textbooks and materials for school districts to support reading 16 intervention services provided under AS 14.30.765 and 14.30.770. 17 * Sec. 19. AS 14.07.050, as amended by sec. 18 of this Act, is amended to read: 18 Sec. 14.07.050. Selection of textbooks. Textbooks for use in the public 19 schools of the state, including a district offered statewide correspondence study 20 program, shall be selected by district boards for district schools. Nothing in this 21 section precludes 22 [(1)] a correspondence study student, or the parent or guardian of a 23 correspondence study student, from privately obtaining or using textbooks or 24 curriculum material not provided by the school district [; 25 (2) THE DEPARTMENT FROM SELECTING AND PURCHASING 26 SUPPLEMENTARY READING TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR SCHOOL 27 DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT READING INTERVENTION SERVICES PROVIDED 28 UNDER AS 14.30.765 AND 14.30.770]. 29 * Sec. 20. AS 14.07.165(a) is amended to read: 30 (a) The board shall adopt 31 (1) statewide goals and require each governing body to adopt written
01 goals that are consistent with local needs; 02 (2) regulations regarding the application for and award of grants under 03 AS 14.03.125; 04 (3) regulations implementing provisions of AS 14.11.014(b); 05 (4) regulations requiring approval by the board before a charter school, 06 state boarding school, or a public school may provide domiciliary services; 07 (5) regulations establishing standards for an early education 08 program provided by a school district for children who are four and five years of 09 age; the regulations must include 10 (A) standards for a locally designed, evidence-based 11 program that meets Head Start Program Performance Standards and 12 other federal standards required for early education programs to receive 13 federal funding; 14 (B) a requirement that a teacher in charge of a program 15 hold a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20 and 16 (i) have satisfactorily completed a minimum of six 17 credit hours in early childhood education or completes the 18 minimum credit hours within one year of the date the teacher's 19 employment with the early education program begins; or 20 (ii) have two or more years of experience teaching 21 kindergarten or another early education program and have 22 completed additional coursework related to reading instruction, as 23 required by the department; 24 (C) developmentally appropriate objectives for children 25 four and five years of age rather than academic standards appropriate for 26 older children; the objectives must allow school districts to adapt the 27 content of an early education program to be culturally responsive to local 28 communities; 29 (D) accommodations for the needs of all early education 30 children and their families regardless of socioeconomic circumstances; 31 and
01 (E) standards for day in session requirements appropriate 02 for children four and five years of age; 03 (6) regulations establishing standards for day in session 04 requirements appropriate for kindergarten students [REPEALED]. 05 * Sec. 21. AS 14.07.168 is amended to read: 06 Sec. 14.07.168. Report to the legislature. Not later than the 30th legislative 07 day of each regular session of the legislature, the board shall prepare and present in 08 person to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education an annual 09 report that describes the efforts of the board to develop, maintain, and continuously 10 improve a comprehensive quality public education system, as provided for under the 11 bylaws of the board. The report must include 12 (1) a summary of the resolves and rationales provided in support of 13 policy decisions made under AS 14.03.015; 14 (2) program and curriculum changes made, discussed, or 15 recommended in meetings held under AS 14.07.125; 16 (3) additional information relevant to efforts made to improve and 17 maintain the public education system; 18 (4) a summary of implementation and utilization of the consortium 19 established under AS 14.30.800, including a review of consortium effectiveness 20 and the participation rates of districts, teachers, and students. 21 * Sec. 22. AS 14.07.168, as amended by sec. 21 of this Act, is amended to read: 22 Sec. 14.07.168. Report to the legislature. Not later than the 30th legislative 23 day of each regular session of the legislature, the board shall prepare and present in 24 person to the legislative committees having jurisdiction over education an annual 25 report that describes the efforts of the board to develop, maintain, and continuously 26 improve a comprehensive quality public education system, as provided for under the 27 bylaws of the board. The report must include 28 (1) a summary of the resolves and rationales provided in support of 29 policy decisions made under AS 14.03.015; 30 (2) program and curriculum changes made, discussed, or 31 recommended in meetings held under AS 14.07.125;
01 (3) additional information relevant to efforts made to improve and 02 maintain the public education system [; 03 (4) A SUMMARY OF IMPLEMENTATION AND UTILIZATION 04 OF THE CONSORTIUM ESTABLISHED UNDER AS 14.30.800, INCLUDING A 05 REVIEW OF CONSORTIUM EFFECTIVENESS AND THE PARTICIPATION 06 RATES OF DISTRICTS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS]. 07 * Sec. 23. AS 14.07.180(a) is amended to read: 08 (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board shall establish 09 standards and a procedure for the review, ranking, and approval of mathematics and 10 English and language arts curricula for school districts to use in each grade level as 11 provided in this section. The board may include curricula delivered through virtual 12 education in the standards and procedure established under this subsection. Standards 13 established for the review, ranking, and approval of language arts curricula for 14 early education programs and grades kindergarten through three must be based 15 on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral 16 language skills, and reading comprehension. 17 * Sec. 24. AS 14.14.115(a) is amended to read: 18 (a) To encourage cooperative arrangements between school districts and 19 between school districts and private businesses, nonprofit organizations, or 20 government agencies to provide more efficient or economical administrative or 21 educational services, a school district may receive a one-time cooperative arrangement 22 grant from the department of up to $100,000. The department shall ensure that 23 grant funds provided to districts under this section do not provide direct benefit 24 to private educational institutions. 25 * Sec. 25. AS 14.17.500 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 26 (d) Except as provided in (e) and (f) of this section, a student in a district-wide 27 early education program provided by a school district and approved by the department 28 under AS 14.07.020(a)(8) is counted as one-half of a full-time equivalent student. 29 (e) 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 (f) A school district may not include in a school's ADM students who are four 02 and five years of age if inclusion of the students would result in an increase of total 03 state aid attributable to district-wide early education programs approved under 04 AS 14.03.410 of more than $3,000,000 from the previous fiscal year. The department 05 shall prioritize the funding of district-wide early education programs, giving priority to 06 school districts with lower performance, based on the department's ranking of districts 07 under AS 14.03.410(c). When the number of students in a district-wide early 08 education program will result in an increase of total state aid attributable to district- 09 wide early education programs approved under AS 14.03.410 of more than $3,000,000 10 from the previous fiscal year, the department may identify the amount, up to 11 $3,000,000, available for the district's district-wide early education program. 12 * Sec. 26. AS 14.17.500(d), enacted by sec. 25 of this Act, is amended to read: 13 (d) A school district may not include in the school's ADM [EXCEPT AS 14 PROVIDED IN (e) AND (f) OF THIS SECTION,] a student in a district-wide early 15 education program provided by the [A SCHOOL] district [AND APPROVED BY 16 THE DEPARTMENT UNDER AS 14.07.020(a)(8) IS COUNTED AS ONE-HALF 17 OF A FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT]. 18 * Sec. 27. AS 14.17.505 is amended to read: 19 Sec. 14.17.505. Fund balance in school operating fund. (a) A district may 20 not accumulate in a fiscal year an unreserved portion of its year-end fund balance in its 21 school operating fund, as defined by department regulations, that is greater than 25 22 [10] percent of its expenditures for that fiscal year, unless the department approves 23 a district plan to use the fund balance that is greater than 25 percent of its 24 expenditures for that fiscal year. 25 (b) The department shall review each district's annual audit under 26 AS 14.14.050 for the preceding fiscal year to ascertain its year-end operating fund 27 balance. The amount by which the unreserved portion of that balance exceeds the 28 amount permitted in (a) of this section, or (c) of this section if the district is eligible, 29 shall be deducted from the state aid that would otherwise be paid to the district in the 30 current fiscal year. 31 * Sec. 28. AS 14.17.505 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
01 (c) The department may approve a plan to allow a district to accumulate funds 02 greater than 25 percent of the district's expenditures for that fiscal year if 03 (1) the excess funds are not the result of reduced direct instruction 04 costs; 05 (2) the department determines that the district has requested a 06 reasonable period of time to use the excess funds; and 07 (3) the department determines that the proposed use of the excess 08 funds will cause meaningful improvement to student education outcomes. 09 * Sec. 29. AS 14.17.905(a) is amended to read: 10 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the determination of the number of schools in 11 a district is subject to the following: 12 (1) a community with an ADM of at least 10, but not more than 100, 13 shall be counted as one school; 14 (2) a community with an ADM of at least 101, but not more than 425, 15 shall be counted as 16 (A) one elementary school, which includes those students in 17 grades kindergarten through six and, except as provided in AS 14.17.500, in 18 an early education program provided by a school district and approved by 19 the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8); and 20 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 21 seven through 12; 22 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 23 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 24 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 25 school in the district with the highest ADM. 26 * Sec. 30. AS 14.17.905(a), as amended by sec. 29 of this Act, is amended to read: 27 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the determination of the number of schools in 28 a district is subject to the following: 29 (1) a community with an ADM of at least 10, but not more than 100, 30 shall be counted as one school; 31 (2) a community with an ADM of at least 101, but not more than 425,
01 shall be counted as 02 (A) one elementary school, which includes those students in 03 grades kindergarten through six [AND, EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN 04 AS 14.17.500, IN AN EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM PROVIDED BY A 05 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT UNDER 06 AS 14.07.020(a)(8)]; and 07 (B) one secondary school, which includes students in grades 08 seven through 12; 09 (3) in a community with an ADM of greater than 425, each facility that 10 is administered as a separate school shall be counted as one school, except that each 11 alternative school with an ADM of less than 175 shall be counted as a part of the 12 school in the district with the highest ADM. 13 * Sec. 31. AS 14.20.015(c) is amended to read: 14 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 15 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 16 other state. However, before teaching students in grades kindergarten through 17 three, a teacher certificated under this section must complete coursework, 18 training, or testing requirements, and demonstrate proficiency as determined by 19 the department, in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, 20 reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension approved by 21 the board in regulation. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing 22 requirements completed under this subsection toward continuing education 23 requirements established by the board in regulation. 24 * Sec. 32. AS 14.20.015(c), as amended by sec. 31 of this Act, is amended to read: 25 (c) The preliminary teacher certificate issued under this section must contain 26 the same endorsements as those on the current valid teacher certificate issued by the 27 other state. [HOWEVER, BEFORE TEACHING STUDENTS IN GRADES 28 KINDERGARTEN THROUGH THREE, A TEACHER CERTIFICATED UNDER 29 THIS SECTION MUST COMPLETE COURSEWORK, TRAINING, OR TESTING 30 REQUIREMENTS IN PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS, VOCABULARY 31 DEVELOPMENT, READING FLUENCY, ORAL LANGUAGE SKILLS, AND
01 READING COMPREHENSION APPROVED BY THE BOARD IN REGULATION. 02 A TEACHER MAY APPLY COURSEWORK, TRAINING, OR TESTING 03 REQUIREMENTS COMPLETED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION TOWARD 04 CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE 05 BOARD IN REGULATION.] 06 * Sec. 33. AS 14.20.020(i) is amended to read: 07 (i) A [BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 1998, A] person is not eligible for an initial 08 regular teacher certificate unless the person has taken and successfully completed a 09 competency examination or examinations designated, at the time the person took the 10 test, by the board. The board shall review nationally recognized examinations that are 11 designed to test the competency of new teachers and shall designate those 12 examinations that it finds adequately test the skills and abilities of new teachers. For 13 each examination designated under this subsection, the board shall establish the 14 minimum acceptable level of performance, including a passing score. The board 15 shall reevaluate the passing score for a competency examination at least once 16 every five years and shall review each examination designated by the board at 17 least once every three years. The board shall prioritize the review of those 18 examinations for which the minimum passing score deviates the most from the 19 mean passing score adopted by other jurisdictions. When reevaluating a passing 20 score for a competency examination, the board shall consider the historical effect 21 of the established passing score, the potential effect of changing the passing score, 22 and the passing score currently used for the examination by other jurisdictions. 23 The board may allow a teacher who passed a comparable competency 24 examination required by another jurisdiction to use a score from the other 25 jurisdiction to satisfy the competency examination requirements under this 26 subsection. The board shall adopt regulations to implement this subsection. A 27 regulation that changes the passing score on a competency examination takes 28 effect on the date that is one year after the date the board adopts the regulation, 29 or a later date prescribed by the board. In this subsection, "competency 30 examination" includes a basic competency examination with components in 31 reading, writing, and mathematics and a subject area examination that is specific
01 to the subject area in which the teacher will be teaching. 02 * Sec. 34. AS 14.20.020 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 03 (l) Before teaching students in grades kindergarten through three, a teacher 04 certificated under this section must complete coursework, training, or testing 05 requirements in phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading 06 fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension approved by the board in 07 regulation. A teacher may apply coursework, training, or testing requirements 08 completed under this subsection toward continuing education requirements established 09 by the board in regulation. 10 * Sec. 35. AS 14.30 is amended by adding new sections to read: 11 Article 15. Reading Intervention. 12 Sec. 14.30.760. Statewide assessment and support. (a) To implement the 13 district reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765, the department 14 shall 15 (1) adopt a statewide screening or assessment tool to administer to 16 students in grades kindergarten through three to identify students with reading 17 deficiencies, including students with characteristics of dyslexia; the screening or 18 assessment tool must evaluate 19 (A) phonemic awareness, letter naming fluency, letter sound 20 fluency, and letter word sound fluency of students in kindergarten; 21 (B) letter word sound fluency and oral reading fluency of 22 students in grade one; 23 (C) vocabulary and oral reading fluency of students in grades 24 two and three; 25 (2) support teachers of grades kindergarten through three by 26 (A) administering the statewide screening or assessment tool 27 three times each school year, once in the fall, once in the winter, and once in 28 the spring, to all students in grades kindergarten through three, with the 29 exception of students who demonstrate sufficient reading skills on the first 30 screening or assessment of the school year; 31 (B) providing methods to monitor student progress;
01 (C) providing targeted instruction based on student needs as 02 determined by the results of the screening or assessment tool; and 03 (D) providing additional assistance as determined by the 04 department; 05 (3) provide training to school district staff related to using the results 06 of the statewide screening or assessment tool and understanding evidence-based 07 reading interventions, including explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic 08 awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, 09 and reading comprehension; 10 (4) require that districts identify the early education programs attended 11 by students and report to the department the average score on each performance 12 assessment by students in grades kindergarten through three who 13 (A) attended a state-approved early education program; 14 (B) attended a Head Start program; 15 (C) attended a private early education program; 16 (D) did not attend an early education program; 17 (5) establish a process that allows the commissioner to waive, upon 18 request, use of the statewide screening or assessment tool required under this 19 subsection by a school district if the school district has adopted an evidence-based 20 reading screening or assessment tool and the screening or assessment tool is approved 21 by the department; 22 (6) review and approve alternative standardized reading screenings or 23 assessments for use by school districts. 24 (b) In adopting a statewide screening or assessment tool under (a)(1) of this 25 section, the department shall consider the following factors: 26 (1) the amount of time needed to administer the screening or 27 assessment, with the intention of minimizing effects on instructional time; 28 (2) the time frame for reporting screening or assessment results to 29 teachers, administrators, and parents or guardians; 30 (3) the integration of the screening or assessment with student 31 instruction and department support;
01 (4) recommendations from a task force, working group, or committee 02 created by law and charged with studying issues related to reading proficiency and 03 reading deficiencies; and 04 (5) whether the screening or assessment is culturally responsive. 05 Sec. 14.30.765. Reading intervention services and strategies; progression. 06 (a) Each school district shall offer intensive reading intervention services to students 07 in grades kindergarten through three who exhibit a reading deficiency to assist 08 students in achieving reading proficiency at or above grade level by the end of grade 09 three. The district shall provide the intensive reading intervention services in addition 10 to the core reading instruction that is provided to all students in the general education 11 classroom. The intensive reading intervention services must, to the extent practicable, 12 (1) be provided by a district reading teacher, or paraprofessional under 13 the supervision of a reading teacher, to all students in grades kindergarten through 14 three who are determined to have a reading deficiency based on the statewide 15 screening or assessment tool adopted under AS 14.30.760(a)(1); 16 (2) provide explicit and systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, 17 phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading 18 comprehension, as necessary; 19 (3) use evidence-based reading intervention methods that have shown 20 proven results in accelerating student reading achievement within a single school year; 21 (4) include instruction with detailed explanations, extensive 22 opportunities for guided practice, and opportunities for error correction and feedback; 23 (5) incorporate daily targeted small group reading instruction based on 24 student needs, either in person or online; 25 (6) monitor the reading progress of each student's reading skills 26 throughout the school year and adjust instruction according to student needs; 27 (7) be implemented during regular school hours through any available 28 method, including in person or through online delivery by teachers or specialty 29 reading coaches; 30 (8) be implemented outside of regular school hours, as directed in the 31 student's individual reading improvement plan under (b) of this section, for a student
01 who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide screening or assessment 02 tool; 03 (9) be reviewed based on a department-approved response to 04 intervention or multi-tiered system support models, addressing additional support and 05 services needed to remedy identified needs; and 06 (10) support reading intervention at home by parents or guardians by 07 offering a list of adult literacy resources and organizations, providing opportunities for 08 parent or guardian participation in training workshops, and encouraging regular parent 09 or guardian-guided home reading activities. 10 (b) In addition to the reading intervention services provided under (a) of this 11 section, a school district shall provide an individual reading improvement plan for 12 each student in grades kindergarten through three who is determined to have a reading 13 deficiency based on the statewide screening or assessment tool. An individual reading 14 improvement plan developed under this section must 15 (1) be implemented not later than 30 days after identification of the 16 reading deficiency; 17 (2) be created by the student's reading teacher in consultation with the 18 school principal, the student's parent or guardian, and other pertinent district staff; 19 (3) describe the evidence-based reading intervention services the 20 student will receive to achieve and demonstrate sufficient reading skills; 21 (4) provide reading intervention services outside of regular school 22 hours for a student who scores at the lowest achievement level on the statewide 23 screening or assessment tool consistent with (a)(8) of this section; 24 (5) include a process for monitoring progress and adjusting the plan 25 based on student needs; 26 (6) provide to the student's parent or guardian at least 10 reading 27 progress updates each school year; 28 (7) be culturally responsive; and 29 (8) support the student reading at home with a parent or guardian by 30 offering a list of adult literacy resources and organizations, providing opportunities for 31 parent or guardian participation in training workshops, and encouraging regular parent
01 or guardian-guided home reading activities. 02 (c) If at any time during the school year a student in grades kindergarten 03 through three demonstrates a reading deficiency, the district or school shall notify the 04 student's parent or guardian. The initial notification must 05 (1) be provided to the student's parent or guardian not later than 15 06 days after identification of the reading deficiency; 07 (2) state that the district identified the student as having a reading 08 deficiency and that a reading improvement plan will be developed under (b) of this 09 section; 10 (3) describe current services that the district is providing to the student; 11 (4) describe the proposed evidence-based reading intervention and 12 supplemental instructional services and supports that the district will provide to the 13 student to improve the identified area of reading deficiency; 14 (5) explain that the district or school will inform the parent or guardian 15 orally or in writing, as selected by the parent or guardian, of the student's progress 16 toward grade level reading as outlined in the student's individual reading improvement 17 plan; 18 (6) identify strategies for the parent or guardian to use at home to help 19 the student succeed in reading; 20 (7) explain that if the student has a reading deficiency at the end of the 21 school year and is in grades kindergarten through two, the student's progression may 22 be delayed unless the student has previously not progressed to the next grade; 23 (8) explain that a student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient 24 reading skills to progress to grade four under (e) of this section, unless the student 25 receives a waiver under (f) of this section, receives an exemption under (h) of this 26 section, or has previously not progressed to the next grade; 27 (9) explain the process and deadline to request a waiver under (f) of 28 this section or an exemption under (h) of this section; and 29 (10) identify mid-year progression as an option for students who do 30 not progress to the next grade. 31 (d) If it is determined, based on a statewide screening or assessment
01 administered in the spring, that a student in grades kindergarten through two has a 02 reading deficiency, the student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall notify 03 and attempt to meet with the student's parent or guardian to explain that the student 04 will not be able to maintain adequate academic progress at the next grade level. School 05 staff shall work with the parent or guardian to schedule a date, time, and place for the 06 meeting, to be held not later than 45 days before the end of the school year. Following 07 that meeting, the parent or guardian shall determine whether the student will progress 08 to the next grade. If no parent or guardian attends the meeting, the superintendent or 09 the superintendent's designee shall, after considering a good cause exception under (h) 10 of this section or whether the student has previously not progressed to the next grade, 11 determine whether the student will progress to the next grade. 12 (e) A student in grade three should demonstrate sufficient reading skills to 13 progress to grade four. A student demonstrates sufficient reading skills to progress to 14 grade four by 15 (1) scoring at grade level or higher on the statewide screening or 16 assessment tool or on the statewide summative assessment; 17 (2) achieving an acceptable score on an alternative standardized 18 reading screening or assessment as determined and approved by the department; or 19 (3) demonstrating mastery of reading standards through a student 20 reading portfolio based on criteria established by the department. 21 (f) If it is determined, based on a statewide screening or assessment 22 administered in the spring, that a student in grade three has a reading deficiency, and 23 the student does not demonstrate sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four 24 under (e) of this section, the student's teacher and other pertinent district staff shall 25 notify and attempt to meet with the student's parent or guardian to explain that the 26 student is not prepared to progress to grade four. School staff shall work with the 27 parent or guardian to schedule a date, time, and place for the meeting, to be held not 28 later than 45 days before the end of the school year. Following that meeting, the parent 29 or guardian may decide that the student will not progress to grade four, request a good 30 cause exemption under (h) of this section, or decide to progress the student to grade 31 four by signing a waiver developed by the department acknowledging that the student
01 is not prepared and agreeing that the student will participate in an additional 20 hours 02 of individual reading improvement plan intervention services during the summer 03 before the student enters grade four. If no parent or guardian attends the meeting, the 04 superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall, after considering a good cause 05 exception under (h) of this section or whether the student has previously not 06 progressed to the next grade, determine whether the student will progress to grade 07 four. 08 (g) The department shall develop a program to provide recognition to districts, 09 schools, school staff, and students for increases in the percentage of students in grade 10 three who demonstrate sufficient reading skills under (e) of this section. 11 (h) A superintendent or superintendent's designee may exempt a student from 12 delayed progression to the next grade for good cause. A good cause exemption is 13 limited to 14 (1) a student with a disability whose individualized education plan 15 under AS 14.30.278 exempts the student from participation in the statewide screening 16 or assessment tool; 17 (2) a student with a disability who participates in the statewide 18 screening or assessment tool and has an individualized education plan under 19 AS 14.30.278 or a plan under 29 U.S.C. 794 that reflects that the student has received 20 intensive reading intervention services for two years or more but still demonstrates a 21 reading deficiency; 22 (3) a student who has received intensive reading intervention services 23 for two or more years but still demonstrates a reading deficiency; or 24 (4) a student whose primary language is other than English and who 25 has had less than two years of instruction in an English language learning program. 26 (i) A student's parent or guardian may request that the student receive a good 27 cause exemption under (h) of this section by submitting documentation to the principal 28 of the school in which the student is enrolled showing that an exemption is 29 appropriate. If the principal determines that the student meets one of the exemptions 30 under (h) of this section, the principal shall recommend to the superintendent in 31 writing that the superintendent grant the student a good cause exemption. The
01 superintendent or the superintendent's designee shall accept or reject the principal's 02 recommendation in writing and provide notice of the decision to the student's parent or 03 guardian and the principal. 04 (j) If no parent or guardian attends the meeting, and a superintendent or 05 superintendent's designee decides that a student in grades kindergarten through three 06 will not progress to the next grade under (d) or (f) of this section, the district or school 07 in which the student is enrolled shall provide immediate oral and written notification 08 to the student's parent or guardian. The written notification must explain that the 09 parent or guardian may reschedule the meeting provided under (d) or (f) of this section 10 and that during a meeting 11 (1) for a student in grades kindergarten through two, the parent or 12 guardian may decide to progress the student; and 13 (2) for a student in grade three, the parent or guardian may request a 14 good cause exemption under (h) of this section or decide to progress the student to 15 grade four by signing a waiver under (f) of this section. 16 (k) For a student who does not progress to the next grade under (d) or (f) of 17 this section, or who progresses to the next grade with a waiver under (f) of this section 18 or a good cause exemption under (h) of this section, the district in which the student is 19 enrolled shall 20 (1) review the student's individual reading improvement plan; 21 (2) provide intensive reading intervention services to improve the area 22 of reading deficiency using effective instructional strategies to accelerate student 23 progress; 24 (3) provide additional services and support to improve the student's 25 identified area of reading deficiency, including 26 (A) a transitional instructional setting that is designed to 27 produce learning gains; 28 (B) supplemental tutoring offered by a person with specialized 29 reading training; 30 (C) an increase in time dedicated to the reading instruction 31 methods described in (a)(3) - (5) of this section, including more extensive
01 opportunities for guided practice and error correction and feedback; 02 (4) develop a plan for reading at home outlined in an agreement with 03 the student's parent or guardian, including parent or guardian participation in training 04 workshops and regular parent or guardian-guided home reading activities. 05 (l) For a student who does not progress to grade one, grade two, or grade three 06 under (d) of this section, the district in which the student is enrolled shall, upon 07 request by the student's parent or guardian, develop a plan for the student's mid-year 08 progression. 09 (m) A school district shall adopt a policy providing for mid-year progression 10 of a student who does not progress to grade four under (f) of this section if the student 11 (1) demonstrates sufficient reading skills to progress to grade four on 12 the fall or winter statewide screening or assessment; and 13 (2) meets additional requirements determined by the district, including 14 satisfactory achievement in other subject areas. 15 (n) A district shall, for the remainder of the academic year, and, if necessary, 16 for additional school years, continue to implement an individual reading improvement 17 plan for a student promoted mid-year under (l) or (m) of this section. 18 (o) Unless a parent or guardian decides that a student will not progress to the 19 next grade under (d) or (f) of this section, a district or school may not delay the 20 student's progression under this section if the student previously did not progress to 21 the next grade. 22 (p) In this section, "reading teacher" means a teacher who 23 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate under AS 14.20; 24 (2) has demonstrated effectiveness in instructing students to read at or 25 above grade level as measured by student reading performance data and in teacher 26 performance evaluations; and 27 (3) meets the requirements established by the state Board of Education 28 and Early Development in regulation. 29 Sec. 14.30.770. Department reading program. (a) The department shall 30 establish a reading program to provide direct support for and intervention in intensive 31 reading intervention services annually in the lowest-performing 25 percent of schools
01 serving students in grades kindergarten through three as determined under 02 AS 14.03.123, selecting not more than five participating schools each year. A school 03 participating in the reading program that remains in the lowest-performing 25 percent 04 of schools as determined under AS 14.03.123 may apply to participate in the reading 05 program again in the following school year. State funding provided to participating 06 schools for implementation of the reading program is in addition to the amount of 07 funding provided under AS 14.17. In conducting the program, the department shall 08 (1) use the accountability system established in AS 14.03.123 to 09 identify low performing schools; 10 (2) establish an application process for school districts to apply to 11 participate in the program; 12 (3) select low performing schools from the schools that apply to 13 participate in the program; 14 (4) employ and assign a reading specialist for each school selected to 15 direct the implementation of the intensive reading intervention services established 16 under AS 14.30.765 by 17 (A) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by 18 working regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually; 19 (B) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading 20 instruction with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the 21 greatest positive effects on student achievement; 22 (C) training teachers in data analysis and using data to 23 differentiate instruction; 24 (D) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 25 (E) reporting on school and student performance to the 26 department; 27 (5) establish a reporting process for each reading specialist to submit 28 updates to the department on implementation of the program; 29 (6) work with reading specialists to create specific improvement goals 30 for each school selected, including measures of interim progress; 31 (7) select and purchase additional reading material for each school
01 selected to supplement the intensive reading intervention services; 02 (8) pay travel and associated costs for a reading specialist to attend 03 relevant training sessions identified by or hosted by the department; 04 (9) periodically review staff development programs for their 05 effectiveness in developing reading skills and, after consultation with school districts 06 and experts, recommend to the board for approval staff development programs that 07 (A) have been proven to assess and accelerate student progress 08 toward reaching reading competency; 09 (B) provide explicit and systematic skill development in the 10 areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading 11 fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension; 12 (C) are evidence-based and reliable; 13 (D) provide initial and ongoing analysis of student progress 14 toward reaching reading competency; and 15 (E) include texts on core academic content to assist students in 16 maintaining or meeting grade-appropriate proficiency in academic subjects in 17 addition to reading; 18 (10) annually convene, either in person or electronically, a panel made 19 up of teachers of grades kindergarten through three, school administrators, and parents 20 of students in grades kindergarten through three to review and provide commentary on 21 the effectiveness of the reading intervention programs established under AS 14.30.760 22 - 14.30.775. 23 (b) A school selected to participate in the reading program established under 24 this section shall 25 (1) ensure that a reading specialist assigned to the school is not 26 required to perform functions that divert from the duties the department has assigned 27 to the reading specialist; 28 (2) coordinate with the reading specialist or specialists to redesign the 29 school's daily schedule to dedicate time to reading program activities, including 30 intensive reading intervention services identified in a written agreement between the 31 school and the department;
01 (3) present on the reading program established under this section and 02 the intensive reading intervention services established under AS 14.30.765 at a public 03 meeting; the presentation must include 04 (A) the data the department used to identify the school as 05 eligible for the reading program; 06 (B) a detailed overview of the reading program and intensive 07 reading intervention services; 08 (C) a timeline for implementing the intensive reading 09 intervention services and meeting reading improvement goals; and 10 (D) the implications of the program for students, families, and 11 educators; 12 (4) provide notice of the public meeting required under (3) of this 13 subsection to the parent or guardian of each student at least seven days before the date 14 of the meeting; 15 (5) present an annual update on the school's implementation of the 16 reading program and intensive reading intervention services at a public meeting with 17 notice provided to the parent or guardian of each student at least seven days before the 18 date of the meeting; 19 (6) create partnerships between the school, the families of students, 20 and the community that focus on promoting reading and increasing the amount of time 21 that students spend reading. 22 (c) The department shall publish on the department's Internet website and 23 make available to the public 24 (1) a completed application from each school selected to participate in 25 the reading program; and 26 (2) the reading program and intensive reading intervention services 27 implemented by each school selected to participate. 28 (d) The department may employ a person as a reading specialist under this 29 section if the person 30 (1) holds a valid teacher certificate issued under AS 14.20; 31 (2) has completed an approved graduate program for the preparation of
01 reading specialists at an approved institution of higher education and 02 (A) has completed a supervised practicum or internship as a 03 reading specialist; or 04 (B) has at least three years of full-time, demonstrated 05 classroom teaching experience where reading instruction was a primary 06 responsibility; 07 (3) is knowledgeable about and demonstrates competency in reading 08 instruction, including 09 (A) an understanding of phonemic awareness, phonics, 10 vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading 11 comprehension; 12 (B) knowledge of and experience in implementing effective 13 reading instruction strategies and intervention methods; 14 (C) experience in designing and implementing a school-wide 15 response to intervention program or multi-tiered system support model; 16 (D) an understanding of and experience in reading screenings 17 or assessments and data analyses that inform instruction; 18 (E) knowledge of dyslexia and other learning disorders that 19 affect reading achievement; 20 (F) knowledge of and an ability to effectively articulate the 21 methods, issues, and resources involved in support of student instruction to a 22 wide variety of audiences, including staff, parents, and students whose primary 23 language is other than English; and 24 (4) meets other reading instruction coursework requirements 25 established by the department in regulation. 26 Sec. 14.30.775. Definitions. In AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, 27 (1) "district" has the meaning given in AS 14.17.990; 28 (2) "evidence-based reading intervention" means an intervention based 29 on reliable, trustworthy, and valid evidence that has a demonstrated record of success 30 in adequately increasing a student's reading competency in the areas of phonemic 31 awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills,
01 and reading comprehension; 02 (3) "parent" or "guardian" includes a natural, adoptive, and foster 03 parent, stepparent, legal guardian, relative, and other adult person with whom a 04 student has resided and who has acted as a parent in providing for the student or has 05 been responsible for the student's welfare for a continuous period. 06 * Sec. 36. AS 14.30 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07 Article 16. Virtual Education. 08 Sec. 14.30.800. Virtual education consortium. (a) The department shall, in 09 cooperation with school districts, establish a virtual education consortium for the 10 purpose of making virtual education and professional development resources available 11 to students and teachers in the state. The department shall establish standards for 12 consortium resources. The consortium shall create and maintain a database of virtual 13 education courses for students, training in virtual instruction for teachers, and 14 professional development courses for teachers of students throughout the state if the 15 coursework curriculum meets the state standards established by the department. The 16 database must be accessible to all school districts that participate in the consortium. 17 (b) For teachers delivering or facilitating virtual coursework to students 18 through the consortium database, the consortium shall provide training and 19 professional development on virtual instruction methods and the differences between 20 virtual instruction and instruction offered in a classroom. A teacher may not provide 21 instruction through a course for students that is in the database unless 22 (1) the teacher has completed the training or professional development 23 provided by the consortium; or 24 (2) the consortium determines that the teacher's previous experience 25 has prepared the teacher to provide virtual instruction and the teacher demonstrates the 26 skills necessary to provide virtual instruction. 27 (c) The consortium shall employ a reading specialist available to school 28 districts to provide virtual intensive reading intervention services. The duties of the 29 reading specialist include 30 (1) modeling effective instructional strategies for teachers by working 31 regularly with students as a class, in small groups, or individually;
01 (2) coaching and mentoring teachers and staff in reading instruction 02 with an emphasis on prioritizing time in a manner that has the greatest positive effects 03 on student achievement; 04 (3) training teachers in data analysis and using data to differentiate 05 instruction; 06 (4) leading and supporting reading leadership teams; and 07 (5) reporting on school and student performance to the department. 08 (d) The department may require a school district that participates in the 09 consortium to pay a fee to the consortium. If the department requires a fee, the 10 department shall establish the fee in regulations, based on a recommendation made by 11 the consortium, and may adjust the fee annually as necessary. The fees must 12 approximately equal the consortium's prorated administrative costs related to 13 reviewing and approving courses and maintaining the database. 14 (e) A school district that provides a course included in the database may 15 charge a fee to the school district in which a student who takes the course is enrolled. 16 The department shall establish the fee in regulations. 17 (f) The consortium may require, as a condition of participation, that school 18 districts that provide courses or have students participating in courses included in the 19 database under (a) of this section adopt the same school term and class schedule for all 20 or part of a school day. The school term must meet the requirements of AS 14.03.030. 21 (g) In this section, "virtual education" or "virtual instruction" means 22 instruction delivered through telecommunications or another digital or electronic 23 method. 24 * Sec. 37. AS 14.60.010 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 25 (9) "culturally responsive" means showing respect for and recognition 26 of the traditions, beliefs, languages, values, and practices of the local culture that has 27 historically been present in the geographic area being served. 28 * Sec. 38. AS 47.17.290(12) is amended to read: 29 (12) "organization" means a group or entity that provides care and 30 supervision for compensation to a child not related to the caregiver, and includes a 31 child care facility, pre-elementary school, early education program, head start
01 center, child foster home, residential child care facility, recreation program, children's 02 camp, and children's club; 03 * Sec. 39. AS 14.03.080(d) is repealed. 04 * Sec. 40. AS 14.03.120(h), 14.03.410, 14.03.420; AS 14.17.500(e), 14.17.500(f); 05 AS 14.20.020(l); AS 14.30.760, 14.30.765, 14.30.770, 14.30.775, and 14.30.800 are repealed. 06 * Sec. 41. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 07 read: 08 VIRTUAL EDUCATION AVAILABILITY DEADLINE. The Department of 09 Education and Early Development shall make available virtual education courses and 10 professional development resources under sec. 36 of this Act on or before July 1, 2024. 11 * Sec. 42. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12 read: 13 APPLICABILITY. Section 34 of this Act applies, 14 (1) on the effective date of sec. 34 of this Act, to teachers who begin teaching 15 students in grades kindergarten through three on and after the effective date of sec. 34 of this 16 Act; 17 (2) on July 1, 2024, to teachers who began teaching students in grades 18 kindergarten through three before the effective date of sec. 34 of this Act. 19 * Sec. 43. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 20 read: 21 REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE. Not later than the thirtieth day of the First 22 Regular Session of the Thirty-Eighth Alaska State Legislature, the Department of Education 23 and Early Development shall prepare and present to the legislative committees having 24 jurisdiction over education a report evaluating the virtual education consortium established 25 under AS 14.30.800 and the following programs established under this Act: the early 26 education program, the parents as teachers program, the reading intervention program, and the 27 department reading program. The report must include 28 (1) data analysis conducted by an independent contractor evaluating the 29 success of each program, including 30 (A) statistics measuring the effectiveness of each program in 31 accomplishing the program mission;
01 (B) the cost-effectiveness of each program; 02 (C) trends in reading assessment scores by each group of students 03 listed in AS 14.30.760(a)(4) as the students progress through grade eight; 04 (2) recommendations from the panels convened under AS 14.30.770(a)(10); 05 and 06 (3) recommendations from the Department of Education and Early 07 Development addressing whether to extend, expand, contract, or repeal each program. 08 * Sec. 44. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 09 read: 10 TRANSITION. The number of district-wide early education programs that the 11 department approves under AS 14.03.410 in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, may not 12 result in more than $3,000,000 of total state aid attributable to early education programs. In 13 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, the number of district-wide early education programs 14 that the department approves may not result in an increase from the prior fiscal year of more 15 than $3,000,000 of total state aid attributable to early education programs. 16 * Sec. 45. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 17 read: 18 TRANSITION: REGULATIONS. The Department of Education and Early 19 Development and the state Board of Education and Early Development may adopt regulations 20 necessary to implement the changes made by this Act. The regulations take effect under 21 AS 44.62 (Administrative Procedure Act), but a regulation may not take effect before the 22 effective date of the relevant provision of this Act implemented by the regulation. 23 * Sec. 46. Sections 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30, 32, and 40 of this Act take effect 24 June 30, 2034. 25 * Sec. 47. Except as provided in sec. 46 of this Act, this Act takes effect July 1, 2022.