Culturally Responsive Education has been widely proposed as a mechanism to improve the academic achievement of minority and Indigenous populations. Instruction in heritage languages has been shown to produce desirable outcomes both on linguistic and academic measures. However, culturally responsive and immersion instruction faces a number of…

At the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ASSDHH) was informed that they had met Alaska's Annual Yearly Progress as required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for the first time ever. This was incredibly exciting and worth celebrating since teachers had invested so much "blood,…

The state's Race to the Top (RTT) application requires changes to the state's evaluation/accountability system. It requires a teacher effectiveness measure, district effectiveness measure, leader effectiveness measure. Regarding the teacher effectiveness measure, RTT requires linking the data of individual students to individual teachers as part…

This article presents a sample of online learning programs serving very different populations: a small district spread over a vast area, a large inner school district, and a statewide program serving numerous districts. It describes how these districts successfully implemented e-learning programs in their schools and discusses the positive impact…

The purpose of this document is to describe the US ED growth model pilot program from its inception to the point at which the program was no longer a pilot and was opened up to all states. In addition, the paper is designed to help states in the process of planning to submit a growth model proposal. The information in this document is mostly…

The College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) Program is a federal formula grant designed to foster partnerships among federal, state, and local governments and philanthropic entities to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Created by the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, the…

America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…

In this article, the author describes how her grandmother and parents inspired in her a lifelong interest in international work throughout many parts of the world. As a consequence, the author built a figurative bridge from Alaska over the Bering Strait to Magadan, Russia (in far Eastern Siberia). She poignantly describes the work she has done…

Depression occurs at a significant rate in the U.S. population. Untreated depressive symptoms are a primary risk factor for suicide. Studies show that a significant percentage of individuals who commit suicide had visited their health care providers in the months before their deaths. Alaska ranks number one in the nation for suicide. Routine…

An Alaska elementary school developed an innovative program to reduce bus problems arising from discipline infractions and driver/student frustrations. On every first Tuesday, the principal meets with drivers to offer encouragement and training. Students earn individual and group points for good bus behavior and receive small treats from the…

The library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks offers a unique equipment lending program through its Circulation Desk. The program features a wide array of equipment types, generous circulation policies, and unrestricted borrowing, enabling students, staff, and faculty to experiment with the latest in audio, video, and computer technologies,…

This booklet documents the first 5 years of the Alaska State Writing Consortium, an association made up of 45 Alaska school districts, the Alaska Department of Education, and the University of Alaska. The Consortium, which oversees the organization and implementation of teacher training programs in writing and the teaching of writing, has five…

This Alaska State Department of Education report on the school year 1976-77 briefly describes state boards and commissions, developments in the office of the commissioner, and the current status of programs in management, law, finance, educational program support, vocational rehabilitation, and the state libraries and museums. Information on…

Describes a television system proposed for rural Alaska employing a core of locally selected programs transmitted via satellite plus a cassette machine for program substitutions as a way to maximize local participation. (JMF)

Reviews the nature of Alaskan community college education in terms of faculty and student characteristics, administrator requirements, teaching strategies, and the rural environment. Stresses the importance of educational relevance to the immediate concerns of the student. (MB)