Empowered, Inspired, and Engaged for Success:
Alaska Embraces Evidence-Based Approaches to Literacy
"The Alaska Reading Specialist Endorsement program has changed my life as a teacher and more importantly has changed the lives of my students in becoming proficient readers."
- Teacher
A LOOK BACK: The 2023 Alaska Science of Reading Symposium
EDUCATION CHALLENGE
ALASKA’S EDUCATION CHALLENGE
ON OCTOBER 5, 2017
Alaska State Board of Education reviewed and accepted 13 recommendations bundled as Alaska’s Education Challenge.
TOP FIVE PRIORITIES:
1. Amplify student learning
2. Ensure excellent educators
3. Modernize the education system
4. Inspire Tribal and community ownership of educational excellence
5. Promote safety and well-being
THE ALASKA READS ACT
Reading and literacy are woven through the priorities outlined in Alaska’s Education Challenge. The Alaska Reads Act, signed into law in June 2022, is focused on supporting all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade.
REGION 16’S ALASKA PROJECT
Region 16 is working with Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) to provide capacity-building services outlined in Alaska’s Strategic Reading Plan by:
Providing equitable access for teachers to professional development using engaging virtual courses and comprehensive online resources on AKLearns.org and in-person events such as the Science of Reading Symposium.
Co-creating evidence-based research resources such as Alaska’s Reading Playbook and Champions of Literacy.
Designing and providing technical assistance on the Science of Reading resources to meet the needs of Alaska’s Education Challenge.
"Through the use of the Alaska's Reading Playbook and LETRS I have learned step by step the progression of teaching a child to read, along with simple assessments, gathering data, and using effective reading strategies and teaching tools to drive my explicit direct instruction."
- Teacher
HIGHLIGHTS
This section highlights the collective work of Region 16 and DEED to improve literacy in Alaska.
Click on the + to read more information.
Honoring the students, families, and communities of Alaska, Region 16 and DEED co-developed resources uniquely designed for Alaska’s education context. Teachers who participate in the professional learning become a part of a supportive network and feel connected to each other across the remoteness of Alaska.
"We wanted to create a network, but I didn’t realize how strong it was going to be. The teachers have friends now across the state that they can call and say, 'Can you help me with this?' or 'How do I apply this?’"
- Region 16 staff
All of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that these sessions were a productive use of their time in the areas of Phonological Awareness & Phonics (100% of respondents); Phonics & Fluency (100% of respondents).
Training has covered 100% of Alaska’s school districts
15 cohorts of 40 teachers have participated in each Science of Reading live training cohort
Three Science of Reading symposiums gathered 3000 participants in-person, 500+ online
1615 educators have participated in six half-day training workshops
These sessions were a productive use of my time
The majority of respondents were very or moderately confident being able to apply the knowledge they’ve gained to the areas of Phonological Awareness & Phonics (99% of respondents); Phonics & Fluency (99% of respondents); and Vocabulary & Comprehension (88% of respondents).
How confident do you feel in being able to apply the knowledge you’ve gained?
Region 16 is developing a companion guide to the Alaska Reading Playbook focused on applying evidence-based literacy approaches to teaching Alaska Native languages in schools. Working with Alaska Native speakers, the playbook will hone in on the specific types of language originating from 21 languages spoken in Alaska.
"It’s about stewarding those relationships to sustain the work … learning to read and literacy, language, bilingual, multilingual, and language revitalization as it relates to making sure every student can read in a language, be a fulfilled human being in a school system K through at least 12, but in a deep way."
- Region 16 Director
"It is a well-rounded approach with a lot of touchstones, meaning in-person training, online training, and cohorts within a district. I do think that the approach to providing the training was well thought out and provided lots of options for not only districts, but also individual teachers."
- Region 16 Steward
INSIGHTS
REGION 16 STAFF
Region 16 provides ongoing coaching for educators to apply what they learned in the training.
Region 16 is developing a companion guide to the Alaska Reading Playbook focused on applying evidence-based literacy approaches to teaching Alaska Native languages in schools."Working with Alaska Native speakers, the playbook will hone in on the specific types of language originating from 21 languages spoken in Alaska.
"The Science of Reading Symposium has been the most impactful statewide. Going back, I’m seeing changes. In the first year, some teachers were sharing, ‘I do this right anyway in my classroom’ and then … saying, ‘I haven’t been doing what’s best for my kids.’”
-Region 16 staff
EDUCATOR
An upper elementary school teacher participating in the Alaska Reading Specialist Endorsement program shared her perspective on the program and its impact on her students.
"The Alaska Reading Specialist Endorsement program has changed my life as a teacher and more importantly has changed the lives of my students in becoming proficient readers."
"Through the use of the Alaska's Reading Playbook and LETRS I have learned step by step the progression of teaching a child to read, along with simple assessments, gathering data, and using effective reading strategies and teaching tools to drive my explicit direct instruction."
"Your program has given me invaluable knowledge and skills to now be the professional to guide instruction not just follow a curriculum."
GRANDMOTHER
A grandmother shared a personal story about the impact of Region 16’s work with Alaska (DEED) to support every child reading at grade level by third grade. The granddaughter’s elementary school teacher participated in professional learnings to bolster effectiveness of reading instruction in her classroom. The grandmother can see and hear the impact of the teacher’s engagement in the professional learnings on her granddaughter’s enjoyment of reading.
"I watched my granddaughter enjoy reading."
"Now my granddaughter is in 2nd grade and is reading at a 4th grade level. I am seeing that teachers have the skills to build children’s reading skills."
"AK Learns.org hosts the products that we have built as a team with DEED, in partnership to be able to help improve reading across the state. That includes our Alaska Blueprint, Reading Blueprint, our literacy plan, the Champions of Literacy, and our Alaska Reading Playbook. That is the place where we've been hosting a lot of our major resources that get out to our districts and to different stakeholders."
- Region 16 Staff
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
For more information, check out additional tools and resources from Region 16 and DEED:
The contents of this digital impact story were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government. This work has been created in partnership with the Region 16 Comprehensive Center.
