E-NEWS
...your dues at
work.
A weekly digest
of education news for Alaska's School Board Members.
Association of
Alaska School Boards, 1111 West 9th St., Juneau, AK 99801. Tel.
907-586-1083,
Fax 907-586-2995. Carl Rose, Executive Director,
crose@aasb.org: John Greely, Editor, jgreely@aasb.org. Review past issues of
the E-News on
the AASB Website at <http://www.aasb.org>. To unsubscribe send an email
stating the same to jgreely@aasb.org.
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AASB E-News
December 13,
2007
--STATE EDUCATION BOARD APPROVES WORK READY INITIATIVE
--PLAN TO TEST TEACHERS DROPPED
--TEACHER SALARIES LAG BEHIND INFLATION, NEA SAYS
--STATE BOARD OPENS SEARCH FOR COMMISSIONER
STATE EDUCATION BOARD
APPROVES WORK READY INITIATIVE
The State Board of Education & Early Development has
approved a regulation that requires students in grades 6, 8 and 11 to take
assessments in three subjects under the Alaska Work Ready/College Ready
initiative. But the board accepted requests to institute the assessments on a
pilot basis next year and wait until the 2009-10 school year before deciding
whether to expand the assessments.
A news release from EED explains those and other
developments at a board meeting on Dec. 6 & 7 in Anchorage:
The State Board of Education & Early Development, meeting
December 6-7, 2007, in Anchorage approved two regulations and sent out for
public comment four proposed regulations.
The State Board approved a
regulation that requires students in grades 6, 8 and 11 to take assessments in
three subjects under the Alaska Work Ready/College Ready initiative.
The subjects are reading for
information, applied mathematics, and finding information (in graphic formats).
The 11th grade assessment leads to a nationally recognized Career Readiness
Certificate.
The Alaska Work Ready/College
Ready initiative also includes an online curriculum so that students can
improve in the basic skills needed to transition from high school to many jobs
or to postsecondary education.
The State Board amended the effective date and approved the
assessment program to begin in the 2009-2010 school year. The board directed
the Department of Education & Early Development to pilot the program in
several schools this school year and next school year, and to report back to
the board.
The State Board also approved a
regulation that requires a chicken pox immunization of schoolchildren in public
and private schools, beginning in July 2008, and that allows homeless students
to enroll in a public school for up to 30 days before showing proof of
immunizations.
The State Board did not vote on a
proposed regulation that would have required teachers to successfully complete
the Alaska Reading course or pass its assessments. The reading course,
therefore, has not been mandated.
Instead, the State Board directed
the department to continue working on the topic of improving student reading
skills, in collaboration with Alaska educators and literacy experts.
The State Board opened a period of
public comment for proposed regulations regarding the Alaska School Performance
Incentive Program, adequate yearly progress, developmental profiles of children
in kindergarten and grade one, and allowing teachers to use DVDs for their
recorded performance reviews.
The State Board approved a
five-year charter for the Fronteras Spanish Immersion Charter School in the
Mat-Su Borough School District.
The State Board named Jazmin Ziden
of West Anchorage High School as the student advisor-elect. She will become the
student advisor to the State Board on July 1, 2008, and hold the position for a
year.
The board packet, including the
newly proposed regulations, is available at: www.eed.state.ak.us/State_Board/
<http://www.eed.state.ak.us/State_Board/>
.
For more information contact Information Officer Eric Fry at
907-465-2851 or eric.fry@alaska.gov.
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PLAN TO TEST
TEACHERS DROPPED
Teachers will not have to take a course
on how to teach reading because the State Board of Education decided not to
vote on the controversial proposal. See full story here:
http://www.adn.com/news/education/story/9516068p-9426741c.html
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TEACHER
SALARIES LAG BEHIND INFLATION, NEA SAYS
A report by the National Education
Association points to a stagnation in AmericaÕs investment in public schools,
with teacher salaries failing on average to keep up with inflation. See full
news release here:
http://www.nea.org/newsreleases/2007/nr071210.html
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STATE
BOARD OPENS SEARCH FOR COMMISSIONER
The
State Board of Education & Early Development has opened a nationwide search
for a commissioner of Education & Early Development. The board will accept
applications until Feb. 1, 2008. See full news release here:
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/news/releases/2007/commissionersearch02.pdf
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Alaska School Boards
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Association of
Alaska School Boards
1111 West 9th
Street, Juneau, Alaska 99801-1510 Tel. 907-586-1083
Fax 907-586-2995 Email: aasb@aasb.org
Website: http://www.aasb.org