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- Alaska Reads Act
Elementary Reading
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Alaska Reads Act
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Alaska’s Strategic Reading Plan includes six strategic components, all designed to provide support to schools so that all students read at grade level by the end of third grade:
Strategy 1: Professional Development, including webinar series, in-person courses and the AK Reads symposium
Strategy 2: Evidence-Based Materials, including and an ELA curriculum adoption initiative
Strategy 3: Early Learning, including the implementation of the and
Strategy 4: Frameworks for Success, including professional learning communities and a
Strategy 5: Science of Reading Resources, Data and Communication, including launching a reading resources page
Strategy 6: Teacher Preparation, including supporting professional learning requirementsASD will integrate these strategies to support our students and meet the promises of Alaska’s Education Challenge.
Learn more about the state’s
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Reading FAQs
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How did we arrive at this curriculum?
K-3 reading:
An initial statewide committee representing 14 school districts in Alaska narrowed the potential ELA curriculum from seven to four. From the four, an ASD committee will select one curriculum for possible implementation within ASD.
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What are the names of the curriculums under consideration?
K-3 reading:
- CKLA - Core Knowledge Language Arts - Amplify
- Into Reading - HMH
- Benchmark Advance
- Open Up - EL Resources
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 Is the new k-3 reading curriculum a result of the Alaska Reads Act?
Yes- Part of the Alaska Reads Act is ensuring districts have evidenced-based materials that support the science of reading. The State put COVID-19 relief funds into a grant available to districts to fund reading curriculum.
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What is the science of reading?
It’s the last 50 years worth of research behind the most equitable way for all students to learn to read. Research highlights the foundational skills necessary to learn to read; they include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills.
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How did the committees narrow down to the current curriculums we are considering?
K-3 reading:
A committee of about 50 principals, teachers, and administration from across ASD looked at a rubric based on the science of reading. Previously, the State committee vetted curriculum choices with a focus on cultural competency, usability, and professional development. The District’s rubric focused on foundational skills, usability, and the science of reading.
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What is our baseline for consideration?
K-3 reading:
Cengage through National Geographic is our current k-3 reading curriculum. The new curriculum must meet essential standards within each grade level and be easy for teachers to implement. Cengage is very robust; so robust that if a teacher did every single activity they would not be able to do all activities even if they had the entire school day just to teach reading. With Cengage, the District designed “priority plans” so every teacher had a clear understanding of the priority components within each lesson. Research shows the work in the priority plans will move students forward. Teacher feedback has indicated that teaching with the priority plans and the multiple components of the overall plan is cumbersome. With the new curriculum, it is hoped that the priority plan is built within an usable format.
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What should parents know?
A guaranteed and viable curriculum is the variable most strongly related to student achievement at the school level. This is a great opportunity for our students to engage with learning materials that are aligned to current district and national standards. We hope you can come by to review it.
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How soon will the new curriculum be implemented?
K-3 Reading:
Once the committee review phase is complete, the committee will make a recommendation to the school board, and the board will vote to make a final decision. If all goes as planned, we could have books in classrooms as soon as fall 2023.
Resources
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Governor Dunleavy signing Alaska Reads Act, photo by Robert DeBerry (ASD)
