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Alaska

Revised State Title II Plan

Incorporating Revisions from the

July Peer Review

September, 29 2006

Revised and Edited November 15, 2006

The peer reviewers for Alaska's state plan commended the efforts the
state had taken to address its needs and to ensure that all teachers are
highly qualified and reported that:

*"Overall, this state appears to be on track to providing assistance and
monitoring to LEAs so that all students have access to classes taught by
highly qualified teachers."*

However, the peer reviewers also felt that there were areas that were
not fully addressed in the state plan submitted in July. The reviewers
made the following recommendations for the state to consider as worked
on revisions to its Revised State Plan for Title II-A:

> *"The state needs to provide specific steps that the LEAs will take to
> ensure that they meet annual measurable objectives.*
>
> *Technical assistance should be aligned to the needs of the subgroups
> that have been identified as ones that have large numbers of classes
> taught by non-highly qualified teachers.*
>
> *The funds available to the State should be prioritized to ensure they
> are spent on activities that address the most significant needs of the
> schools and districts.*
>
> *The state should consider redirecting Title II, Part A funds directly
> to the schools where the greatest needs occur rather than withholding
> funds.*
>
> *The state should consider alternative methods of monitoring for the
> high need school districts, partially based on the desk audit process
> described in the HQ plan.*
>
> *The use of virtual classes or other types of distance learning may be
> a remedy that the state can implement to ensure that all classes are
> taught by HQ teachers.*
>
> *In order to retain teachers, an electronic mentoring system using
> experienced, accomplished teachers may be appropriate."*

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (EED) appreciates
the recommendations made by the peer reviewers to help the state to
refine its plan in and meet the requirements scored as not previously
met. In this document Alaska will address the suggestions and
recommendations made by the peer reviewers. In the instances where the
state feels that the required information was provided in the July
submission but perhaps not clear enough for the reviewers to make a
determination, the state has worked to clarify and reformat the
information for the reviewers. In this document the reviewers' comments
are included in italics followed by EED's revisions to the state plan.

Rather than incorporate changes into the July submission at this time
and resubmit the entire document, the state will address the sub-areas
of Requirements 2, 3, 4 and 6 that were not previously met as well as
the peer reviewers' overall comments. In order to provide the reviewers
of the September 29^th^ submission with the data used in the original
plan as well as the background for the revisions to the state plan, the
original Revised State Plan is included in Appendix B.

Requirement 2: The revised plan must provide information on HQT status
in each LEA and the steps the SEA will take to ensure that each LEA has
plans in place to assist teachers who are not highly qualified to attain
HQT status as quickly as possible.

Sub-area not met: Does the plan delineate specific steps the SEA will
take to ensure that all LEAs have plans in place to assist all non-HQ
teachers to become HQ as quickly as possible?

**Reviewers' Comments:**

> *"The state needs to provide specific steps that the LEAs will take to
> ensure that they meet annual measurable objectives. The steps for
> developing a plan are provided, but not the specific programs or
> activities. The state should provide a plan for programs and
> activities, not just the process."*

**Revisions to State Plan:**

According to the 2005-2006 staff accounting report, none of Alaska's
districts met the AMOs set for the state. As a result, all of the
districts will be required to participate in the first two audio
conference sessions for Technical Assistance held during September 2006.
The Technical Assistance sessions will continue on a bi-monthly basis
throughout the 2006-2007 school year and will be open to all LEAs.
Attendance will be mandatory for those LEAs that have not met the 100
percent goal by the October 1 count date.

The original chart submitted to fulfill this sub-area in July has been
revised and expanded in order to clearly delineate the specific steps
LEAs failing to meet the AMOs will be required to take during the
2006-2007 school year.

**Requirements for LEAs Not Meeting AMOs**

+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **Specific Actions   | **LEA               | **SEA Participants**   |
| to be taken by       | Participants**      |                        |
| LEAs**               |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **August**           | All superintendents | Commissioner of        |
| Superintendents      |                     | Education, Assessment  |
| notified status of   |                     | & Accountability       |
| meeting AMOs for     |                     | Director and Program   |
| highly qualified     |                     | staff, Administrator   |
| during               |                     | Teacher Certification  |
| Commissioner's       |                     |                        |
| welcome and          |                     |                        |
| information          |                     |                        |
| break-out session    |                     |                        |
| with EED staff. This |                     |                        |
| is done at annual    |                     |                        |
| meeting.             |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **September**        | LEA data reporting  | Assessment &           |
| Participate in       | official, Title II  | Accountability         |
| September 6 or 7     | Program Director    | Director and Program   |
| audio conference     | from each LEA and   | staff; Deputy Director |
| regarding staff      | other interested    | Teaching and Learning  |
| accounting reporting | LEA staff e.g.      | Support, , Title II A  |
| requirements.        | HR/Personnel        | Program Manager, Title |
|                      | Director            | II D Program Manager   |
| -   **October 1**    |                     |                        |
|     count date for   |                     |                        |
|     staff accounting |                     |                        |
|     and highly       |                     |                        |
|     qualified        |                     |                        |
|     teacher report.  |                     |                        |
|                      |                     |                        |
| -   **October 15**   |                     |                        |
|     staff accounting |                     |                        |
|     report due to    |                     |                        |
|     EED              |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **October**          | LEA data reporting  | Assessment &           |
| Participate in       | official            | Accountability Program |
| Technical Assistance |                     | staff                  |
| Audio conference     |                     |                        |
| with SEA to discuss  |                     |                        |
|                      |                     |                        |
| -   2005-2006 HQT    |                     |                        |
|     district data    |                     |                        |
|     used in          |                     |                        |
|     preparation of   |                     |                        |
|     Title II Revised |                     |                        |
|     State Plan       |                     |                        |
|                      |                     |                        |
| -   LEA data         |                     |                        |
|     collection       |                     |                        |
|     requirements for |                     |                        |
|     highly qualified |                     |                        |
|     teachers;        |                     |                        |
|                      |                     |                        |
| -   LEA HQT plan     |                     |                        |
|     components and   |                     |                        |
|     location of      |                     |                        |
|     forms on EED     |                     |                        |
|     website          |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **November 16**      | Title II Program    | Deputy Director        |
| Participate in audio | Director from each  | Teaching and Learning  |
| conference to        | LEA and other LEA   | Support, Administrator |
| discuss completion   | staff               | Teacher Certification, |
| of required HQT      |                     | Title II A Program     |
| plans which are due  |                     | Manager, Title II D    |
| at EED by January    |                     | Program Manager        |
| 31, 2007.            |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **December** LEA     | LEA data reporting  | Assessment &           |
| v                    | official            | Accountability Program |
| erification/revision |                     | staff                  |
| of staff accounting  | Title II Program    |                        |
| information from     | Director            | Administrator Teacher  |
| October 15 count and |                     | Certification, Title   |
| HQT plan due to EED  |                     | II A Program Manager,  |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **January**          | Title II Program    | Deputy Director        |
| Participate in No    | Director from each  | Teaching and Learning  |
| Child Left Behind    | LEA and other LEA   | Support, Administrator |
| State Conference     | staff               | Teacher Certification, |
| January 16 session   |                     | Title II A Program     |
| for LEAs to share    |                     | Manager, Title II D    |
| successful           |                     | Program Manager        |
| strategies and       |                     |                        |
| actions to meet the  |                     |                        |
| 100% HQT goal as     |                     |                        |
| well as review       |                     |                        |
| progress made to     |                     |                        |
| date in helping      |                     |                        |
| teachers to meet the |                     |                        |
| HQ requirements for  |                     |                        |
| their core academic  |                     |                        |
| subjects             |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **February** Request | Title II Program    | Administrator Teacher  |
| assistance as        | Director from each  | Certification, Title   |
| necessary from SEA   | LEA and other LEA   | II A Program Manager,  |
| to help carry out    | staff               | Title II D Program     |
| HQT plans            |                     | Manager                |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **March**            | Title II Program    | Deputy Director        |
| Participate in       | Director from each  | Teaching and Learning  |
| technical assistance | LEA and other LEA   | Support, Administrator |
| audio conference     | staff               | Teacher Certification, |
| March 6 to discuss   |                     | Title II A Program     |
| teacher recruitment  |                     | Manager, Title II D    |
| and retention        |                     | Program Manager        |
| strategies. This is  |                     |                        |
| being held prior to  |                     |                        |
| annual Job Fair and  |                     |                        |
| the beginning of the |                     |                        |
| hiring season for    |                     |                        |
| Alaska.              |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **April-August** If  | LEA Personnel/HR    |                        |
| LEA finds it         | Director or other   |                        |
| necessary to hire    | LEA official        |                        |
| non-HQT LEA must     | charged with hiring |                        |
| retain all           | teachers            |                        |
| information          |                     |                        |
| regarding the hiring |                     |                        |
| non-HQT for          |                     |                        |
| 2007-2008 school     |                     |                        |
| year                 |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+
| **May** Final LEA    | LEA data reporting  | Assessment &           |
| data collection for  | official            | Accountability Program |
| 06-07 school year    |                     | staff                  |
| due at EED by May    |                     |                        |
| 30.                  |                     |                        |
+----------------------+---------------------+------------------------+

Recognizing the need to have on-demand technical assistance for LEAs in
addition to the EED website for forms and grants:
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/forms/home.cfm EED is working to create an
interactive web site for LEAs to provide access for continued support in
the development of their HQT plans. On the site LEAs will be able to
find notes from the technical assistance sessions as well as a Q&A
forum. The site will also be used to enhance the technical assistance
sessions through interactive chat capability and polling. EED staff will
monitor the site to provide information and technical assistance between
scheduled technical assistance sessions.

EED is currently working through the state Task Order process in order
to create an online database for LEAs to be able to input their HQT
teacher data and plans. It is hoped this will alleviate some of the
reporting burdens smaller LEAs who lack enough staff to task with
reporting face.

In the time period since the original submission, EED researched other
state LEA HQT plan templates to determine the most effective format for
obtaining the necessary information. The guidance and templates the LEAs
are required to use as they complete their HQT plans

may be found in Appendix A.

Requirement 3: The revised plan must include information on the
technical assistance, programs, and services that the SEA will offer to
assist LEAs in successfully completing their HQT plans, particularly
where large groups of teachers are not highly qualified, and the
resources the LEAs will use to meet their HQT goals.

Sub-area not met: Does the plan specifically address the needs of any
subgroups of teachers identified in Requirement 1?

Sub-area not met: Does the plan for the use of available funds indicate
that priority will be given to the staffing and professional development
needs of schools that are not making AYP?

**Reviewers' Comments:**

> *"Technical assistance should be aligned to the needs of the subgroups
> that have been identified as ones that have large numbers of classes
> taught by non-highly qualified teachers. Only math, science, and
> special education appear to be addressed. Though reading is identified
> as a high need, no technical assistance activities are described for
> that subgroup.*
>
> *The plan does not specify that priority will be given to the
> allocation of funding to those areas that have been identified in
> greatest need; however the readers recognize that the needs are
> pervasive throughout the state*."

**Revisions to State Plan**

During the time period since the Revised State Plan was submitted in
July, the state has moved toward the Fall 2006 implementation of Alaska
Reading Course developed collaboratively by EED and reading experts from
Alaska. The course is available for university credit through distance
delivery in addition to on-site meetings. Successful completion of this
intensive course will allow reading teachers to earn points toward a
HOUSSE in reading.

In September 2006, an RFA was released through Title II A Subpart 3
Sub-Grants to Eligible Partnerships (SEP) funds for Mentoring and
Electronic Learning for Content Expertise and Highly-Qualified Status
(MELCEHQS). Under the RFA highest priority for scoring is given to
applications that include teachers teaching in high-poverty districts
and schools not meeting AYP. Under this program, teachers reach
highly-qualified status in math through course credits, experience
teaching math, and significant content knowledge acquisition in math.
The model EED is looking for would include a mix of on-site and distance
delivered coursework for the non-HQ teacher to increase his or her
content knowledge while at the same time supporting the curriculum the
teacher is teaching.

Should this grant program prove to be successful in attaining its goal
of helping non-HQT math teachers attain HQ status in math, in succeeding
years, the program would be expanded to include other content areas that
have high numbers of non-HQ teachers.

Additionally, the Math and Science Partnerships program -- Title IIB --
is currently funding four projects, two to increase teachers' content
knowledge in math: University of Alaska Southeast Ketchikan Campus: *On
Cloud Nine*, and University of Alaska Anchorage *Journeys in
Mathematics* and two aimed at increasing teachers' content knowledge in
science: University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean
Sciences *Sea & River week* and University of Alaska Fairbanks
Geophysical Institute *Science Teacher Education Program.*

It is important to note that with regard to opportunities for special
education teachers to become highly qualified in the content areas they
teach, all professional development opportunities funded through Title
II A and B are open to special educators and are widely advertised.
During the 2006-2007 school year LEAs will be able to use the
information from the staff accounting and [Individual Teacher Plan for
Achieving Highly Qualified Status]{.underline} to work with the special
education teachers on their specific needs with regard to becoming
highly qualified. The Title II A Program Manager and the Teacher
Certification Administrator will work with the Special Education staff
at EED to help them understand the importance of meeting the highly
qualified teacher requirements and use them in their work with special
education teachers around the state.

The original table regarding technical assistance for teachers from the
July 7 submission has been revised to include current information. New
information is bold italics.

EED Technical Assistance Activities for Teachers

+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+
| Timeline   | Technical Assistance for   | Technical Assistance      |
|            | Teachers                   | Providers                 |
+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+
| Summer     |                            |                           |
| 2006       |                            |                           |
+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+
|            | -   EED co-sponsors summer | -   University of Alaska  |
|            |     Content Intensives for |     Anchorage College of  |
|            |     Math and Science       |     Arts and Sciences and |
|            |                            |     Alaska Native Science |
|            | -   EED offers Carnegie    |     and Engineering       |
|            |     Math training for      |     Program               |
|            |     teachers in districts  |                           |
|            |     using program to teach | -   Certified Carnegie    |
|            |     Algebra                |     Math Trainer          |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   EED promotes Alaska    | -   Alaska Science, Math, |
|            |     Science Consortium,    |     Writing Teacher       |
|            |     Math Consortium,       |     Leaders               |
|            |     Writing Consortium and |                           |
|            |     Summer Institutes as a | -   *UAA, UAF, UAS        |
|            |     way for teachers to    |     faculty*              |
|            |     enhance their content  |                           |
|            |     knowledge in those     |                           |
|            |     areas                  |                           |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   *UA statewide system   |                           |
|            |     offers reading         |                           |
|            |     courses. Reading       |                           |
|            |     courses count toward a |                           |
|            |     Master's of Education  |                           |
|            |     in Reading and points  |                           |
|            |     toward building a      |                           |
|            |     reading HOUSSE*        |                           |
+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+
| During     |                            |                           |
| 2006-07 SY |                            |                           |
+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+
|            | -   EED continues updates  | -   EED Webmaster from    |
|            |     to information on      |     information provided  |
|            |     becoming highly        |     by Title II program   |
|            |     qualified on the       |     manager and Teacher   |
|            |     department's website   |     Certification         |
|            |                            |     Administrator         |
|            | -   EED provides           |                           |
|            |     information on website | -   Title II program      |
|            |     regarding professional |     manager               |
|            |     development offered    |                           |
|            |     through Title II-A     | -   EED Webmaster from    |
|            |     funded Math/Science    |     information provided  |
|            |     Partnership grants and |     by Title II program   |
|            |     State Higher Education |     manager               |
|            |     grants funded through  |                           |
|            |     Title II               | -   Teacher Certification |
|            |                            |     Administrator         |
|            | -   EED updates            |                           |
|            |     information/resources  | -   EED staff             |
|            |     on core content areas  |                           |
|            |     for teachers           | -   UA statewide teacher  |
|            |                            |     mentors               |
|            | -   Highly qualified       |                           |
|            |     teacher information    | -   *UAA, UAF, UAS        |
|            |     sessions for special   |     faculty; trained      |
|            |     education teachers and |     facilitators; Alaska  |
|            |     special education      |     Staff Development     |
|            |     directors at their     |     Network, Alaska       |
|            |     conferences            |     Pacific University    |
|            |                            |     staff, Sheldon        |
|            | -   EED continues to       |     Jackson College       |
|            |     research alternatives  |     staff, trained LEA    |
|            |     to help rural          |     personnel, private    |
|            |     multi-subject teachers |     consultants trained   |
|            |     obtain the content     |     to teach course*      |
|            |     knowledge they need to |                           |
|            |     become highly          | -   *EED Title II A       |
|            |     qualified with results |     Program Manager*      |
|            |     sent to posted on the  |                           |
|            |     EED web page.          | -   *EED Webmaster*       |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   Continuation of the    |                           |
|            |     state-wide mentoring   |                           |
|            |     project funded through |                           |
|            |     state funds.           |                           |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   *Implementation of     |                           |
|            |     Alaska Reading Course  |                           |
|            |     begins fall 2006 to    |                           |
|            |     help non HQ reading    |                           |
|            |     teachers become highly |                           |
|            |     qualified in reading.* |                           |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   *RFA for Intensive     |                           |
|            |     math content coaching  |                           |
|            |     issued through Title   |                           |
|            |     II A subpart 3*        |                           |
|            |                            |                           |
|            | -   *On EED website link   |                           |
|            |     to USDE eLearning      |                           |
|            |     content courses that   |                           |
|            |     may be used for        |                           |
|            |     acquiring content      |                           |
|            |     knowledge and for      |                           |
|            |     renewing teacher       |                           |
|            |     certification*         |                           |
+------------+----------------------------+---------------------------+

As EED indicated in its analysis of state data in the July 7^th^
submission, there is not sufficient evidence to indicate that the
problem with a school's not making AYP is due solely to a lack of highly
qualified teachers in core academic subjects. Other areas such as
participation rate and graduation rate may impact whether or not an
Alaskan school made AYP.

Since the inception of NCLB, the LEAs have been using their Title I set
asides to help teachers become highly qualified. EED has worked with its
LEAs on their allocation of federal Title II A funds received from the
state. The Title II A Program Manager works closely with LEAs as they
determine their needs with regard to professional development or other
options for those teachers who have not yet been designated as highly
qualified for the subjects they teach. When questions arise concerning
the allocation of funding to those schools most in need of help
achieving the HQT goals, the Title II A Program Manager works with the
LEA to try to help them meet their needs.

Requirement 4: The revised plan must describe how the SEA will work with
LEAs that fail to reach the 100 percent HQT goal by the end of the
2006-07 school year.

Sub-area not met: Does the plan show how technical assistance from the
SEA to help LEAs meet the 100 percent HQT goal will be targeted toward
LEAs and schools that are not making AYP?

**Sub-area not met:** Does the plan describe how the SEA will monitor
whether LEAs attain 100 percent HQT in each LEA and school:

-   in the percentage of highly qualified teachers at each LEA and
    school; and

-   in the percentage of teachers who are receiving high-quality
    professional development to enable such teachers to become highly
    qualified and successful classroom teachers?

**Reviewer's Comments:**

> *The state should consider redirecting Title II, Part A funds directly
> to the schools where the greatest needs occur rather than withholding
> funds. The state should also ensure that the funds are used
> appropriately to assist the school in having all classes taught by
> highly qualified teachers and meeting AYP. Rather than withholding
> funds, the funds should be used to meet the requirements of having all
> classes taught by highly qualified teachers.*
>
> *The overall monitoring plan indicates the SEA staff will visit each
> district every five years. However, the plan is not specific about the
> monitoring and technical assistance that will be given to the
> identified school districts that have the greatest need. The state
> should consider alternative methods of monitoring for these school
> districts, partially based on the desk audit process described in the
> HQ plan.*
>
> *The state should review the Title II, Part A plan that it requires
> LEAs to be complete to ensure that it contains questions that the LEAs
> must answer to demonstrate it has an adequate plan to make certain
> that all classes are taught by highly qualified teachers.*

**Revisions to State Plan:**

Due to the fact that no LEA met the AMOs for HQT, EED program staff
including Assessment & Accountability Director and Program staff; the
Deputy Director of Teaching and Learning Support, the Administrator
Teacher Certification, the Title II A Program Manager, and the Title II
D Program Manager are all working with and providing technical
assistance to LEAs on HQT issues throughout the 2006-2007 school year.
It is anticipated that this technical assistance will significantly
increase the LEAs awareness of the importance of meeting the HQT
requirements. Due to teacher turnover, it will be necessary to continue
to work closely with districts faced with recruiting new teachers each
year.

In it's July submission, EED stated that it would, "focus its technical
assistance on the 19 districts in the state that have more than 38.5% of
their core academic classes being taught by non-highly qualified
teachers in schools not making AYP." That percentage represents 19 of
Alaska's 55 LEAs and six of its urban districts For those districts,
attendance and participation in technical assistance activities during
the 2006-2007 school year will be closely monitored.

Staff Accounting Process

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development staff accounting
process collects information from districts regarding their teachers in
a snapshot taken on October 1 of each year. Data from this process is
used in the Consolidated State Performance Report due each year to the
federal government. The data reported on the Staff Accounting Report is
un-audited survey data that reported by the districts.

The staffing report yields information about teachers in LEAS related to
the highly qualified requirements under NCLB: number of core academic
courses taught, highly qualified status for each core academic class
taught, the reason(s) not highly qualified. Additionally the report
yields the following information about teachers in each LEA:

-   Gender

-   Race

-   Highest degree earned

-   Salary

-   Years of experience in the teacher's current job class

-   Job description code

-   Whether or not the teacher worked in the same job code in the same
    school site as the previous year

-   Whether or not the teacher is a new employee in the district

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to the state in the reporting year

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to his/her profession as defined
    by the job code

-   The full time equivalency (FTE) of the teacher

The following table shows the process EED has implemented for the
2006-2007 school year to insure that the highly qualified teacher data
reported by LEAs is the most up-to-date and accurate information
available.

**2006-2007 Certified Staff Accounting Process**

+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| Date        | Information/Product        | Responsible Entity       |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| Augus       | Information and Training   | EED---Assessment and     |
| t-September | sessions on the Staff      | Accountability Division, |
|             | Accounting Report for:     | Teacher Certification    |
|             |                            | Administrator            |
|             | -   LEA staff responsible  |                          |
|             |     for collecting         |                          |
|             |     information: Business  |                          |
|             |     Office personnel, HR   |                          |
|             |     Directors              |                          |
|             |                            |                          |
|             | -   District Federal       |                          |
|             |     Program personnel      |                          |
|             |                            |                          |
|             | -   Superintendents        |                          |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| August-June | Provide technical          | EED---Assessment and     |
| 2007        | assistance as requested by | Accountability Division, |
|             | LEAs: audio conference;    | Teacher Certification    |
|             | video conference; on-site  | Administrator            |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| October 15  | Staff Accounting Report    | LEA staff responsible    |
|             | due to EED                 | for Staff Accounting     |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| Octob       | EED staff compare current  | EED---Assessment and     |
| er-November | report with previous       | Accountability Division  |
|             | year's information to      |                          |
|             | check accuracy             |                          |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| December 15 | LEAs receive Staff         | EED---Assessment and     |
|             | Accounting reports back to | Accountability Division  |
|             | make revisions             | and LEAs                 |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| January     | LEAs input revisions to    | LEA staff responsible    |
|             | Staff Accounting           | for Staff Accounting     |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| February 15 | Revised Staff Accounting   | EED---Assessment and     |
|             | reports reviewed by EED    | Accountability Division  |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| April 1     | LEAs receive Certified     | EED---Assessment and     |
|             | Staff Accounting reports   | Accountability Division  |
|             | back to make revisions     | and LEAs                 |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+
| May 30      | Revised Certified Staff    | LEA staff responsible    |
|             | Accounting reports         | for Staff Accounting     |
|             | returned to EED            |                          |
+-------------+----------------------------+--------------------------+

With up-to-date information, EED believes the LEAs will better be able
to target their assistance to those teachers within their districts that
are in most need of help in meeting the highly qualified requirements.
EED will consider redirecting Title II Part A funds directly to the
schools should there be strong evidence that the lack of highly
qualified teachers in core academic subjects are indicative of a school
not making AYP.

EED indicated in its analysis of state data in the July 7^th^
submission, that there was not sufficient evidence to indicate that the
problem with a school's not making AYP is due solely to a lack of highly
qualified teachers in core academic subjects. Other areas such as
participation rate and graduation rate may impact whether or not an
Alaskan school made AYP.

Allocation of Title II A Funding

Title II A funds are utilized by the state in two ways. First, the Title
II A funds received by the state to be distributed to the LEAs are
allocated by a formula and are given to districts based upon receipt of
an approved plan for Title II A. This plan is part of the NCLB
consolidated application used by the state. Each LEA makes the
determination of how it will utilize its funds in meeting its needs with
regard to meting the highly qualified teacher requirements. These
determinations are reviewed and approved by EED.

Second, the Title II A state activities funds the state receives have
been earmarked for use improving teacher quality. During the 2004-2005
school year, these funds were used to expand the statewide mentoring
program. Many of Alaska's high needs LEAs participated in the program.
Preliminary studies indicate this program had a positive impact on
teacher retention.

During the 2005-2006 school year the funds were used in the revamping of
the state's teacher certification system in order to create a
three-tiered performance-based system. Alaska is not a testing state
other than its requirement of passing a basic competency test for
certification. Within the recently implemented performance-based system
are two requirements new to Alaska teacher certification:

-   Passing a content area exam in order to become professionally
    certified and

-   Passing two performance reviews, during which the teacher must
    demonstrate both the teacher's content knowledge and the teacher's
    ability to deliver that content knowledge to students

The state believes the new, performance-based system will improve the
quality and effectiveness of Alaska's teachers, which will have a
positive impact on student achievement. To that end, EED has trained 50
teachers to serve as performance reviewers and embarked on an ambitious
campaign to work with teachers on the professional development
opportunities the performance review has brought to the forefront.

In order to receive funding under No Child Left Behind, each of Alaska's
55 LEAs requesting Title funds must submit a Consolidated Application.
Within the application, which covers all federally-funded Title
programs, the LEA must submit a Title II A plan. The Title IIA plan must
include the following information:

-   whether or not the LEA has a current professional development plan
    on file,

-   the number and percentage of teachers receiving high quality
    professional development, and

-   information on the use of Title II A funds.

The Title II A Program Manager is responsible for reading the
application paying special attention to the professional development
requirements:

-   Title IIA -- current approved PD plan on file

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-   IIA data entered

When questions arise concerning information on the Title II A portion of
the consolidated application, the Title II A Program Manager contacts
the LEA to find out information necessary to approve the plan.

In those very rare instances where the LEA Title II A plan from the
Consolidated application is deficient or that state monitoring of the
LEA identifies problems with the funded activities, EED staff will work
with the LEA to help the LEA redirect its funding toward areas of
greatest need with regard to helping teachers become highly qualified in
the core content areas in which they teach.

State Process for Monitoring Title II A

# 

# Since the state notified districts in Spring of 2006 of the application requirements and monitoring procedures for the upcoming 2006-2007 school year, EED will continue to use its current NCLB monitoring process for the 2006-2007 school year. Prior to the on-site visit the state team will examine the HQT information and HQT plan on file at EED for the LEA. This will allow the state team will pay particular attention to LEAs' efforts as well as needs with regard to the HQT requirements during its site visit. The following information is taken directly from the FY 2007 Monitoring Process and the 2007 Forms that are used by the state's monitoring teams prior to, during, and following the on-site reviews.

# 

# During on-site review:

1.  NCLB monitoring team participates in entrance interview with
    district staff with Career and Technical Education and Special Ed
    monitoring staff

2.  NCLB monitoring team members review district documentation and
    interview district federal program staff involved with Title I and
    Title II A to verify that:

    a.  all teachers hired through Title I, Part A funds after the first
        day of the 2002-2003 school year or later are highly qualified

    b.  there is a district plan to ensure that all teachers teaching in
        the district are highly qualified by the end of the 2006-2007
        school year.

    c.  the district has plans for or has expended at least 5% of their
        Title I-A allocation to assist teachers to become highly
        qualified by the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

    d.  the district has ensured that low-income and minority students
        are not taught at higher rates than other students by
        unqualified, out-of-field or inexperienced teachers.

    e.  the district has provided to each parent(s) of all children
        attending Title I schools timely notice that the parent's child
        has been assigned a teacher who is not highly qualified, or has
        been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who is
        not highly qualified.

    f.  parents of all children attending Title I schools have been
        notified at the beginning of each school year that they can
        request information on the professional qualifications of the
        student's classroom teachers including:

        i.  whether the teacher has met State qualification and
            licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in
            which the teacher provides instruction;

        ii. whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other
            status through which State qualifications or licensing
            criteria have been waived;

        iii. the baccalaureate degree major of the teacher and any other
             graduate certification or degree held by the teacher, and
             the field of discipline of the certification or degree

    g.  Title II-A funds are targeted to schools that have the lowest
        proportion of highly qualified teachers, have the largest class
        size, or are identified for school improvement under section
        1116(b).

    h.  the Title II-A funded activities have a substantial, measurable,
        and positive impact on student academic achievement and how the
        activities are used as part of a broader strategy to help
        eliminate the achievement gap that separates low-income and
        minority students from other students

    i.  the professional development activities (which may include
        teacher mentoring) funded under II-A are meeting the needs of
        teachers and principals that were identified in the needs
        assessment

    j.  Title II-A funds are targeted to schools that have the lowest
        proportion of highly qualified teachers, have the largest class
        size, or are identified for school improvement under section
        1116(b).

    k.  Title II funds were used to carry out one or more of the
        following allowable activities:

        i.  Providing professional development activities that improve
            the knowledge of teachers, principals, and, where
            appropriate, paraprofessionals.

        ii. Activities to improve the quality of the teaching force,
            including innovative professional development programs

3.  Team members conduct interviews with appropriate staff members --
    principal, teacher(s) and paraprofessional(s) -- and parents, if
    possible.

4.  Team members participate in exit interview with other monitoring
    staff from combined team.

Following the on-site visit

1.  LEAs are notified in writing of any required actions as a result of
    the monitoring.

2.  LEAs are given a timeline in which to complete the required actions.

3.  Should the LEA be unresponsive with regard to the required actions:

    a.  Title I monitoring team Program Manager follows up with district
        by phone or email if no response has been received by 60 day
        deadline and asks for response within 30 days.

    b.  Title I monitoring team Program Manager notifies Title I
        Administrator if no response is received after follow-up phone
        call or email.

    c.  Title I Administrator sends letter to district reminding them
        that required actions are due from monitoring visit.

    d.  If no response, Title I Administrator meets with TLS Director to
        determine appropriate course of further action.

Recognizing the need to more closely monitor LEA compliance with the HQT
plans, the state will work with stakeholders to create a desk audit
procedure that will be used with those LEAs most in need with respect to
meeting the highly qualified teacher requirements during the 2007-2008
school year and beyond. This new process will be used in addition to the
current five-year monitoring schedule and allow EED program staff to
determine whether or not the LEAs are meeting the HQT requirements. The
desk audit process will also enable the state to determine what
technical assistance to offer individual LEAs.

Just as each year there is a significant turn-over of teachers; there is
also a significant turn-over of LEA Title II A staff. This turnover in
LEA staff necessitates the development of materials to assist new Title
II A staff in the LEA in becoming acquainted with the requirements of
NCLB as they pertain to their jobs. To that end EED plans to work with
stakeholders on materials for this purpose. These materials will be used
to orient new LEA staff during technical assistance sessions.

The following table outlines activities EED is undertaking to provide
the necessary technical assistance to its LEAs. For successful
implementation of new processes for the school years of 2007 and beyond,
EED program staff LEA federal program staff will work together during
the 2006-2007 in the development of the desk audit process and the
development of a handbook for new Title II A LEA staff.

Activities to Meet HQT in the 2007 School Year and Beyond

In Spring 2007 and each year thereafter, each LEA failing to reach the
100 percent HQT goal will be required to submit an HQT plan as part of
their NCLB consolidated application. Within the HQT plan the LEA must
indicate sources of funding for activities it includes and must sign
specific HQT assurances. The Title II A Program Manager will analyze the
HQT plans to insure that all requirements of plan are met. Plans
requiring revisions will be due to EED no later than August 15^th^ each
year.

In Fall 2007, LEAs failing to reach the 100 percent HQT goal are
introduced to desk audit process during technical assistance sessions.
New Title II A staff in LEAs participate in information session on
policies and procedures required for Title II A.

November 15, 2006 Revisions based on feedback from US Department of
Education

**Sub-area not met:** Does the plan describe how the SEA will monitor
whether LEAs attain 100 percent HQT in each LEA and school:

-   in the percentage of highly qualified teachers at each LEA and
    school; and

-   in the percentage of teachers who are receiving high-quality
    professional development to enable such teachers to become highly
    qualified and successful classroom teachers?

4.b   The plan does not to address the corrective actions that the SEA
will apply if LEAs fail to meet HQT **and** AYP goals. EED's plan is to
track LEAs that fail to make HQT and the LEAs that fail to make AYP, but
the SEA must look specifically at where these two groups intersect.
Corrective actions must be stated as to what the SEA will apply if LEAs
fail to meet HQT **and** AYP goals. The overlapping districts must be
listed for the SEA to follow through with any LEAs to which Section 2141
accountability provisions apply. The accountability provisions of
Section 2141 describe what states and districts must do if an LEA fails
to make AYP or meet its AMO for teacher quality for two and three
consecutive years.

**State response:**

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development now requires
Highly Qualified Teacher Plans from all districts who have failed to
meet the 100% goal for HQT. The Title II team reviews all plans and
notes areas where districts, especially those districts not making AYP,
are experiencing difficulty with regard to highly qualified teachers.
The department will approve the HQT plans it deems as being able to move
the LEA toward the 100% goal for HQT. The department will use the
information from these plans in the development of its planned technical
assistance to the LEAs.

**Corrective Actions to be taken by SEA when LEA does not meet HQT and
AYP goals after 2 years:**

Should an LEA fail to meet the goals of its HQT plan and fail to make
AYP for two years, the department will release Title II A funds only
when the percentage of HQT in the LEA shows the LEA has followed through
on its approved HQT plan.

**Corrective Actions to be taken by SEA when LEA does not meet HQT and
AYP goals after 3 years**

Should an LEA fail to make AYP for three consecutive years under Section
1111(b)(2)(B) of *Title I, Part A*, and fail for three years to make
progress toward meeting its annual measurable objectives established
under Section 1119(b)(1): the Alaska Department of Education & Early
Development (EED) will enter into an agreement with the LEA on its use
of Title II, Part A Funds:

1\. EED working in conjunction with the LEA, teachers and principals,
will develop and require the LEA to use professional development
strategies and activities based on scientifically based research to meet
the State's annual measurable objectives for improving teacher quality;
and

2\. Prohibit LEAs from using *Title I, Part A* funds to fund any new
paraprofessionals, except under certain limited instances.

Requirement 6: The revised plan must include a copy of the State's
written "equity plan" for ensuring that poor or minority children are
not taught by inexperienced, unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at
higher rates than are other children.

Sub-area not met: Does the plan delineate specific strategies for
addressing inequities in teacher assignment?

Sub-area not met: Does the plan provide evidence for the probable
success of the strategies it includes?

**Reviewers'' Comments:**

> *Poverty in Alaska is compounded by ruralness; therefore, the
> inequities in the distribution of highly qualified teachers do not
> necessarily fall on urban, rural or minority children. Although the
> state has the flexibility provided to rural school districts, classes
> taught by teachers who are not highly qualified are often the result
> of multiple assignments to teachers in very small schools. The
> requirement that all classes are taught by highly qualified teachers
> creates unique challenges that may require the use of virtual classes
> or other types of distance learning. In order to retain teachers, a
> consideration of an electronic mentoring system using experienced,
> accomplished teachers should be given.*
>
> *Although data are not provided to demonstrate the probability of
> success for the strategies described, the state is using a number of
> programs that have data that demonstrate that they are successful.*
>
> *The state should ensure that teachers and administrators are aware of
> the plethora of programs identified by the state to assist with the
> recruitment, placement, induction, retention, and professional
> development of teachers.*
>
> *The readers suggest that the SEA identify roadblocks to the
> recruitment, retention, and distribution of HQ teachers and create
> specific strategies to address those roadblocks.*
>
> *The readers also suggest that the SEA consider expanding the
> opportunities for alternative certification programs.*
>
> *The State should consider joining with other isolated states or
> affiliating with organizations to work on issues they have in common
> (e.g., SREB's work on virtual classes).*

**Revisions to State Plan**

EED has been considering piloting virtual classes or other types of
distance learning to help meet the requirement that all core academic
classes are taught by highly qualified teachers. The state will utilize
various Title funds for district collaboration targeting schools in
highly poverty and not making AYP. Once the core content areas of most
need are identified from the staff accounting reports in October 2006,
applications will be requested for an pilot in spring semester, 2007. A
successful pilot will result in an expansion of courses offered in the
2007-2008 school year. The state may seek legislative funding in order
to be able to impact more students.

In September 2006, EED issued an RFA through Title II A Subpart 3
Sub-Grants to Eligible Partnerships (SEP) funds to pilot an electronic
mentoring model using content experts from the Colleges of Arts and
Sciences. Applications that include teachers teaching in high-poverty
districts and schools not meeting AYP are targeted. Under this program,
teachers reach highly-qualified status in math through course credits,
experience teaching math, and significant content knowledge acquisition
in math. The model EED is looking for would include a mix of on-site and
distance delivered coursework for the non-HQ teacher to increase his or
her content knowledge while at the same time supporting the curriculum
the teacher is teaching.

This is the third year of a statewide mentoring program using
experienced, accomplished teachers to mentor inexperienced teachers. The
goal of the program is to increase teacher retention and improving
teacher quality. Research conducted for the program indicates a positive
impact on teacher retention. The legislature has appropriated \$5
million for the continuation and expansion of the program to include a
principal mentoring component.

The state received a score of requirement not met for the following
sub-area: "Does the plan delineate specific strategies for addressing
inequities in teacher assignment" However, when one reads the following
comment from the reviewers, it is difficult to see why the requirement
was scored as not being met: "Although data are not provided to
demonstrate the probability of success for the strategies described, the
state is using a number of programs that have data that demonstrate they
are successful."

In order to facilitate the location of the strategies Alaska is using,
the original chart from the July 7^th^ submission has been expanded,
updated with information that became available after the July deadline,
renamed and relabeled. The column originally labeled as "Strategy" has
been eliminated and the strategies are listed across the table and
highlighted. Underneath each listed strategy and, where applicable,
sub-strategy, are three individual columns labeled "Current Alaska
Initiatives," "Planned Alaska Initiatives 2006 and Beyond," and
"Evidence for Probable Success of Strategies" It is hoped that this will
more readily provide the required information. EED acknowledges the help
provided by CCSSO in the compilation of strategies and notes that the
strategies listed by Alaska are those that were included and previously
approved in other state plans.

Although addressed in the original submission, the importance of
accurate data collection with regard to the recruitment and retention of
teachers cannot be overlooked in the revisions to the state plan. To
impact the equitable distribution of teachers the state recognizes the
importance of developing longitudinal data systems that will allow us to
track where teachers go and why as well as where our experienced
teachers are and are not. With a longitudinal data system EED will
ultimately be able to link teacher qualifications including their years
of teaching experience to student achievement. The state will also be
better able to compare how its teacher preparation programs in Alaska
impact student achievement versus the student achievement of those
teachers prepared in another state.

To begin the development of a data collection process that will meet
needs now and into the future, EED has entered into a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with other statewide entities to improve all of our
data collection systems with the goal of providing accurate data on,
among other things, the reasons for teacher turn-over, and roadblocks to
teacher retention. Each stakeholder in the MOU will be able to both
input and extract data to improve the knowledge base for the state as it
moves toward making data-driven decisions that affect the state.
Stakeholders will have access to teacher information including:

-   Highest degree earned

-   Salary

-   Years of experience in the teacher's current job class

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to the state in the reporting year

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to his/her profession

With regard to teacher quality issues and the equitable distribution of
teachers, EED will be able to obtain reliable data on the effect of
known roadblocks to recruitment such as cost of relocation, cost of
living rural versus urban, lack of medical facilities, as well as causes
of teacher turn-over such as:

-   Opportunities for professional development

-   Workplace planning and administration

-   Workload

-   Resources

-   Student parent and community attitudes

Information regarding this MOU was described in the Equity plan
submitted in July. For more information and the schema please refer to
the original Title II Revised State Plan included as an Appendix to this
submission.

EED also received a \$3.5 million "longitudinal data system" grant from
the Institute of Education Sciences, the research arm of the U.S.
Department of Education. The "Unity Project" as it is called will allow
the integration of the state data system with those of Alaska's 53
school districts, making district reporting quick, efficient, and exact.
The project's ultimate outcome is to allow Alaska to reach a point where
it is able to make data-driven decisions to improve student outcomes. As
it moves forward, collecting information on teacher quality will be an
important element of the data collection system.

As EED moves forward with work toward ensuring the equitable
distribution of teachers, it will call together stakeholders to work on
identifying roadblocks to the recruitment, retention, as well as
solutions to the equitable distribution of highly qualified, effective
teachers. The stakeholders will create specific strategies to address
the issues that can be implemented as expeditiously as possible.

With regard to expanding the opportunities to alternative certification,
it is necessary to understand that almost 75% of the state's teachers
come from out-of-state. During the 2004-2005 school year the State Board
of Education & Early Development adopted regulations that allowed the
state to recognize alternate paths to certification. This allowed
teachers from out-of-state who participate in alternate routes to obtain
Initial certification in Alaska. This certification is valid for a
period of up to three years during which, the teacher participating in
the alternate route can be paid as a teacher and contribute to the
Teachers' Retirement System. Alaska's teacher preparation institutions
also have alternate delivery methods for teacher preparation that also
allow for Initial certification in Alaska.

As previously indicated within the Equity Plan originally submitted July
7^th^ EED is creating links from its webpage to the other entities,
identified within the plan e.g. Alaska Commission on Postsecondary
Education (ACPE). This has been implemented " in order to ensure that
teachers and administrators are aware of the plethora of programs
identified by the state to assist with the recruitment, placement,
induction, retention, and professional development of teachers,". As an
additional step, when new links are added to the EED website, the
information will be posted in the InfoExchange, the department's weekly
electronic newsletter. The InfoExchange is currently sent to over 2000
interested people. The audience includes educators as well as policy
makers. EED currently links to the Alaska Teacher Placement website,
which is often the first stop for teachers who are considering Alaska as
a place to teach. Although the link does exist, EED will work to display
it more prominently.

The Teacher Certification Administrator and Teacher Certification staff
participate in the Job Fair held sponsored by Alaska Teacher Placement
each year in Anchorage. The purpose of their attendance is two-fold, 1)
to help teachers as they think about coming to Alaska and have
certification questions and 2) to help districts with their on the spot
questions about the hiring of highly qualified teachers. Teacher
Certification staff also participate in the interactive chats and
Virtual Job Fairs sponsored by Alaska Teacher Placement throughout the
hiring season.

**Research-based** **Strategies to Ensure Equitable Distribution of
Teachers for High-Need Schools**\*

+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Offer financial  |                      |                           |
| incentives to    |                      |                           |
| encourage        |                      |                           |
| teachers to work |                      |                           |
| in high need     |                      |                           |
| schools**        |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Initiatives**    | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Some LEA's are   | In those districts   | Prince, C. (2003).        |
| using a signing  | where NBCT's are     | *Higher pay in            |
| bonus to attract | given bonuses,       | hard-to-staff schools:    |
| teachers in the  | individual LEAs      | The case for financial    |
| high needs area  | could restrict       | incentives.* Lanham, MD:  |
| of Special       | bonuses to NBCT's    | Scarecrow Press, Inc.     |
| Education.       | who agree to work in |                           |
|                  | high need schools    | Kirby, S., Naftel, S., &  |
| Alaska Housing   |                      | Berends, M. (1999).       |
| Finance          | A link will be       |                           |
| Corporation      | established between  | *Staffing at -risk school |
| (AHFC) Teachers' | the Teacher          | districts in Texas:       |
| and Nurses       | Certification        | Problems and prospects*,  |
| Housing Loan     | website and the      | pp. 57-58. Santa Monica,  |
| Program: an      | Alaska Commission on | CA: RAND.                 |
| add-on option to | Postsecondary        | www                       |
| single family    | Education (ACPE)     | .rand.org/pubs/monograph_ |
| loan programs to | website.             | reports/MR1083/index.html |
| obtain 100%      |                      |                           |
| conventional     | -   prospective      | Feistritzer, C.E.         |
| financing-zero   |     teachers can     | *Profile of Troops to     |
| down payment to  |     obtain           | Teachers*.                |
| purchase,        |     up-to-date       |                           |
| construct, or    |     information on   | Washington, DC: National  |
| renovate a       |     student loan     | Center for Education      |
| single-family    |     programs and     | Information.              |
| home. Qualified  |     Teacher Loan     |                           |
| teachers         |     Forgiveness      | http://www.tea            |
| eligible to use  |     programs for     | ch-now.org/NCEI_TT_v3.pdf |
| the program must |     teaching in high |                           |
| be certified     |     need schools.    |                           |
| educators under  |                      |                           |
| AS 14.20.        | EED will encourage   |                           |
|                  | the universities in  |                           |
| AHFC Funding     | Alaska to            |                           |
| Availability for | participate in the   |                           |
| Pre-development  | Robert Noyce         |                           |
| program for      | Scholarship Program  |                           |
| Teacher, Health  | through NSF and      |                           |
| Professional,    | encourage talented   |                           |
| Public Safety,   | STEM majors to       |                           |
| Senior and       | become K-12 math and |                           |
| Special Needs    | science teachers in  |                           |
| Housing. Is a    | high needs LEAs      |                           |
| grant program    |                      |                           |
| currently open   |                      |                           |
| for proposals    |                      |                           |
| related to the   |                      |                           |
| development of   |                      |                           |
| decent, safe,    |                      |                           |
| and sanitary     |                      |                           |
| rental housing   |                      |                           |
| in Alaska for    |                      |                           |
| the              |                      |                           |
| aforementioned   |                      |                           |
| populations, in  |                      |                           |
| accordance with  |                      |                           |
| applicable laws  |                      |                           |
| and regulations. |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| Alaska has 66    |                      |                           |
| Troops to        |                      |                           |
| Teachers working |                      |                           |
| in 11 school     |                      |                           |
| districts        |                      |                           |
| throughout the   |                      |                           |
| state. Troops to |                      |                           |
| Teachers assists |                      |                           |
| military         |                      |                           |
| personnel in     |                      |                           |
| making           |                      |                           |
| successful       |                      |                           |
| transitions to a |                      |                           |
| second career in |                      |                           |
| public, K-12,    |                      |                           |
| education as     |                      |                           |
| teachers. 37 of  |                      |                           |
| Alaska's Troops  |                      |                           |
| to Teachers have |                      |                           |
| received a       |                      |                           |
| combined total   |                      |                           |
| of over          |                      |                           |
| \$208,000 in     |                      |                           |
| bonuses and      |                      |                           |
| stipends to      |                      |                           |
| encourage them   |                      |                           |
| to remain        |                      |                           |
| teaching in      |                      |                           |
| those areas      |                      |                           |
| where they are   |                      |                           |
| most needed.     |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy: Pay  |                      |                           |
| for              |                      |                           |
| performance**    |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| House Bill 13    | After the current    | James B. Stedman and Gail |
| established the  | three year           | McCallion                 |
| Alaska School    | authorization, EED   | Performance-Based Pay for |
| Performance      | staff could go back  | Teachers. CRS Report for  |
| Incentive        | to the Legislature   | Congress                  |
| Program for the  | and ask for an       |                           |
| next three       | additional           | Domestic Social Policy    |
| school years, to | appropriation in     | Division. Updated January |
| sunset on June   | order to expand the  | 11, 2001                  |
| 20, 2009. The    | program to target    |                           |
| bill authorizes  | high need schools    | www.opencrs.com/          |
| payouts for up   | within the state.    | rpts/RL30217_20010111.pdf |
| to 850           |                      |                           |
| certificated     |                      | Hawley, W.D. (1985).      |
| employees        |                      | Designing and             |
| annually and for |                      | Implementing              |
| the support      |                      | Performance-Based Career  |
| staff in their   |                      | Ladder Plans.             |
| schools          |                      | *Educational Leadership*, |
|                  |                      | v 43, n3: 57-61.          |
| Funded up to     |                      |                           |
| \$5.8 million    |                      | O\'Connell, R. (1997).    |
| annually, the    |                      | *Teachers performance pay |
| program          |                      | plan*. Douglas County     |
| financially      |                      | School District. Douglas  |
| rewards all of   |                      | County, CO.               |
| the staff in a   |                      |                           |
| school whose     |                      |                           |
| students         |                      |                           |
| significantly    |                      |                           |
| improve in       |                      |                           |
| reading, writing |                      |                           |
| and math         |                      |                           |
| compared with    |                      |                           |
| the same         |                      |                           |
| students'        |                      |                           |
| performance the  |                      |                           |
| previous year.   |                      |                           |
| Teachers,        |                      |                           |
| administrators   |                      |                           |
| and district     |                      |                           |
| central office   |                      |                           |
| staff members    |                      |                           |
| can receive up   |                      |                           |
| to \$5,500, and  |                      |                           |
| support staff    |                      |                           |
| can receive up   |                      |                           |
| to \$2,500.      |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Require and fund |                      |                           |
| mentoring and    |                      |                           |
| induction        |                      |                           |
| programs**       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Alaska's         | EED may require all  | Center for Teaching       |
| Statewide        | new teachers in high | Quality. (2006,           |
| Mentoring        | need LEAs to have a  | June)."Why mentoring and  |
| Project (ASMP)   | mentor from the      | induction matters and     |
| has been in      | Statewide Mentor     | what must be done for new |
| effect since the | Project              | teachers."                |
| 2004-2005 school |                      |                           |
| year. Aimed at   | Through the MSP      | *Teaching Quality Across  |
| teachers who are | grants, the STEP     | the* *Nation: Best        |
| new to Alaska,   | grant has introduced | Practices & Policies,     |
| new to teaching  | electronic mentoring | 5*(2).                    |
| or both the      | for teachers who     |                           |
| project reached: | participated in the  | Ingersoll, R. (2001).     |
|                  | summer Institute in  | "Teacher turnover and     |
| -   339 teachers | GeoSciences.         | teacher shortages: An     |
|     in 31        | Participating        | organizational analysis," |
|     districts    | teachers are paired  | *American Educational     |
|     during the   | with an experienced  | Research Journal, 38*(3), |
|     2004-2005    | science teacher who  | 499-534.                  |
|     school year  | has both the content |                           |
|                  | and pedagogical      | Moir, E., Gless, J.       |
| -   381 teachers | knowledge to help    | Quality Induction: An     |
|     in 36        | the teacher being    | Investment in Teachers.   |
|     districts    | mentored.            | The New Teacher Center.   |
|     during the   |                      | Santa Cruz, California.   |
|     2005-2006    | September 2006, RFA  |                           |
|     school year  | released through     | Alliance for Excellent    |
|                  | Title II A Subpart 3 | Education. (2004).        |
| -   It is        | Sub-Grants to        | *Tapping the potential:   |
|     anticipated  | Eligible             | Retaining and developing  |
|                  | Partnerships (SEP)   | high-quality new          |
|    approximately | funds for Mentoring  | teachers.* Washington,    |
|     450 teachers | and Electronic       | DC: Author.               |
|     in 40 school | Learning for Content | http://www.all4ed         |
|     districts    | Expertise and        | .org/files/archive/public |
|     will have    | Highly-Qualified     | ations/TappingThePotentia |
|     mentors      | Status (MELCEHQS).   | l/TappingThePotential.pdf |
|     during the   | The purpose of the   |                           |
|     2006-2007    | first round of       | Wong, H.K. (2004).        |
|     school year. | funding is to help   | Induction programs that   |
|                  | those math teachers  | keep new teachers         |
| 11 of the 15     | who are not highly   | teaching and improving.   |
| high need LEAs   | qualified to become  | *NASSP Bulletin,          |
| identified under | highly qualified. If | 87*(638), 5--27           |
| Section 2102 of  | the electronic       |                           |
| Title II Part A  | mentoring and        |                           |
| have             | distance delivery of |                           |
| participated in  | the core content for |                           |
| the ASMP.        | teachers is          |                           |
|                  | successful in        |                           |
| Findings from    | meeting its goal, in |                           |
| research done on | succeeding years     |                           |
| the project      | other subject areas  |                           |
| included the     | would be addressed.  |                           |
| following data:  |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   77% of       |                      |                           |
|     beginning    |                      |                           |
|     teachers who |                      |                           |
|     participated |                      |                           |
|     in the ASMP  |                      |                           |
|     were         |                      |                           |
|     planning to  |                      |                           |
|     return to    |                      |                           |
|     the same     |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     and/or       |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     district.    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   82% of new   |                      |                           |
|     teachers who |                      |                           |
|     received     |                      |                           |
|     mentoring    |                      |                           |
|     were         |                      |                           |
|     planning to  |                      |                           |
|     return to    |                      |                           |
|     teaching in  |                      |                           |
|     Alaska.      |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| The Alaska       |                      |                           |
| Legislature in   |                      |                           |
| 2006             |                      |                           |
| appropriated     |                      |                           |
| \$5,000,000 for  |                      |                           |
| the Statewide    |                      |                           |
| Mentoring        |                      |                           |
| Project to       |                      |                           |
| increase the     |                      |                           |
| number of        |                      |                           |
| teachers served. |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Support the      |                      |                           |
| development of   |                      |                           |
| high-quality     |                      |                           |
| alternative      |                      |                           |
| route programs   |                      |                           |
| to create a pool |                      |                           |
| of teachers      |                      |                           |
| specifically for |                      |                           |
| high needs       |                      |                           |
| schools**        |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Alaska law AS    | EED is working with  | Feistritzer, C.E. (2005). |
| 14.20.022        | the Anchorage School | *Profile of alternative   |
| subject matter   | District to adapt    | route teachers*.          |
| expert limited   | the Anchorage model  | Washington, DC: National  |
| teacher          | for the preparation  | Center for Alternative    |
| certificate      | of special education | Certification.            |
| provides that    | teachers to allow    | htt                       |
| subject matter   | more LEA's to able   | p://www.ncei.com/PART.pdf |
| experts who have | to utilize it in     |                           |
| a major in a     | succeeding years.    | Jacobson, L. "More        |
| content area and |                      | teachers trained in       |
| are currently    | EED continues work   | alternative routes,"      |
| enrolled in a    | on an alternate      | *Education Week*, June    |
| teacher          | route to             | 15, 2005.                 |
| preparation      | certification for    | http://www.edw            |
| program be able  | other high needs     | eek.org/ew/articles/2005/ |
| to teach in the  | areas such as speech | 06/15/40report-1.h24.html |
| subject area of  | pathology and        |                           |
| their expertise  | audiology..          | Viadero, D. "Teachers     |
| and earn credit  |                      | from alternate routes     |
| toward tenure as |                      | scrutinized," *Education  |
| well as pay into |                      | Week*, September 28,      |
| the Teachers'    |                      | 2005.                     |
| Retirement       |                      | http://www.edwe           |
| System.          |                      | ek.org/ew/articles/2005/0 |
|                  |                      | 9/28/05alternate.h25.html |
| During the       |                      |                           |
| 2006-2007 school |                      |                           |
| year, the        |                      |                           |
| Anchorage School |                      |                           |
| District and EED |                      |                           |
| staff are        |                      |                           |
| creating and     |                      |                           |
| implementing a   |                      |                           |
| standards-based  |                      |                           |
| alternate route  |                      |                           |
| to prepare       |                      |                           |
| highly qualified |                      |                           |
| special          |                      |                           |
| education        |                      |                           |
| teachers in      |                      |                           |
| Anchorage. The   |                      |                           |
| first phase      |                      |                           |
| would focus on   |                      |                           |
| highly qualified |                      |                           |
| teachers who     |                      |                           |
| want to be       |                      |                           |
| special          |                      |                           |
| education        |                      |                           |
| teachers.        |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Rehire retired   |                      |                           |
| teachers**       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Alaska law, AS   | EED will work with   | > A recent study of       |
| 14.20.135        | LEAs to insure       | > teachers in New York    |
| Employment of    | teachers are highly  | > City, in which          |
| retired teachers | qualified in the     | > researchers found that  |
| because of       | area they will be    | > as teachers gained      |
| shortages        | teaching prior to    | > experience in their     |
| provides         | being hired under    | > first three or four     |
| districts the    | this program.        | > years, student          |
| ability to       |                      | > performance increased.  |
| declare a        |                      |                           |
| shortage area in |                      | http://www2.edtrust.o     |
| a particular     |                      | rg/NR/rdonlyres/010DBD9F- |
| discipline or    |                      | CED8-4D2B-9E0D-91B446746E |
| specialty and    |                      | D3/0/TQReportJune2006.pdf |
| rehire retired   |                      |                           |
| teachers who are |                      |                           |
| qualified to     |                      |                           |
| teach in the     |                      |                           |
| discipline or    |                      |                           |
| specialty.       |                      |                           |
| Rehired teachers |                      |                           |
| have several     |                      |                           |
| options under    |                      |                           |
| the law to be    |                      |                           |
| able to work     |                      |                           |
| without losing   |                      |                           |
| their retirement |                      |                           |
| benefits.        |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Grow-your-own    |                      |                           |
| teachers**       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| The Statewide    | EED will work with   | Hill, A., Hirshberg, D.,  |
| Future Teachers  | the Anchorage School | (2006). [Alaska Teacher   |
| of Alaska        | District to          | Supply and Demand 2005    |
| Program is a     | collaborate on a     | Update]{.underline}.      |
| partnership with | model for the        | Institute of Social and   |
| the Alaska       | preparation of       | Economic Research:        |
| Federation of    | paraprofessionals    | University of Alaska      |
| Natives, Alaska  | who already have a   | Anchorage.                |
| Teacher          | baccalaureate degree |                           |
| Placement,       | and want to become   | Ingersoll, R. (2001,      |
| University of    | special education    | January). "Teacher        |
| Alaska           | teachers. Once the   | turnover, teacher         |
| Statewide, and   | model is established | shortages, and the        |
| three, high need | in Anchorage, it may | organization of schools." |
| LEA's in rural   | be possible to use   | Seattle: University of    |
| Alaska: Lower    | the model in other   | Washington, Center for    |
| Kuskokwim School | LEAs with qualified  | the Study of Teaching and |
| District, Bering | paraprofessionals    | Policy.                   |
| Strait School    | who want to be       | http://depts.wa           |
| District, and    | teachers in either   | shington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs |
| Nome Public      | special education or | /Turnover-Ing-01-2001.pdf |
| Schools. The FTA | regular education.   |                           |
| partner school   |                      | Mobley, W. (1982).        |
| districts agree  | Establishing a link  | *Employee turnover:       |
| to pilot future  | between the EED and  | Causes, consequences and  |
| teacher clubs to | ACPE web sites would | control*. Reading, MA:    |
| "grow-their-own" | allow prospective    | Addison- Wesley           |
| teachers. Each   | teachers in Alaska   |                           |
| partner school   | as well as those who |                           |
| district creates | hold Carl Perkins    |                           |
| local future     | loans to find        |                           |
| teacher clubs    | options to help      |                           |
| that address     | finance their        |                           |
| their unique     | educations.          |                           |
| educational      |                      |                           |
| needs and        |                      |                           |
| resources        |                      |                           |
| available within |                      |                           |
| their school,    |                      |                           |
| community and    |                      |                           |
| district.        |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| The Preparing    |                      |                           |
| Indigenous       |                      |                           |
| Teachers for     |                      |                           |
| Alaskan Schools  |                      |                           |
| (PITAS) is a     |                      |                           |
| federally funded |                      |                           |
| program whose    |                      |                           |
| goal is to       |                      |                           |
| increase the     |                      |                           |
| number of Alaska |                      |                           |
| Native teachers  |                      |                           |
| and              |                      |                           |
| administrators   |                      |                           |
| in Alaska        |                      |                           |
| Schools by       |                      |                           |
| increasing the   |                      |                           |
| participation of |                      |                           |
| Alaska Native    |                      |                           |
| students in      |                      |                           |
| teacher          |                      |                           |
| education        |                      |                           |
| programs at the  |                      |                           |
| University of    |                      |                           |
| Alaska Southeast |                      |                           |
| by 100%. The     |                      |                           |
| program offers   |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   A high       |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     component    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   A summer     |                      |                           |
|     institute    |                      |                           |
|     prior to     |                      |                           |
|     coming to    |                      |                           |
|     campus       |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   A            |                      |                           |
|     scholarship  |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   Mentors      |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   Cultural     |                      |                           |
|     infusion     |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   A year-long  |                      |                           |
|     foundations  |                      |                           |
|     course to    |                      |                           |
|     build        |                      |                           |
|     leadership   |                      |                           |
|     skills and   |                      |                           |
|     Native       |                      |                           |
|     identity.    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| Indian Education |                      |                           |
| Professional     |                      |                           |
| Development      |                      |                           |
| Grants: Project  |                      |                           |
| ENHANCE          |                      |                           |
| (Increasing \#   |                      |                           |
| of certified     |                      |                           |
| Alaska Native or |                      |                           |
| American Indian  |                      |                           |
| teachers --rural |                      |                           |
| and urban        |                      |                           |
| Interior         |                      |                           |
| AK\[2005\]       |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| UAF SOE\--Train  |                      |                           |
| teacher aides as |                      |                           |
| elementary       |                      |                           |
| teachers (17     |                      |                           |
| students more    |                      |                           |
| than half done   |                      |                           |
| with teacher     |                      |                           |
| prep); establish |                      |                           |
| partnership with |                      |                           |
| WGU for          |                      |                           |
| secondary math,  |                      |                           |
| science, social  |                      |                           |
| science (3       |                      |                           |
| students)        |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| Established by   |                      |                           |
| the Alaska       |                      |                           |
| Legislature, the |                      |                           |
| Teacher          |                      |                           |
| Education Loan   |                      |                           |
| (TEL) encourages |                      |                           |
| Alaska high      |                      |                           |
| school graduates |                      |                           |
| to pursue        |                      |                           |
| teaching careers |                      |                           |
| and to teach in  |                      |                           |
| Alaska rural     |                      |                           |
| elementary and   |                      |                           |
| secondary        |                      |                           |
| schools. Rural   |                      |                           |
| school districts |                      |                           |
| annually         |                      |                           |
| nominate         |                      |                           |
| Alaskans for TEL |                      |                           |
| based on high    |                      |                           |
| school academic  |                      |                           |
| performance and  |                      |                           |
| the students\'   |                      |                           |
| intent to teach  |                      |                           |
| in a rural       |                      |                           |
| Alaska school.   |                      |                           |
| Loans are        |                      |                           |
| forgiven in      |                      |                           |
| whole or part if |                      |                           |
| the graduate     |                      |                           |
| teaches in rural |                      |                           |
| Alaska.          |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| In 2005-2006 351 |                      |                           |
| of Alaska's 500+ |                      |                           |
| schools were     |                      |                           |
| considered as    |                      |                           |
| eligible for     |                      |                           |
| Teacher Loan     |                      |                           |
| Cancellation     |                      |                           |
| under the        |                      |                           |
| Federal Perkins  |                      |                           |
| Loan Teacher     |                      |                           |
| Cancellation.    |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Improve working  |                      |                           |
| conditions to    |                      |                           |
| retain           |                      |                           |
| teachers**       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Sub-strategy:  |                      |                           |
| Improve          |                      |                           |
| administrative   |                      |                           |
| support and      |                      |                           |
| leadership**     |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Begun during the | EED may require all  | Prince, Cynthia D. [The   |
| 2004-2005 school | new principals in    | Challenge of Attracting   |
| year, the        | high needs LEAs to   | Good Teachers and         |
| purpose of The   | participate in the   | Principals to Struggling  |
| Alaska Principal | Principal Coaching   | Schools]{.underline}.     |
| Coaching Project | Project.             | American Association of   |
| is to prepare    |                      | School Administrators,    |
| principals to    | August 2006, EED     | "Issues and Insights."    |
| become effective | introduced an        | (Arlington, VA, January   |
| instructional    | Instructional Audit  | 2002), www.aasa.org       |
| leaders and      | process for school   | National Association of   |
| assist in        | improvement sites    | Secondary School          |
| attracting and   | in. EED will look at | Principals, Priorities    |
| retaining        | utilizing this tool  | and Barriers in High      |
| principals in    | as a way to improve  | School Leadership: A      |
| the education    | administrative       | Survey of Principals      |
| profession       | support and          | (Reston, VA, 2001).       |
|                  | leadership in those  |                           |
| -   During the   | schools.             |                           |
|     2004-2005    |                      |                           |
|     school year, |                      |                           |
|     seven        |                      |                           |
|     principal    |                      |                           |
|     coaches      |                      |                           |
|     working with |                      |                           |
|     45 school    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
|   administrators |                      |                           |
|     in 25 school |                      |                           |
|     districts.   |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   During the   |                      |                           |
|     2005-2006    |                      |                           |
|     school year, |                      |                           |
|     nine         |                      |                           |
|     principal    |                      |                           |
|     coaches      |                      |                           |
|     worked with  |                      |                           |
|     81           |                      |                           |
|     principals   |                      |                           |
|     in 27 school |                      |                           |
|     districts.   |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   During the   |                      |                           |
|     2006-2007    |                      |                           |
|     school year, |                      |                           |
|     it is        |                      |                           |
|     anticipated  |                      |                           |
|     that nine    |                      |                           |
|     coaches will |                      |                           |
|     work with    |                      |                           |
|     100          |                      |                           |
|     principals   |                      |                           |
|     in 30        |                      |                           |
|     districts.   |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Sub-strategy:  |                      |                           |
| Improve physical |                      |                           |
| working          |                      |                           |
| conditions and   |                      |                           |
| resources**      |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| EED has an       | As part of EED       | Ingersoll, R. (2001,      |
| annual process   | technical assistance | January). "Teacher        |
| by which school  | for high need LEAs,  | turnover,                 |
| districts can    | EED staff will work  |                           |
| submit school    | with LEAs on ways to | teacher shortages, and    |
| construction and | improve working      | the organization of       |
| major            | conditions and       | schools." Seattle:        |
| maintenance      | resources for their  | University of Washington, |
| projects to the  | teachers.            | Center for the Study of   |
| department.  The |                      | Teaching and Policy.      |
| department       | -   Adjust planning  |                           |
| reviews and      |     time so that     | http://depts.wa           |
| prioritizes all  |     teachers of the  | shington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs |
| projects and     |     same content or  | /Turnover-Ing-01-2001.pdf |
| submits them to  |     grade level have |                           |
| the governor and |     the same         |                           |
| the legislature  |     planning time    |                           |
| for funding      |                      |                           |
| consideration.   | -   Adjust the start |                           |
|                  |     times or ending  |                           |
|                  |     times of school  |                           |
|                  |     to allow partial |                           |
|                  |     days during the  |                           |
|                  |     month for        |                           |
|                  |     collaborative    |                           |
|                  |     planning among   |                           |
|                  |     teachers         |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Sub-strategy:  |                      |                           |
| Improve school   |                      |                           |
| safety and       |                      |                           |
| discipline**     |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Alaska has the   | Alaska is in the     | Ingersoll, R. (2001,      |
| following in     | planning phase to    | January). "Teacher        |
| place to support | meet with district   | turnover,                 |
| safe and         | representatives      |                           |
| disciplined      | during the 2006-2007 | teacher shortages, and    |
| schools:         | school year to       | the organization of       |
|                  | review local and     | schools." Seattle:        |
| -   State staff  | state data around    | University of Washington, |
|     review       | safety issues and    | Center for the Study of   |
|     requests for | identify additional  | Teaching and Policy.      |
|     Title IVA    | supportive           |                           |
|     funding and  | programming and      | http://depts.wa           |
|     approve      | trainings.           | shington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs |
|     expenditures |                      | /Turnover-Ing-01-2001.pdf |
|     that are     |                      |                           |
|     supported by |                      |                           |
|     data so      |                      |                           |
|     funding is   |                      |                           |
|     directed to  |                      |                           |
|     highest      |                      |                           |
|     areas of     |                      |                           |
|     need for     |                      |                           |
|     safety.      |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State        |                      |                           |
|     Statute AS   |                      |                           |
|     14.03.160    |                      |                           |
|     Suspension   |                      |                           |
|     or expulsion |                      |                           |
|     of students  |                      |                           |
|     for          |                      |                           |
|     possessing   |                      |                           |
|     weapons --   |                      |                           |
|     provides for |                      |                           |
|     the          |                      |                           |
|     exclusion of |                      |                           |
|     students who |                      |                           |
|     bring        |                      |                           |
|     weapons to   |                      |                           |
|     schools.     |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State        |                      |                           |
|     Statute AS   |                      |                           |
|     14.30.045    |                      |                           |
|     Grounds for  |                      |                           |
|     suspension   |                      |                           |
|     or denial of |                      |                           |
|     admission -- |                      |                           |
|     provides for |                      |                           |
|     the          |                      |                           |
|     exclusion of |                      |                           |
|     students who |                      |                           |
|     pose a risk  |                      |                           |
|     to safety.   |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State        |                      |                           |
|     Statute AS   |                      |                           |
|     14.          |                      |                           |
| 33.010-14.33.150 |                      |                           |
|     School       |                      |                           |
|     Safety and   |                      |                           |
|     Discipline   |                      |                           |
|     -- provides  |                      |                           |
|     for safe and |                      |                           |
|     disciplined  |                      |                           |
|     schools      |                      |                           |
|     through      |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     safety       |                      |                           |
|     patrols.     |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State        |                      |                           |
|     Statute AS   |                      |                           |
|     14.33.100    |                      |                           |
|     Required     |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     crisis       |                      |                           |
|     response     |                      |                           |
|     planning --  |                      |                           |
|     provides for |                      |                           |
|     school       |                      |                           |
|     safety       |                      |                           |
|     through      |                      |                           |
|     planning and |                      |                           |
|     training at  |                      |                           |
|     the school   |                      |                           |
|     level.       |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State        |                      |                           |
|     Statute AS   |                      |                           |
|     14.          |                      |                           |
| 33-110-14.33.140 |                      |                           |
|     School       |                      |                           |
|     Disciplinary |                      |                           |
|     and safety   |                      |                           |
|     program --   |                      |                           |
|     provides for |                      |                           |
|     safe and     |                      |                           |
|     disciplined  |                      |                           |
|     schools      |                      |                           |
|     through      |                      |                           |
|     standards of |                      |                           |
|     behavior and |                      |                           |
|     classroom    |                      |                           |
|     safety       |                      |                           |
|     measures.    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State staff  |                      |                           |
|     collect      |                      |                           |
|     suspension   |                      |                           |
|     and          |                      |                           |
|     expulsion    |                      |                           |
|     data from    |                      |                           |
|     all schools  |                      |                           |
|     in the state |                      |                           |
|     to analyze   |                      |                           |
|     and report   |                      |                           |
|     for          |                      |                           |
|     Persistently |                      |                           |
|     Dangerous    |                      |                           |
|     Schools      |                      |                           |
|     reporting,   |                      |                           |
|     and Federal  |                      |                           |
|     and State    |                      |                           |
|     Reporting    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
|   requirements.  |                      |                           |
|     Data is      |                      |                           |
|     utilized to  |                      |                           |
|     inform       |                      |                           |
|     decisions on |                      |                           |
|     funding and  |                      |                           |
|     staff        |                      |                           |
|     training.    |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   State teams  |                      |                           |
|     are formed   |                      |                           |
|     to help      |                      |                           |
|     respond to   |                      |                           |
|     major school |                      |                           |
|     safety       |                      |                           |
|     events, such |                      |                           |
|     as a school  |                      |                           |
|     shooting or  |                      |                           |
|     major school |                      |                           |
|     safety.      |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   The          |                      |                           |
|     Anchorage    |                      |                           |
|     Safe and     |                      |                           |
|     Drug-Free    |                      |                           |
|     Schools      |                      |                           |
|     Program      |                      |                           |
|     supports a   |                      |                           |
|     major effort |                      |                           |
|     to keep      |                      |                           |
|     their        |                      |                           |
|     schools safe |                      |                           |
|     and          |                      |                           |
|     disciplined  |                      |                           |
|     with their   |                      |                           |
|     successful   |                      |                           |
|     Resolving    |                      |                           |
|     Conflict     |                      |                           |
|     Creatively   |                      |                           |
|     Program, a   |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| researched-based |                      |                           |
|     program.     |                      |                           |
|     Anchorage    |                      |                           |
|     also has     |                      |                           |
|     developed    |                      |                           |
|     Social       |                      |                           |
|     Emotional    |                      |                           |
|     Learning     |                      |                           |
|     Standards    |                      |                           |
|     for all      |                      |                           |
|     their        |                      |                           |
|     students to  |                      |                           |
|     keep schools |                      |                           |
|     and students |                      |                           |
|     safe and     |                      |                           |
|     healthy.     |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
| -   The Juneau   |                      |                           |
|     Effective    |                      |                           |
|     Prevention   |                      |                           |
|     Program      |                      |                           |
|     (JEPP)       |                      |                           |
|     utilizes     |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
|   research-based |                      |                           |
|     strategies   |                      |                           |
|     under their  |                      |                           |
|     Safe         |                      |                           |
|                  |                      |                           |
|  Schools/Healthy |                      |                           |
|     Students     |                      |                           |
|     funding to   |                      |                           |
|     combine      |                      |                           |
|     school and   |                      |                           |
|     community    |                      |                           |
|     prevention   |                      |                           |
|     efforts to   |                      |                           |
|     best meet    |                      |                           |
|     the needs of |                      |                           |
|     their        |                      |                           |
|     student      |                      |                           |
|     population   |                      |                           |
|     in keeping   |                      |                           |
|     schools      |                      |                           |
|     healthy      |                      |                           |
|     places to    |                      |                           |
|     learn.       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Adopt policies   |                      |                           |
| to increase the  |                      |                           |
| number of NBCT's |                      |                           |
| in high-needs    |                      |                           |
| schools**        |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| During the       |                      | **December 2004:** [Ninth |
| 2006-2007        |                      | and 10th graders in the   |
| funding cycle    |                      | Miami-Dade County school  |
| for stipends for |                      | district](http://www.e    |
| teachers         |                      | dweek.org/ew/articles/200 |
| attempting       |                      | 4/12/01/14nbpts.h24.html) |
| National Board   |                      | whose mathematics         |
| Certification,   |                      | teachers were certified   |
| Alaska will      |                      | by the national board     |
| grant stipends   |                      | scored slightly higher    |
| only to teachers |                      | than other students on a  |
| who are working  |                      | Florida math exam.        |
| in high needs    |                      | **(100,000 student        |
| schools.         |                      | records)"\                |
|                  |                      | **Keller, B. "Study for   |
|                  |                      | NBPTS raises questions    |
|                  |                      | about credential,"        |
|                  |                      | *Education Week*, May 17, |
|                  |                      | 2006.                     |
|                  |                      | http://www.               |
|                  |                      | edweek.org/ew/articles/20 |
|                  |                      | 06/05/17/37nbpts.h25.html |
|                  |                      |                           |
|                  |                      | Vandevoort, L.,           |
|                  |                      | Amrein-Beardsley, A., &   |
|                  |                      | Berliner, D. (2004,       |
|                  |                      | September 8).\            |
|                  |                      | National Board Certified  |
|                  |                      | Teachers and their        |
|                  |                      | students' achievement.    |
|                  |                      | *Education Policy         |
|                  |                      | Analysis Archives,        |
|                  |                      | 12*(46).                  |
|                  |                      |                           |
|                  |                      | > http://                 |
|                  |                      | epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v12n46/ |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Provide          |                      |                           |
| intensive        |                      |                           |
| professional     |                      |                           |
| development in   |                      |                           |
| core academic    |                      |                           |
| content to       |                      |                           |
| teachers         |                      |                           |
| currently        |                      |                           |
| working in       |                      |                           |
| high-need        |                      |                           |
| schools.**       |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| EED helps        | Expand this type of  | The National Council of   |
| provide funding  | program into other   | Staff Development         |
| for a            | high need content    | resources available that  |
| partnership of   | areas through a      | validate the NSDC         |
| the University   | variety of           | Standards for             |
| of Alaska        | partnerships to      | Professional              |
| Anchorage        | provide the content  | Development.:             |
| College of Arts  | area instruction.    |                           |
| and Sciences ,   |                      | > http://www.nsdc.org     |
| the Alaska       | Several high need    | /standards/leadership.cfm |
| Native Science   | LEAs currently       |                           |
| and Engineering  | utilize              | National Staff            |
| Program and the  | videoconferencing    | Development Council:      |
| College of       | technology to        | Moving NSDC's Staff       |
| Education to     | deliver core         | Development Standards     |
| offer summer     | academic instruction | into Practice: Innovation |
| intensives for   | by a highly          | Configurations Volume I,  |
| Physics,         | qualified teacher to | 2003.                     |
| Chemistry and    | smaller schools      |                           |
| Trigonometry for | within their         |                           |
| teachers to      | districts. EED       |                           |
| develop their    | believes this        |                           |
| content          | delivery method      |                           |
| knowledge in     | provides a means to  |                           |
| those areas      | strengthen the       |                           |
|                  | content knowledge of |                           |
| Alaska           | teachers in small    |                           |
| participates in  | rural schools as     |                           |
| the following    | they work with the   |                           |
| federally-funded | students who receive |                           |
| grant programs   | this instruction.    |                           |
| under Title II   |                      |                           |
| A: Improving     | In August 2006, EED  |                           |
| Teacher Quality  | became a partner     |                           |
| State Grants-    | with the Alaska      |                           |
| Agencies for     | Education            |                           |
| Higher Ed (SAHE) | Innovations Network  |                           |
| in the Request   | (AEIN) and work the  |                           |
| for Proposal     | partners are doing   |                           |
| phase; and the   | that will result in  |                           |
| Math Science     | a definition of high |                           |
| Partnership      | quality professional |                           |
| Grant (MSP)      | development in       |                           |
| \[2006\] awarded | Alaska. Using NSDC's |                           |
| to the           | previous work on     |                           |
| University of    | staff development,   |                           |
| Alaska Fairbanks | AEIN is sponsoring a |                           |
| Geophysical      | Professional         |                           |
| Institute in     | Development forum in |                           |
| partnership with | September 2006, to   |                           |
| the Alaska       | bring together       |                           |
| Science          | stakeholders in      |                           |
| Consortium for   | professional         |                           |
| the Science      | development to move  |                           |
| Teacher          | the work forward.    |                           |
| Education        |                      |                           |
| Program (STEP).  |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Strategy:      |                      |                           |
| Ensure that      |                      |                           |
| teachers have    |                      |                           |
| the preparation  |                      |                           |
| and training     |                      |                           |
| that they need   |                      |                           |
| to work with     |                      |                           |
| diverse learners |                      |                           |
| and their        |                      |                           |
| families.**      |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| **Current Alaska | **Planned Alaska     | **Evidence for Probable   |
| Activities**     | Initiatives 2006 and | Success of Strategies**   |
|                  | Beyond**             |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+
| Alaska law AS    |                      | Darling-Hammond, L.       |
| 14.20.020        |                      | (1997). [Doing What       |
| requires all     |                      | Matters]{.underline}      |
| teachers         |                      |                           |
| complete three   |                      | [Most: Investing in       |
| semester hours   |                      | Quality                   |
| of Alaska        |                      | Teaching]{.underline}.    |
| studies          |                      | Kutztown, PA:             |
| coursework and   |                      |                           |
| three semester   |                      | National Commission on    |
| hours of         |                      | Teaching and America's    |
| multicultural    |                      |                           |
| coursework       |                      | Future.                   |
| within two years |                      |                           |
| of their initial |                      | Fullan, M. G. (1995).     |
| certification.   |                      | "The Limits and the       |
| These courses    |                      | Potential of              |
| are available    |                      |                           |
| through a        |                      | Staff Development." In T. |
| variety of       |                      | R. Guskey and M.          |
| delivery methods |                      |                           |
| including online |                      | Huberman (Eds.),          |
| from Alaska's    |                      | Professional Development  |
| universities and |                      | in                        |
| colleges.        |                      |                           |
|                  |                      | Education (pp. 253-268).  |
| The Alaska Rural |                      | New York: Teachers        |
| Systemic         |                      |                           |
| Initiative and   |                      | College Press.            |
| Native villages  |                      |                           |
| in the five      |                      | Haycock, Kati. personal   |
| regions of the   |                      | communication (July 18,   |
| state have       |                      |                           |
| collaborated on  |                      | 2002); See also: "Good    |
| culture camps    |                      | Teaching Matters. . .A    |
| that help        |                      | Lot," in                  |
| non-native       |                      |                           |
| teachers         |                      | Thinking K-16, (Summer    |
| incorporate      |                      | 1998).                    |
| Native ways of   |                      |                           |
| knowing into the |                      | www.edtrust.org/main/d    |
| curriculum.      |                      | ocuments/k16-summer98.pdf |
| Initially funded |                      |                           |
| through the      |                      | Hirsch, Eric, et al.      |
| Alaska Rural     |                      | "Revisiting What States   |
| Systemic         |                      | Are Doing                 |
| Initiative,      |                      |                           |
| districts some   |                      | To Improve the Quality of |
| districts have   |                      | Teaching: An Update on    |
| opted to         |                      | Patterns and Trends."     |
| continue them.   |                      | (University of            |
| The camps are    |                      | Washington: Center for    |
| held in the      |                      | the Study of Teaching and |
| summer and       |                      | Policy, National          |
| teachers, Native |                      | Conference of State       |
| elders and       |                      | Legislatures, July 2001), |
| students attend. |                      |                           |
|                  |                      | http://depts.             |
| The Alaska State |                      | washington.edu/ctpmail/PD |
| Board of         |                      | Fs/States-HKK-02-2001.pdf |
| Education &      |                      |                           |
| Early            |                      |                           |
| Development      |                      |                           |
| endorsed the     |                      |                           |
| Alaska Standards |                      |                           |
| for Culturally   |                      |                           |
| Responsive       |                      |                           |
| Schools as a way |                      |                           |
| to further the   |                      |                           |
| recognition of   |                      |                           |
| the diversity    |                      |                           |
| within Alaska    |                      |                           |
| and address the  |                      |                           |
| needs of         |                      |                           |
| students from    |                      |                           |
| diverse          |                      |                           |
| backgrounds.     |                      |                           |
+------------------+----------------------+---------------------------+

\* Alaska thanks CCSSO for information used to complete the equity plan.

**Appendix A**

**Guidance for Local Education Agency (LEA)**

**HQT Plan**

**(Meeting and Maintaining the 100 Percent Goal)**

**Guidance for Local Education Agency (LEA) Plans for**

**Highly Qualified Teachers**

**(Meeting and Maintaining the 100 Percent Goal)**

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Local Education Agencies are
required to submit an updated Highly Qualified Teachers Plan to the
Department of Education & Early Development that includes:

1\. Specific actions that will be taken and uses of federal funds to
assist teachers in meeting the "highly qualified teacher" requirement.

2\. Develop an individual plan for each core academic subject teacher
who is not highly qualified.

LEA plans must be approved locally, through whatever mechanism is
required by the LEA, and submitted to EED no later than January 31,
2007. Submit plans by regular mail, express mail, or hand delivery to:

Department of Education & Early Development

ATTN HQT PLAN ADMINISTRATOR

801 W. 10th Street, Suite 200

P.O. Box 110500

Juneau, AK 99811-0500

**LEA Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers**

**I. Needs Assessment**: The LEA Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers must
be based on an assessment of local needs. At a minimum, data for the
following elements must be used as a basis for the plan:

> a\. The number and percentage of core academic subject classes taught
> by teachers who are **not** highly qualified.
>
> b\. The core academic subjects and grades for which the LEA has
> teaching vacancies that it cannot fill with highly qualified teachers.
>
> Data element *a* will be provided to the district in a report
> generated by EED using information --as of May 15, 2006. Element *b*
> should be available from the LEA personnel or human resources office.
>
> The Needs Assessment is addressed in Section I of the HQT Plan
> Template found on page 1.

**II. Target Audience**: This component allows the LEA to analyze data
by school. For each school in the LEA that has not met the 100 percent
goal, list teaching assignments (for which the currently assigned
teacher is not yet highly qualified) by subject, grade, and classes
taught. The purpose of this chart is to identify--at a glance--the
schools, grades, subjects, and classes where teachers who have not yet
met the highly qualified requirement are assigned.

> To provide a clear understanding of equitable distribution of
> teachers, information about the school's academic accountability
> status and poverty should be included. See the "Example of Highly
> Qualified Teacher Needs" on the following page of the Guidance.
>
> **Example of Highly Qualified Teacher Needs**

**LEA Chart of Teachers Not Highly Qualified (End of 2005-2006 School
Year)**

+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
| **School Name     | **G | **S      | **No.   | **Notes/Comments**  |
| (and**            | rad | ubject** | of      |                     |
|                   | e** |          | Classes |                     |
| **Descriptive**   |     |          | T       |                     |
|                   |     |          | aught** |                     |
| **Information)**  |     |          |         |                     |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
| XYZ High School   | 10  | Biology  | 5       | Tenured-says he     |
| -- 78% poverty;   |     |          |         | will retire in 3    |
| did not make AYP  |     |          |         | years               |
| in Mathematics    |     |          |         |                     |
| (all students)    |     |          |         | *(Even though this  |
| and Graduation    |     |          |         | teacher intends to  |
| Rate              |     |          |         | retire, he must     |
|                   |     |          |         | agree to and        |
|                   |     |          |         | complete an         |
|                   |     |          |         | individual teacher  |
|                   |     |          |         | plan.)*             |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
|                   | 9   | Algebra  | 5       | Working on academic |
|                   | -10 | I        |         | degree in           |
|                   |     |          |         | mathematics         |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
|                   | 12  | E        | 4       | Certified in        |
|                   |     | conomics |         | History; did not    |
|                   |     |          |         |                     |
|                   |     |          |         | pass Praxis II;     |
|                   |     |          |         | will re-take test   |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
| MNO High School   | 9   | Algebra  | 3       | Not eligible for    |
| --49% poverty;    |     | I        |         | HOUSSE or other     |
| did not make AYP  |     |          |         | non-test options;   |
| in Participation  |     |          |         | refused to take     |
| (all students)    |     |          |         | test                |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
|                   | 12  | English  | 5       | New hire;           |
|                   |     |          |         | certified, but no   |
|                   |     |          |         | highly qualified    |
|                   |     |          |         | applicants          |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
| ABC Middle School | 8   | Algebra  | 5       | Needs more points   |
| -- 85% poverty;   |     | I        |         | on HOUSSE           |
| did not make AYP  |     |          |         |                     |
| in Mathematics    |     |          |         |                     |
| (all students and |     |          |         |                     |
| high poverty      |     |          |         |                     |
| students) and     |     |          |         |                     |
| Reading (students |     |          |         |                     |
| with              |     |          |         |                     |
| disabilities)     |     |          |         |                     |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
|                   | 7   | Social   | 5       | Not eligible for    |
|                   |     | Studies  |         | HOUSSE or other     |
|                   |     |          |         | non-test options;   |
|                   |     |          |         | took, but did not   |
|                   |     |          |         | pass Praxis II      |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+
|                   | 5-8 | Special  | 5       | Already highly      |
|                   |     | Ed       |         | qualified in        |
|                   |     | ucation: |         | English Language    |
|                   |     | Mat      |         | Arts; not eligible  |
|                   |     | hematics |         | for HOUSSE          |
|                   |     |          |         | portfolio or other  |
|                   |     |          |         | non-test options in |
|                   |     |          |         | Mathematics         |
+-------------------+-----+----------+---------+---------------------+

> After analyzing the chart, write a brief summary to describe highly
> qualified teacher needs in the LEA. For example, findings from the
> example may be summarized as follows:
>
> *Ten (10) core academic subject teachers, representing 46 classes in 4
> schools, are not highly qualified. Six (6) teachers and 24 classes are
> in the area of Mathematics. Three (3) of the four schools are
> high-poverty and two of the high-poverty schools did not make AYP in
> academic areas based on the previous year's accountability results. Of
> the total classes, 42 are in middle/secondary grades.*
>
> This analysis will determine the intensity of resources needed to get
> all teachers highly qualified and will guide development of strategies
> and actions.
>
> The Target Audience is addressed in Section II of the HQT Plan
> Template on page 2.
>
> **NOTE: All remaining components of the LEA Plan must relate to the
> Needs Assessment and Target Audience.**

**III. Planning Collaboration**: Name the individuals who will
collaborate to develop the plan. These individuals should include: the
LEA superintendent or LEA contact person for highly qualified teacher
issues, school administrators and teachers. Each core academic subject
identified in the Needs Assessment should be represented on the planning
team; other individuals, e.g., other LEA staff, may be included in
planning.

Planning Collaboration is addressed in Section III of the HQT Plan
Template found on page 3.

**IV. LEA Actions to Get All Teachers Highly Qualified**: List and
describe actions by the LEA to ensure that remaining teachers become
highly qualified by the end of the 2006-2007 school year. Refer to the
Needs Assessment and Target Audience analysis to keep local needs in
mind. (This component is addressed in Section IV page 3, of the HQT Plan
Template.) For each action, name the person who is responsible for
implementing the action, list amounts and sources of funds and other
resources that will be used to implement actions, and set a completion
date.

> The following actions are required in each LEA plan:

a.  **Develop an individual action plan with each teacher who is not yet
    highly qualified to become highly qualified as quickly as possible
    but not later than the end of the 2006-2007 school year**. A sample
    [Individual Teacher Plan for Achieving Highly Qualified
    Status]{.underline} form is included on page 5 of the HQT Plan
    Template.

b.  **Conduct periodic checks for completion of agreed upon actions**:

**V.** **LEA Assurances Related to Highly Qualified Teachers**: Each LEA
superintendent must provide, as a component of the LEA Plan, written
certification of compliance with a set of assurances related to
achieving and maintaining the goal of having all core academic subject
teachers highly qualified. (Section V page 4, of the HQT Plan Template.)
The following assurances must be addressed in the LEA Plan:

-   Attempts will be made to assign teachers to teach a grade level(s)
    and subject(s) for which the teachers hold Alaska certification and
    for which the teachers have been deemed highly qualified.

-   Establish procedures for developing individual teacher plans that
    provide for clear and direct communication between the LEA and the
    teachers.

-   Notify, annually at the beginning of the school year, parents of
    each student attending each school that receives Title I, Part A
    funds that the parents may request and the LEA will provide, in a
    timely manner, information regarding the professional qualifications
    of the student's teachers.

-   Ensure that each school that receives Title I, Part A funds provides
    to each parent timely notice that the parent's child has been
    assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by,
    a teacher who is not highly qualified. (NOTE: Letters must be sent
    when the student is assigned to a non-highly qualified teacher. If a
    teacher change during the school year results in a student's class
    being taught by a non-highly qualified teacher, parents of each
    student in the class must be notified not later than the date by
    which students have been taught for four consecutive weeks.)

**[Individual Teacher Plan for Achieving Highly Qualified
Status]{.underline}**

The LEA must develop an individual plan for each core academic subject
teacher who was not been deemed highly qualified by the end of the
2005-2006 school year. This plan must be jointly developed, as a written
agreement between the LEA and the teacher, to describe specific actions
that will be taken to get the teacher highly qualified as soon as
possible, but not later than the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

Each LEA will establish its own administrative procedures for: (1)
scheduling meetings with teachers, (2) developing and securing
commitments and signatures for teacher plans, and (3) periodically
monitoring implementation progress. It is required, however, that those
procedures provide for clear and direct communication between the LEA
administrative office and each teacher for whom a plan will be
developed. EED staff may discuss options for meeting the requirement and
supporting strategies with the superintendent or the designated single
point-of-contact only. LEA designated staff must retain responsibility
and accountability for teacher plans in order to demonstrate a "good
faith effort" in implementing the federal and state requirements related
to "highly qualified" teachers.

**A sample format for individual teacher plans is included on page 5 of
the HQT Plan Template.**

Otherwise, the teacher plan should include the following:

1\. A statement indicating the teacher is certified.

2\. A statement indicating the core academic assignments for which the
teacher is not yet highly qualified.

3\. A statement to identify the option the teacher will use to achieve
highly qualified teacher status. The option must be selected from the
options available in 4 AAC 04.200.

4\. A description and timeline of teacher actions to accomplish the
option identified.

5\. A description, and timeline of LEA actions to facilitate
accomplishment of the option identified. This element must name the
administrator responsible for working with the teacher and, if
applicable, the source(s) and amount(s) of fiscal support that will be
used for this purpose.

6\. A statement indicating the LEA's understanding that EED will provide
oversight for LEA actions.

7\. The date of the agreement and signatures of the employing local
superintendent or his/her authorized designee and the teacher.

**Local Education Agency (LEA) Plan for Highly Qualified Teachers**

**2006-2007 School Year**

[/]{.underline}

[LEA Name Superintendent Name (Print or Type) Superintendent Signature /
Date]{.smallcaps}

[[/]{.underline} [/ ]{.underline}]{.smallcaps}

[Plan approved by (Person or Entity) /Date of Approval Plan approved by
(EED Staff) /Date of Approval]{.smallcaps}

I.  **NEEDS ASSESSMENT**: Enter LEA-level **data from the 2005-2006
    school year** for the following elements. (See instructions
    regarding data sources on Page 1 of Guidance.

  ------------------------------- -------- ------------ --------------------------
  **a)** Number and Percentage of Number   Percentage   Comments
  Core Academic Subject Classes                         
  Taught By Teachers Who Are                            
  **NOT** Highly Qualified                              

                                                        

  **b)** Core Academic Subjects                         
  and Grades That Have Teaching                         
  Vacancies That the LEA                                
  **CANNOT** Fill with HQ                               
  Teachers                                              
  ------------------------------- -------- ------------ --------------------------

**A. CURRENT PRACTICE AS IDENTIFIED BY DISTRICT NEEDS ASSESSMENT**

1\. Describe how teachers are presently being supported by the district
in meeting the No Child Left Behind highly qualified teacher (HQT)
requirements.

2\. What issues or conditions are preventing the district from having
100% of its core academic classes taught by a highly qualified teacher?

II. **TARGET AUDIENCE**: **Identify** **the target audience -- [core
    academic subject teachers that are NOT highly qualified]{.underline}
    and [core academic subject classes taught by teachers that are NOT
    highly qualified]{.underline}**. Below the table, write a brief
    summary to describe highly qualified teacher needs in the LEA. (See
    instructions and an example on Pages 1-2 in Guidance. Expand the
    chart, as needed.)

+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
| **School Name**  | **G | **Subject**     | **No. | **N             |
|                  | rad |                 | of    | otes/Comments** |
| **and            | e(s |                 | Cl    |                 |
| Descriptive      | )** |                 | asses |                 |
| Information**    |     |                 | Tau   |                 |
|                  |     |                 | ght** |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+
|                  |     |                 |       |                 |
+------------------+-----+-----------------+-------+-----------------+

**SUMMARY:**

III. **PLANNING COLLABORATION**: Create a **list of individuals that
     collaborated to develop the LEA plan**. (See instructions on Page 2
     of Guidance. Insert lines in the table, as needed.)

  ------------------- ------------------ --------------------------------
  **Name of           **Position or      **Notes**
  Individual**        Relationship to    
                      LEA**              

                      LEA designated     
                      contact for        
                      "highly qualified" 
                      teacher issues     

                                         

                                         

                                         
  ------------------- ------------------ --------------------------------

IV. **LEA ACTIONS TO GET ALL TEACHERS HIGHLY QUALIFIED**: List and
    describe **actions to get all teachers highly qualified and to
    ensure that poor and minority students and those in schools
    identified for improvement are not taught by inexperienced,
    unqualified, or out-of-field teachers at higher rates than other
    students**. Insert lines in the chart, as needed.

  ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ----------------
  **LEA Action**               **Person                        **Completion**
                               Responsible/Resources/(Fund     
                               Source/ \$\$)**                 

  \*Conduct a meeting with                                     **\*December 15,
  each teacher who is not yet                                  2006**
  highly qualified in any core                                 
  academic subject to which                                    
  s/he is assigned. Develop an                                 
  individual action plan for                                   
  achieving HQT status with                                    
  each teacher.                                                

  \*Conduct periodic checks                                    
  for completion of                                            
  agreed-upon actions.                                         

  *(Add other actions, as                                      
  needed.)*                                                    
  ---------------------------- ------------------------------- ----------------

**\*These actions are required in each LEA's plan.**

V. **LEA ASSURANCES RELATED TO HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS:** Place a
check in front of each assurance to indicate that LEA administrators are
aware of the compliance issue and that the LEA is in full compliance.
**[Please note that the LEA superintendent's signature is required at
the bottom of this page.]{.mark}** (See instructions on Page 2 of
Guidance.)

❏ Attempts will be made to assign teachers to teach a grade level(s) and
subject(s) for which the teachers hold Alaska certification and for
which the teachers have been deemed highly qualified.

❏ The LEA has established procedures for developing individual teacher
plans that provide for clear and direct communication between the LEA
and individual teachers.

❏ The LEA will notify, annually at the beginning of the school year,
parents of each student attending each school that receives Title I,
Part A funds that the parents may request and the LEA will provide, in a
timely manner, information regarding the professional qualifications of
the student's teachers.

❏ The LEA will ensure that each school that receives Title I, Part A
funds provides to each parent timely notice that the parent's child has
been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by,
a teacher who is not highly qualified. (NOTE: Letters must be sent when
**the student is assigned** to a non-highly qualified teacher. If a
teacher change during the school year results in a student's class being
taught by a non-highly qualified teacher, parents of each student in the
class must be notified not later than the date by which students have
been taught for four consecutive weeks.)

LEA Superintendent Name LEA Superintendent Signature Date

VIII\. **SAMPLE INDIVIDUAL TEACHER PLAN FOR ACHIEVING HIGHLY QUALFIED
STATUS**

  ----------------- ------------------------- ------------------ ------------ ---------
  Teacher Name:                               Holds a current AK Yes          No
                                              certificate?                    

  Teacher's                                                      Highly       
  Assignment(s):\                                                Qualified?   
  *Subject(s) and                                                             
  grade(s)*                                                                   

                                                                 Yes          No

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              

                                                                              
  ----------------- ------------------------- ------------------ ------------ ---------

*[(Teacher Name)]{.underline}* is certified but not highly qualified for
the teaching assignment(s) indicated above. As of the date of this
agreement, [*(Teacher Name)*]{.underline} has not demonstrated core
academic subject knowledge and teaching skills through an approved state
option. During the 2006-2007 school year, *[(Teacher Name
)]{.underline}* will use the following option to achieve highly
qualified teacher status: *(Place a check mark in front of the option
that will be implemented.)*

Elementary Praxis II test (code\_\_\_\_\_\_) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_HOUSSE

Middle/secondary checklist:

Undergraduate academic major in the subject taught
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_HOUSSE

Graduate degree in the subject taught \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_National Board
Certification or Advanced Certification

Coursework equivalent to an undergraduate academic major

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_Subject-specific, state-approved Praxis II test for middle
or secondary grades (code )

*[(Teacher Name)]{.underline}* will complete the following actions to
accomplish the option indicated:

-   *(Name and describe action and provide date action will be
    completed.)*

*[(LEA Name)]{.underline}* , through the leadership of [(*Name of LEA
administrator) *]{.underline} will complete the following actions to
facilitate accomplishment of the option indicated:

-   *(Name and describe action, provide fund source(s) and amount(s),
    and provide completion date.)*

*[(LEA Name)]{.underline}* understands that EED will provide oversight
and monitoring for implementation of LEA and teacher plans for ensuring
that all core academic subject teachers are highly qualified.

[/]{.underline} [/]{.underline}

*(LEA Authorized Signature) (Date) (Teacher Signature) (Date*

**Appendix B**

![](media/image1.wmf)

Alaska

Revised State Title II Plan

July 7, 2006

Requirement 1:

a\) Detailed Analysis of the core academic subject classes in the State
that are currently *not* being taught by highly qualified teachers.

Alaska employs 8200 teachers in 54 districts. As reported in the
Consolidated State Performance Report, data for the 2004-2005 school
year shows the total number of core academic classes taught in all the
schools is 21,175, with 7,148 of the core academic classes being taught
in elementary schools and the remaining 14,027 core academic classes
taught in secondary schools**.** Eight of Alaska's districts are
designated as urban districts and employ 75% of the teachers teaching in
Alaska. The remaining 46 districts are designated as rural and are
eligible to participate in the Small Rural Schools Achievement Act.

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development uses a certified
staff accounting process to collect information from districts regarding
their teachers. This information is a snapshot taken on October 1 of
each year and then reported to the Assessment and Accountability
Division of the department. EED uses the data from this process to
complete Part I of the Consolidated State Performance Report which is
due each year to the federal government. The data reported on the
Certified Staff Accounting Report is un-audited survey data reported by
the districts. Along with other information collected from the districts
the report yields the following information about teachers that Alaska
used in preparing the revised state plan:

-   Job description code

-   The full time equivalency (FTE) of the teacher

-   The related NCLB requirements: number of core academic courses
    taught, highly qualified status for each core academic class taught,
    the reason(s) not highly qualified

The statewide percentages for core academic classes taught by highly
qualified and not highly qualified teachers is displayed in Table A.

**Table 1.A** Composite Statewide Data

  ------------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------
  **Core Academic Area**   **Total Number** **Statewide %**  **Statewide
                                                             %**

                           **Core Academic  **Taught by      **Taught by
                           Classes**        Non-HQT**        HQT**

  Math                     3785.25          38.2%            61.8%

  Science                  3122.23          38.0%            62.0%

  Elementary               3253.83          30.1%            69.9%

  English/Language Arts    4435.08          36.5%            63.5%

  The Arts                 1885.2           24.4%            75.6%

  Foreign/World Language   719.25           37.7%            62.3%

  Social Studies\*         2933.54          45.0%            55.0%

  Other\*\*                462              21.0%            79.0%
  ------------------------ ---------------- ---------------- --------------

\* Includes American History, Economics, Geography, History, Political
Science/Civics, Social Studies,

World History

\*\* Includes Kindergarten and Early Childhood Special Education (not
required to be highly qualified

Under NCLB definitions)

Statewide data indicates that Alaska has not yet met the 100% goal of
having all core academic subjects taught by highly qualified teachers.
Data also show that all core areas being taught in the state have more
than 55% of the classes being taught by highly qualified teachers. There
are 46 districts in the state eligible to participate in the Small Rural
Schools Achievement Act. The teachers in these school districts who were
highly qualified in a core academic area were allowed an additional year
to meet the highly qualified designation in all the core academic areas
in which they teach. Additionally, special education teachers teaching
core academic content who were already highly qualified in
English/Language Arts, Math, or Science were also allowed extra time to
meet the highly qualified requirements in all the core academic areas in
which they teach.

As expected, examining classroom level data shows core academic areas
where a student is more likely to be taught by a not highly qualified
teacher. It also shows the differences in core academic content classes
taught by non-highly qualified teachers between rural and urban
districts in Alaska.

The following table contains a breakout of core academic classes within
the major core academic content areas.

**Table 1.B** Core Academic Classes by Content Area

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Core Classes**           **Statewide                           **Urban                               **Rural                   ** **
                             FY06**                                Districts**                           Districts**               
  -------------------------- ------------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ----------- ----------- ------------- ----------- -----------
  **(do not include          **NHQ**       **Total**   **%NHQ**    **NHQ**       **Total**   **%NHQ**    **NHQ**       **Total**   **%NHQ**
  consultative SPED)**                                                                                                             

  Advanced Math other than   19            74.5        25.5%       11            47          23.4%       8             28          29.1%
  those listed                                                                                                                     

  Algebra I                  222.41        736.16      30.2%       105           512         20.5%       117           225         52.3%

  Algebra II                 86            277         31.0%       40            189         21.2%       46            88          52.3%

  Basic Math (Grades 9-12)   283.92        476.42      59.6%       100           212         47.2%       184           264         69.6%

  Calculus                   2.5           25.5        9.8%        1             13          7.7%        2             13          12.0%

  Calculus Advanced          5             34          14.7%       5             34          14.7%                                 
  Placement                                                                                                                        

  General Math (Grades 6-8)  486.08        1184.1      41.1%       252           822         30.7%       234           363         64.6%

  Geometry                   93.75         373.75      25.1%       54            277         19.5%       40            97          41.1%

  Integrated Math            26.34         122.34      21.5%       11            104         10.6%       15            18          83.6%

  Pre-algebra                208.75        412         50.7%       133           272         48.9%       76            140         54.1%

  Pre-calculus               13            69.5        18.7%       7             53          13.2%       6             17          36.4%

  **Math Total**             **1447**      **3785**    **38.2%**   **719**       **2534**    **28.4%**   **728**       **1251**    **58.2%**

                                                                                                                                   

  Advanced Science           5             33.5        14.9%       2             27          7.4%        3             7           46.2%

  Biology                    185.58        591.08      31.4%       131           434         30.2%       54            157         34.6%

  Chemistry                  89            230.17      38.7%       64            193         33.2%       25            37          67.3%

  Earth Science              151.98        270.98      56.1%       83            160         51.8%       69            111         62.2%

  General Science            477.5         1313.5      36.4%       256           972         26.4%       222           342         64.8%

  Geology                    10            22          45.5%       9             19          47.4%       1             3           33.3%

  Life Science               90            192         46.9%       46            111         41.4%       44            81          54.3%

  Physical Science           146           371         39.4%       79            237         33.3%       67            134         50.0%

  Physics                    32            98          32.7%       19            63          30.2%       13            35          37.1%

  **Science Total**          **1187**      **3122**    **38.0%**   **689.1**     **2216**    **31.1%**   **498**       **906.7**   **54.9%**

                                                                                                                                   

  Grade 1                    84            405         20.7%       49            318         15.4%       35            87          40.2%

  Grade 2                    79            352         22.4%       44            276         15.9%       35            76          46.1%

  Grade 3                    69            350         19.7%       35            270         13.0%       34            80          42.5%

  Grade 4                    75            319         23.5%       39            248         15.7%       36            71          50.7%

  Grade 5                    82.33         322.33      25.5%       47            250         18.8%       35            72          48.8%

  Multi-Grade Elementary     325           1011.5      32.1%       113           588         19.2%       212           424         50.1%
  (grades preK-6 only)                                                                                                             

  Grade 6                    94            278         33.8%       47            200         23.5%       47            78          60.3%

  Grade 7                    89            115         77.4%       5             11          45.5%       84            104         80.8%
  (self-contained/teaching                                                                                                         
  all subjects)\*                                                                                                                  

  Grade 8                    81            101         80.2%       4             7           57.1%       77            94          81.9%
  (self-contained/teaching                                                                                                         
  all subjects)\*                                                                                                                  

  **Elementary Total**       **978.3**     **3254**    **30.1%**   **383**       **2168**    **17.7%**   **595.3**     **1086**    **54.8%**

                                                                                                                                   

  English                    391.75        1401.3      28.0%       282           1054        26.8%       110           348         31.6%

  Language Arts              449           1534.2      29.3%       299           1209        24.7%       150           325         46.1%

  Literature                 134.75        361.75      37.2%       61            209         29.2%       74            153         48.3%

  Reading                    430.33        696.68      61.8%       242           422         57.4%       188           274         68.5%

  Speech                     28            48          58.3%       24            40          60.0%       4             8           50.0%

  Writing                    184           393.25      46.8%       55            183         30.1%       129           210         61.4%

  **English/Language Arts    **1618**      **4435**    **36.5%**   **963.3**     **3117**    **30.9%**   **654.5**     **1318**    **49.6%**
  Total**                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                   

  American History           117.25        308.75      38.0%       60            196         30.6%       57            113         50.8%

  Economics                  70            129         54.3%       60            113         53.1%       10            16          62.5%

  Geography                  108.25        166.25      65.1%       40            86          46.5%       68            80          85.0%

  History                    150           492.5       30.5%       112           409         27.4%       38            84          45.2%

  Political Science/Civics   146.59        299.59      48.9%       105           235         44.8%       41            64          64.2%

  Social Studies             601           1255        47.9%       343           878         39.0%       259           377         68.6%

  World History              127.45        282.45      45.1%       82            209         39.3%       45            73          61.8%

  **Social Studies Total**   **1321**      **2934**    **45.0%**   **802**       **2126**    **37.7%**   **518.5**     **807.5**   **64.2%**

                                                                                                                                   

  Chinese                    2             2           100.0%                                            2             2           100.0%

  French                     47            186         25.3%       26            158         16.5%       21            28          75.0%

  German                     33            76          43.4%       23            63          36.5%       10            13          76.9%

  Japanese                   38            66          57.6%       24            46          52.2%       14            20          70.0%

  Latin                      17            30          56.7%       15            28          53.6%       2             2           100.0%

  Other World Language       20            22          90.9%       6             8           75.0%       14            14          100.0%

  Russian                    9             40          22.5%       3             33          9.1%        6             7           85.7%

  Spanish                    176.25        485.25      36.3%       135           401         33.7%       41            84          49.0%

  **Foreign/World Language   **342.3**     **907.3**   **37.7%**   **232**       **737**     **31.5%**   **110.3**     **170.3**   **64.8%**
  Total**                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                   

  Art                        173.7         767.2       22.6%       143           670         21.4%       31            97          31.4%

  Band                       71            368         19.3%       61            323         18.9%       10            45          22.2%

  Music                      147           645         22.8%       111           557         19.9%       36            88          40.9%

  Theater                    69            105         65.7%       61            92          66.3%       8             13          61.5%

  **The Arts Total**         **460.7**     **1885**    **24.4%**   **376.2**     **1642**    **22.9%**   **84.5**      **243**     **34.8%**

                                                                                                                                   

  Early Childhood Special    4             18          22.2%                                             4             18          22.2%
  Education Teacher                                                                                                                

  Kindergarten               93            444         20.9%       50            340         14.7%       43            104         41.3%

  **Other Total**            **97**        **462**     **21.0%**   **50**        **340**     **14.7%**   **47**        **122**     **38.5%**

  **Total**                  **7450**      **20784**   **35.8%**   **4215**      **14880**   **28.3%**   **3236**      **5905**    **54.8%**
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alaska has best met the challenges of the highly qualified provisions in
the elementary grades particularly in the urban areas where less than
24% of classes are taught by not highly qualified teachers. Over half
the teachers in rural elementary classrooms are highly qualified. Middle
school, typically grades 7-8 in urban Alaska and grades 6-8 in rural
Alaska, are a particular area where an emphasis is needed. Overall,
students in Alaska's rural areas are more likely to be taught by a non-
highly qualified teacher than students in the urban areas. This is due
to the fact that in a rural area there are fewer teachers to teach the
core academic courses which are required for graduation. For example, a
highly qualified Biology teacher may have to teach Chemistry and
Physics, areas for which s/he may lack the highly qualified deisgnation.
In examining the data for specific core academic areas the data show the
following:

-   Math:

    -   The smallest percentage of difference in non-highly qualified
        versus highly qualified in Math is in Advanced Math. Rural non
        highly-qualified 29.1% versus 23.4% in urban Alaska.

    -   Overall, students taking a higher level math class such as
        Pre-calculus, Calculus, or other Advanced Math are more likely
        to be taught by a highly qualified teacher than students taking
        General Math in grades 6-8 or Basic Math in grades 9-12.

    -   Urban students taking algebra classes are more likely to be
        taught by a highly qualified teacher than rural students taking
        those courses.

    -   In general, urban students are more likely to be taught by a
        highly qualified math teacher than are rural students.

-   Science:

    -   7.4% of urban students taking Advanced Science are taught by
        non-highly qualified teachers versus 46.2% of rural students.

    -   Rural students are almost twice as likely to be taught Chemistry
        by a non-highly qualified teacher as are urban students.

    -   The smallest percentage of difference between highly qualified
        and non-highly qualified teachers in the sciences is in Physics.
        37.1% of the Physics classes in rural Alaska are taught by
        non-highly qualified teachers while 30.2% of Physics classes in
        urban Alaska are taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

-   Elementary:

    -   In the urban areas there are less than 25% of teachers that are
        not highly qualified for elementary.

    -   In the rural areas nearly 50% of the teachers are highly
        qualified for elementary up to grade 5.

    -   Middle School grades 7-8 appear to be an area where a focus on
        highly qualified needs to be made in both urban and rural
        Alaska.

    -   There is a discrepancy between urban and rural districts at all
        grade levels in elementary with the rural districts having a
        greater percentage of teachers not being highly qualified.

-   English/Language Arts:

    -   Reading and speech are areas of focus needed throughout the
        state.

    -   It is interesting to note the rural areas are doing slightly
        better in having highly qualified teachers in Speech than the
        urban areas.

    -   In English courses there is only a slight difference between the
        rural and urban districts.

```{=html}
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-   Social Studies:

    -   Geography has the highest percentage of non-highly qualified
        teachers throughout the state particularly in the rural areas.

    -   The smallest percentage of difference between rural and urban
        teachers is in the area of Economics, where in urban districts
        the percentage of non-highly qualified teachers is 53.1% versus
        62.5% in the rural areas.

    -   In Social Studies, History is the area in which Alaska has the
        most highly qualified teachers in both urban and rural areas.

```{=html}
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```
-   World Languages

    -   It appears from the data that Russian and French are core
        academic areas where Alaska is doing well particularly in the
        urban districts.

    -   Spanish is an area in rural Alaska with a higher percentage of
        highly qualified teachers than any other language.

    -   Rural students taking World Language courses are more likely to
        be taught by not highly qualified teachers than are urban
        students.

-   Arts:

    -   Band is an area where Alaska is doing well with a nominal
        difference between the rural and urban areas.

    -   Theater is an area of focus for the state with rural areas
        having more highly qualified teachers than urban.

    -   Rural students taking courses in the Arts are more likely to be
        taught by a non-highly qualified teacher than urban students.

b\) Analysis of schools that are not making adequate yearly progress and
whether or not these schools have more acute needs than do other schools
in attracting highly qualified teachers.

Overall, 37% of Alaska's districts had all schools make AYP. These
districts, with the exception of Mt. Edgecumbe, which is located in a
designated urban area, are all located in rural areas of the state. Some
are on the road or ferry system and some are only accessible by air.
Fifteen of these districts are single-site districts where all schools
are located in the same area, or even the same building. The remaining
63% of districts had schools that failed to make AYP. Among these
districts are seven of the districts with an urban designation. When
examining the issue of highly qualified teachers in schools making AYP
versus schools not making AYP, it is difficult to determine whether the
cause of a lack of highly qualified teachers has to do more with
location or the fact that in the smaller rural schools there are very
few teachers to address all core content areas.

The following table shows the breakdown of districts with schools not
making AYP and the highly qualified status of their teachers.

Table 1.C Core Classes in LEAs by Schools' AYP Status

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 22%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
<col style="width: 7%" />
<col style="width: 8%" />
<col style="width: 9%" />
</colgroup>
<thead>
<tr class="header">
<th colspan="10"><strong>Core Classes in LEAs by Schools AYP
status</strong></th>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
<th></th>
</tr>
<tr class="header">
<th><strong>LEAs with</strong></th>
<th colspan="3"><strong>Schools Not Making AYP</strong></th>
<th colspan="3"><p><strong>Schools</strong></p>
<p><strong>Making AYP</strong></p></th>
<th colspan="3"><strong>District-wide</strong></th>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<th><strong>Schools Not Making AYP</strong></th>
<th><strong>NHQ</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total</strong></th>
<th><strong>%NHQ</strong></th>
<th><strong>NHQ</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total</strong></th>
<th><strong>%NHQ</strong></th>
<th><strong>NHQ</strong></th>
<th><strong>Total</strong></th>
<th><strong>%NHQ</strong></th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Alaska Gateway</td>
<td>85</td>
<td>131</td>
<td>64.9%</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>79</td>
<td>27.8%</td>
<td>107</td>
<td>210</td>
<td>51.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Aleutians East</td>
<td>31</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>83.8%</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>53</td>
<td>98.1%</td>
<td>83</td>
<td>90</td>
<td>92.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Anchorage*</td>
<td>1535</td>
<td>4685</td>
<td>32.8%</td>
<td>379</td>
<td>1846</td>
<td>20.5%</td>
<td>1914</td>
<td>6531</td>
<td>29.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Bering Strait</td>
<td>195</td>
<td>290</td>
<td>67.2%</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>169</td>
<td>75.1%</td>
<td>322</td>
<td>459</td>
<td>70.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Chatham</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>24.0%</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>40.7%</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>32.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Copper River</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>39</td>
<td>20.5%</td>
<td>19</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>27.1%</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>109</td>
<td>24.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Craig</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>66.7%</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>41.7%</td>
<td>40</td>
<td>87</td>
<td>46.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Delta/Greely</td>
<td>29</td>
<td>93</td>
<td>31.2%</td>
<td>39</td>
<td>110</td>
<td>35.5%</td>
<td>68</td>
<td>203</td>
<td>33.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Dillingham</td>
<td>58.83</td>
<td>93</td>
<td>63.3%</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>34.8%</td>
<td>66.83</td>
<td>116</td>
<td>57.6%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Fairbanks*</td>
<td>351</td>
<td>850</td>
<td>41.3%</td>
<td>314</td>
<td>945</td>
<td>33.2%</td>
<td>665</td>
<td>1795</td>
<td>37.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Galena</td>
<td>63</td>
<td>111</td>
<td>56.8%</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>35.1%</td>
<td>76</td>
<td>148</td>
<td>51.4%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Iditarod</td>
<td>17</td>
<td>88</td>
<td>19.3%</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>21</td>
<td>28.6%</td>
<td>23</td>
<td>109</td>
<td>21.1%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Juneau*</td>
<td>63.5</td>
<td>532</td>
<td>11.9%</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>233</td>
<td>19.3%</td>
<td>108.5</td>
<td>765</td>
<td>14.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Kashunamiut</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>22.7%</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td></td>
<td>15</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>22.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Kenai Peninsula*</td>
<td>479</td>
<td>909</td>
<td>52.7%</td>
<td>474</td>
<td>1455</td>
<td>32.6%</td>
<td>953</td>
<td>2364</td>
<td>40.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Ketchikan*</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>33</td>
<td>0.0%</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>221</td>
<td>3.2%</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>254</td>
<td>2.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Kodiak Island*</td>
<td>80.13</td>
<td>262.63</td>
<td>30.5%</td>
<td>57</td>
<td>130</td>
<td>43.8%</td>
<td>137.1</td>
<td>392.63</td>
<td>34.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Kuspuk</td>
<td>91.5</td>
<td>116</td>
<td>78.9%</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>11</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>102.5</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>80.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Lake &amp; Peninsula</td>
<td>54</td>
<td>70</td>
<td>77.1%</td>
<td>51</td>
<td>56</td>
<td>91.1%</td>
<td>105</td>
<td>126</td>
<td>83.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Lower Kuskokwim</td>
<td>301</td>
<td>533</td>
<td>56.5%</td>
<td>71</td>
<td>89</td>
<td>79.8%</td>
<td>372</td>
<td>622</td>
<td>59.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Lower Yukon</td>
<td>170</td>
<td>191</td>
<td>89.0%</td>
<td>64</td>
<td>64</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>234</td>
<td>255</td>
<td>91.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Mat-Su*</td>
<td>381</td>
<td>1959</td>
<td>19.4%</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>511</td>
<td>8.8%</td>
<td>426</td>
<td>2470</td>
<td>17.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Nenana</td>
<td>94</td>
<td>94</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>44.4%</td>
<td>114</td>
<td>139</td>
<td>82.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Nome</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>54</td>
<td>29.6%</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>50.0%</td>
<td>25</td>
<td>72</td>
<td>34.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>North Slope</td>
<td>131</td>
<td>371</td>
<td>35.3%</td>
<td>16</td>
<td>35</td>
<td>45.7%</td>
<td>147</td>
<td>406</td>
<td>36.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Northwest Arctic</td>
<td>132</td>
<td>276</td>
<td>47.8%</td>
<td>14</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>46.7%</td>
<td>146</td>
<td>306</td>
<td>47.7%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Saint Mary's</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>11.5%</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td></td>
<td>3</td>
<td>26</td>
<td>11.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Sitka*</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>36</td>
<td>0.0%</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>272</td>
<td>1.5%</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>308</td>
<td>1.3%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Southeast Island</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>32</td>
<td>47</td>
<td>68.1%</td>
<td>37</td>
<td>52</td>
<td>71.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Southwest Region</td>
<td>34</td>
<td>66</td>
<td>51.5%</td>
<td>27</td>
<td>30</td>
<td>90.0%</td>
<td>61</td>
<td>96</td>
<td>63.5%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Tanana</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>20.5</td>
<td>43.9%</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td></td>
<td>9</td>
<td>20.5</td>
<td>43.9%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Yukon Flats</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>75</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>20</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
<td>95</td>
<td>95</td>
<td>100.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td>Yukon/Koyukuk</td>
<td>574</td>
<td>624</td>
<td>92.0%</td>
<td>51</td>
<td>86</td>
<td>59.3%</td>
<td>625</td>
<td>710</td>
<td>88.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td>Yupiit</td>
<td>56</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>44.1%</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td></td>
<td>56</td>
<td>127</td>
<td>44.1%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

\* Designated as an urban district

When looking at the percentages of highly qualified teachers versus
non-highly qualified teachers in schools making AYP in Alaska, the data
show the following:

-   34 of the districts (63%) in Alaska had schools that did not make
    AYP.

-   4 districts had no schools making AYP. The percentage of not highly
    qualified teachers in those districts ranged between 11.5% to 43.9%.

-   Of the remaining districts (30) with schools not making AYP, 40% of
    the districts had a higher percentage of core academic classes
    taught by non-highly qualified teachers than taught by highly
    qualified teachers in their schools making AYP.

-   Of the 30 districts with schools making AYP, 60% of the districts
    with schools making AYP had a higher percentage of core academic
    classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers in the schools
    making AYP than the schools that did not make AYP.

-   50% of the districts with schools making AYP that are designated as
    urban had a higher percentage of core academic classes taught by
    highly qualified teachers in the schools making AYP versus the
    schools that did not make AYP.

-   In comparing the schools not making AYP and those making AYP, more
    than half of the schools making AYP have a higher percentage of
    non-highly qualified teachers.

The following table gives the number of schools not making AYP by
district:

**Table 1.D** Number of Schools not Making AYP by District

  ------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ----------
  **\# of Schools Not                                                
  Meeting AYP by                                                     
  District and % of                                                  
  NHQ**                                                              

  (Sorted by total \#                                                
  of teachers in                                                     
  Schools Not Meeting                                                
  AYP)                                                               

  **LEA**             **Total \#  **Core      **Total     **%NHQ**   **Total \#
                      of Schools  Courses     Core                   of
                      NM AYP**    Taught by   Courses**              Teachers
                                  NHQ**                              in Schools
                                                                     NM AYP**

                                                                     

  Anchorage\*         29          1535        4685        32.80%     1347

  Mat-Su\*            16          381         1959        19.40%     528

  Lower Kuskokwim     21          301         533         56.50%     251

  Fairbanks \*        8           351         850         41.30%     249

  Juneau\*            5           63.5        532         11.90%     191

  North Slope         8           131         371         35.30%     175

  Kenai Peninsula\*   12          479         909         52.70%     153

  Northwest Arctic    10          132         276         47.80%     127

  Lower Yukon         7           170         191         89.00%     105

  Bering Strait       10          195         290         67.20%     103

  Kodiak Island\*     3           80.13       262.63      30.50%     78

  Nome                2           16          54          29.60%     47

  Southwest Region    3           34          66          51.50%     42

  Yukon/Koyukuk       6           574         624         92.00%     42

  Galena              2           63          111         56.80%     41

  Yupiit              3           56          127         44.10%     41

  Kuspuk              8           91.5        116         78.90%     33

  Lake & Peninsula    7           54          70          77.10%     31

  Kashunamiut         1           15          66          22.70%     29

  Yukon Flats         6           75          75          100.00%    24

  Delta/Greely        2           29          93          31.20%     22

  Dillingham          1           58.83       93          63.30%     21

  Ketchikan\*         2           0           33          0.00%      20

  Iditarod            6           17          88          19.30%     19

  Aleutians East      2           31          37          83.80%     16

  Saint Mary\'s       1           3           26          11.50%     13

  Alaska Gateway      4           85          131         64.90%     12

  Tanana              2           9           20.5        43.90%     11

  Chatham             1           6           25          24.00%     9

  Copper River        1           8           39          20.50%     9

  Craig               1           10          15          66.70%     7

  Nenana              1           94          94          100.00%    6

  Sitka\*             1           0           36          0.00%      6

  Southeast Island    1           5           5           100.00%    1
  ------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ----------

\* Designated as an urban district

The data shows the following regarding districts with schools not making
AYP:

-   Six of the eight urban districts have less than 38.5% of their core
    academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

-   Of the 26 rural districts, 7 districts have less than 35.3% of their
    core academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

-   The remaining districts, 21, have anywhere from 38.5% to 100% of
    their core academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

The department plans to focus its technical assistance on the 19
districts in the state that have more than 38.5% of their core academic
classes being taught by non- highly qualified teachers in schools not
making AYP.

In the table below are schools of particular concern due to the fact
they have a high percentage of core academic classes taught by
non-highly qualified teachers and have not made AYP.

**Table 1.E** Schools with a Significant Number of Non-Highly Qualified
Teachers and Not Making AYP

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Alaska                                                                
  Urban Schools                                                           
  Not Meeting                                                             
  AYP with                                                                
  \>38.5%                                                                 
  Teachers                                                                
  NHQ**                                                                   
  ------------- ------------------------ --------- ----------- ---------- -----------
  **LEA**       **School**               **Core    **Total     **%NHQ**   **Teacher
                                         Courses   Core                   Count
                                         Taught by Courses**              05-06**
                                         NHQ**                            

  Anchorage     Family Partnership       8         10          80.0%      10
                Charter School                                            

  Anchorage     Crossroads School        7         9           77.8%      3

  Anchorage     Whaley School            86        130         66.2%      43

  Anchorage     Mirror Lake Middle       67        142         47.2%      41
                School                                                    

  Anchorage     Dimond High School       162       360         45.0%      94

  Anchorage     Wendler Middle School    68        160         42.5%      54

  Anchorage     Highland Tech High       10        24          41.7%      13

  Anchorage     Clark Middle School      90        224         40.2%      62

  Anchorage     East High School         163       413         39.5%      115

  Fairbanks     Fairbanks Youth Facility 12        12          100.0%     4

  Fairbanks     Guided Independent Study 3         4           75.0%      4

  Fairbanks     North Pole Middle School 61        90          67.8%      31

  Fairbanks     Tanana Middle School     53        122         43.4%      32

  Fairbanks     Lathrop High School      102       256         39.8%      74

  Fairbanks     North Pole High School   67        169         39.6%      52

  Juneau        Johnson Youth Center     5.5       14          39.3%      2

  Kenai         Tebughna School          30        30          100.0%     5
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Connections              133       139         95.7%      9
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Nanwalek School          14        15          93.3%      4
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Razdolna School          35        38          92.1%      4
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Kenai Alternative High   46        70          65.7%      6
  Peninsula     School                                                    

  Kenai         Susan B English School   17        26          65.4%      6
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Seward High School       39        77          50.6%      16
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kenai         Nikiski Middle/Senior    61        127         48.0%      23
  Peninsula     High School                                               

  Kenai         Spring Creek School      12        26          46.2%      4
  Peninsula                                                               

  Kodiak Island Larsen Bay School        1         1           100.0%     2

  Mat-Su        Corresp. Study School    141       200         70.5%      10
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Alaska Rural                                         ** **       ** **      ** **
  Schools Not                                                                   
  Meeting AYP                                                                   
  with \>50% of                                                                 
  Teachers NHQ**                                                                
  --------------- ---------------------------- --------- ----------- ---------- -----------
  **LEA**         **School**                   **Core    **Total     **%NHQ**   **Teacher
                                               Courses   Core                   Count
                                               Taught by Courses**              05-06**
                                               NHQ**                            

  Alaska Gateway  Gateway Correspondence       56        70          80.0%      1

  Alaska Gateway  Mentasta Lake School         10        18          55.6%      3

  Alaska Gateway  Walter Northway School       15        30          50.0%      5

  Aleutians East  Akutan School                10        10          100.0%     2

  Aleutians East  Sand Point School            21        27          77.8%      14

  Bering Strait   Brevig Mission School        32        33          97.0%      10

  Bering Strait   Anthony A. Andrews School    16        18          88.9%      11

  Bering Strait   Aniguiin School              22        26          84.6%      8

  Bering Strait   Diomede School               19        23          82.6%      5

  Bering Strait   Gambell School               14        20          70.0%      13

  Bering Strait   James C. Isabell School      20        29          69.0%      8

  Bering Strait   Wales School                 22        35          62.9%      5

  Bering Strait   Hogarth Kingeekuk Memorial   23        40          57.5%      18
                  School                                                        

  Craig           PACE Correspondence          10        15          66.7%      7

  Delta/Greely    Delta Cyber Charter School   20        35          57.1%      10

  Galena          Interior Distance Education  53        84          63.1%      31
                  of AK (IDEA)                                                  

  Iditarod        Top of the Kuskokwim School  5         6           83.3%      2

  Iditarod        Holy Cross School            8         12          66.7%      5

  Iditarod        David-Louis School           4         7           57.1%      6

  Kuspuk          George Morgan Sr. H.S.       60        65          92.3%      6

  Kuspuk          Johnnie John Sr. School      11        12          91.7%      4

  Kuspuk          Jack Egnaty Sr. School       4         5           80.0%      2

  Kuspuk          Zackar Levi Elementary       3         4           75.0%      4

  Kuspuk          Crow Village Sam School      4         6           66.7%      3

  Kuspuk          Aniak High School            9.5       18          52.8%      6

  Lake &          Kokhanok School              9         9           100.0%     5
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lake &          Meshik School                8         8           100.0%     3
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lake &          Perryville School            13        14          92.9%      3
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lake &          Newhalen School              12        13          92.3%      7
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lake &          Chignik Lake School          7         9           77.8%      4
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lake &          Nondalton School             5         9           55.6%      6
  Peninsula                                                                     

  Lower Kuskokwim Z. John Williams Memorial    23        25          92.0%      12
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat   20        22          90.9%      11

  Lower Kuskokwim Joann A. Alexie Memorial     16        18          88.9%      8
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Ket\'acik/Aapalluk Memorial  29        33          87.9%      14
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Paul T. Albert Memorial      15        18          83.3%      8
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Chief Paul Memorial School   27        33          81.8%      16

  Lower Kuskokwim Ayaprun School               11        14          78.6%      8

  Lower Kuskokwim Qugcuun Memorial School      7         9           77.8%      3

  Lower Kuskokwim Lewis Angapak Memorial       14        19          73.7%      10
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Nelson Island Area School    19        29          65.5%      15

  Lower Kuskokwim William Miller Memorial      11        17          64.7%      9
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup'ik   9         14          64.3%      14
                  Immersion                                                     

  Lower Kuskokwim Dick R Kiunya Memorial       18        28          64.3%      10
                  School                                                        

  Lower Kuskokwim Kwigillingok School          11        20          55.0%      8

  Lower Kuskokwim Eek School                   7         13          53.8%      6

  Lower Yukon     Hooper Bay School            51        51          100.0%     26

  Lower Yukon     Kotlik School                23        23          100.0%     13

  Lower Yukon     Scammon Bay School           20        20          100.0%     14

  Lower Yukon     Sheldon Point School         9         9           100.0%     5

  Lower Yukon     Alakanuk School              27        33          81.8%      16

  Lower Yukon     Emmonak School               23        31          74.2%      16

  Lower Yukon     Ignatius Beans School        17        24          70.8%      15

  Nenana          CyberLynx Correspondence     94        94          100.0%     6
                  Program                                                       

  North Slope     Meade River School           16.5      21          78.6%      12

  North Slope     Kali School                  9         16          56.3%      9

  Northwest       Shungnak School              7         9           77.8%      6
  Arctic                                                                        

  Northwest       Deering School               7         11          63.6%      5
  Arctic                                                                        

  Northwest       Kiana School                 12        19          63.2%      10
  Arctic                                                                        

  Northwest       Napaaqtugmiut School         12        19          63.2%      12
  Arctic                                                                        

  Northwest       Aqqaluk High/Noorvik         19        31          61.3%      14
  Arctic          Elementary                                                    

  Northwest       Ambler School                9         15          60.0%      8
  Arctic                                                                        

  Northwest       McQueen School               15        25          60.0%      9
  Arctic                                                                        

  Southeast       Hollis School                5         5           100.0%     1
  Island                                                                        

  Southwest       Manokotak School             17        20          85.0%      12
  Region                                                                        

  Yukon Flats     Arctic Village School        16        16          100.0%     5

  Yukon Flats     Cruikshank School            11        11          100.0%     1

  Yukon Flats     Fort Yukon School            21        21          100.0%     11

  Yukon Flats     John Fredson School          11        11          100.0%     4

  Yukon Flats     Stevens Village School       5         5           100.0%     1

  Yukon Flats     Tsuk Taih School             11        11          100.0%     2

  Yukon/Koyukuk   Raven Correspondence School  490       503         97.4%      9

  Yukon/Koyukuk   Alyeska Central School       25        26          96.2%      11

  Yukon/Koyukuk   Kaltag School                16        18          88.9%      5

  Yukon/Koyukuk   Merreline A Kangas School    18        22          81.8%      5

  Yukon/Koyukuk   Jimmy Huntington School      17        32          53.1%      7

  Yupiit          Akiak School                 24        35          68.6%      11
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The data show the following:

-   27 of the schools in the urban districts that failed to make AYP
    have significant numbers of teachers that do not meet the highly
    qualified requirements.

-   76 of the schools in rural districts that failed to make AYP have
    significant numbers of teachers that do not meet the highly
    qualified requirements.

-   There are 3 urban and 6 rural school districts with only one school
    with significant numbers of teachers that do not meet the highly
    qualified requirements.

As part of their mandatory participation in the technical assistance
offered by the department the districts will be required to focus their
attention on the schools listed in the table above.

c\) Identifying districts and schools where significant numbers of
teachers do not meet HQT standards, and examining whether or not there
are particular hard-to-staff courses frequently taught by non-highly
qualified teachers.

Data collection done by the department indicates that due to the large
number of small, rural secondary schools there are many multi-subject
teachers responsible for teaching all core academic courses. Teachers
teaching in rural areas are a group needing particular attention as they
often teach multiple core academic courses often in more than one core
academic area. i.e. math/science.

**Table 1.F** Statewide Core Classes taught by a Rural Multi-Subject
Teacher

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Statewide Core Classes taught by a Rural                                
  Multi-Subject\* Teacher FY06**                                            
  ------------------------------------------ --------- -------- ----------- ----------
                                                                            

  **Core Classes**                           **NHQ**   **HQ**   **Total**   **%NHQ**

  Advanced Math other than those listed      12        21       33          36.4%

  Advanced Science                           3         3        6           50.0%

  Algebra I                                  125.41    132.75   258.16      48.6%

  Algebra II                                 43        68       111         38.7%

  American History                           68.25     40.5     108.75      62.8%

  Art                                        34.5      21.5     56          61.6%

  Band                                       9         19       28          32.1%

  Basic Math (Grades 9-12)                   151.92    83.5     235.42      64.5%

  Biology                                    63.25     100.5    163.75      38.6%

  Calculus                                   1.5       11       12.5        12.0%

  Calculus Advanced Placement                0         3        3           0.0%

  Chemistry                                  32        20.17    52.17       61.3%

  Early Childhood Special Education Teacher  3         10       13          23.1%

  Earth Science                              66.25     29       95.25       69.6%

  Economics                                  18        3        21          85.7%

  English                                    71.75     151.5    223.25      32.1%

  French                                     15        5        20          75.0%

  General Math (Grades 6-8)                  219.08    119.5    338.58      64.7%

  General Science                            231.5     113.5    345         67.1%

  Geography                                  47.25     14       61.25       77.1%

  Geology                                    2         2        4           50.0%

  Geometry                                   28.75     84       112.75      25.5%

  German                                     2         1        3           66.7%

  Grade 1                                    6         5        11          54.5%

  Grade 2                                    2         6        8           25.0%

  Grade 3                                    1         4        5           20.0%

  Grade 4                                    0         4        4           0.0%

  Grade 5                                    3.33      5        8.33        40.0%

  Grade 6                                    14        8        22          63.6%

  Grade 7 (self-contained/teaching all       42        20       62          67.7%
  subjects)                                                                 

  Grade 8 (self-contained/teaching all       34        18       52          65.4%
  subjects)                                                                 

  History                                    21        30.5     51.5        40.8%

  Integrated Math                            15.34     3        18.34       83.6%

  Japanese                                   5         0        5           100.0%

  Kindergarten                               6         9        15          40.0%

  Language Arts                              173       278.15   451.15      38.3%

  Life Science                               41        31       72          56.9%

  Literature                                 60.75     77       137.75      44.1%

  Multi-Grade Elementary (grades preK-6      60        42.5     102.5       58.5%
  only)                                                                     

  Music                                      24        32       56          42.9%

  Other World Language                       2         0        2           100.0%

  Physical Science                           67        49       116         57.8%

  Physics                                    15        14       29          51.7%

  Political Science/Civics                   51.25     22       73.25       70.0%

  Pre-algebra                                87.75     77.75    165.5       53.0%

  Pre-calculus                               4         8.5      12.5        32.0%

  Reading                                    149       63.35    212.35      70.2%

  Russian                                    4         12       16          25.0%

  Social Studies                             268       117      385         69.6%

  Spanish                                    37.25     29       66.25       56.2%

  Speech                                     3         1        4           75.0%

  Theater                                    14        8        22          63.6%

  World History                              59.25     33       92.25       64.2%

  Writing                                    117       71.25    188.25      62.2%
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Statewide, higher level math and science teachers are not a particular
group of teachers needing attention because these courses are not
offered as readily in rural areas. However, it is of a concern that
lower level math classes are not being taught by highly qualified
teachers across the state. This concern was also seen in the high/low
poverty and the urban/rural analysis previously in this plan. While
there is concern regarding science, the more acute need with regard to
AYP data is in the area of math.

The following two tables illustrate the concern with math and science
teachers as a statewide issue where core academic courses are being
taught by teachers who have multiple assignments.

**Table 1.G** Statewide Math core Academic Courses

  ------------------ --------------------------- --------- -------- ----------- ----------
  **Statewide Math                                                              
  FY06**                                                                        

                                                                                

  **Academic Area**  **Core Classes**            **NHQ**   **HQ**   **Total**   **%NHQ**

  Math               Advanced Math other than    19        56       75          25.5%
                     those listed                                               

                     Algebra I                   222       514      736         30.2%

                     Algebra II                  86        191      277         31.0%

                     Basic Math (Grades 9-12)    284       193      476         59.6%

                     Calculus                    3         23       26          9.8%

                     Calculus Advanced Placement 5         29       34          14.7%

                     General Math (Grades 6-8)   486       698      1184        41.1%

                     Geometry                    94        280      374         25.1%

                     Integrated Math             26        96       122         21.5%

                     Pre-algebra                 209       203      412         50.7%

                     Pre-calculus                13        57       70          18.7%

  Math Total                                     1447      2339     3785        38.2%
  ------------------ --------------------------- --------- -------- ----------- ----------

**Table 1.H** Statewide Science Core Academic Courses

  ---------------------- -------------------- --------- -------- ----------- ----------
  **Statewide Science                                                        
  FY06**                                                                     

                                                                             

  **Academic Area**      **Core Classes**     **NHQ**   **HQ**   **Total**   **%NHQ**

  Science                Advanced Science     5         29       34          14.9%

                         Biology              186       406      591         31.4%

                         Chemistry            89        141      230         38.7%

                         Earth Science        152       119      271         56.1%

                         General Science      478       836      1314        36.4%

                         Geology              10        12       22          45.5%

                         Life Science         90        102      192         46.9%

                         Physical Science     144       218      362         39.8%

                         Physics              32        66       98          32.7%

  Science Total                               1185      1928     3113        38.1%
  ---------------------- -------------------- --------- -------- ----------- ----------

With regard to special education teachers, Alaska, along with the rest
of the country is faced with a lack of special education teachers,
highly qualified or not, available to fill the need. The following table
compares the special education core academic classes with the statewide
totals.

**Table 1.I** Comparing Special Education with Statewide Totals

  ------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------- ----------
                                  Special                            State-wide                
                                  Education                                                   

  **Core Courses**                **NHQ**     **Total**   **%NHQ**   **NHQ**      **Total**   **%NHQ**

  Algebra I                       7           12          59.4%      222.41       736.16      30.2%

  American History                8           28          28.6%      117.25       308.75      38.0%

  Art                             3           3           100.0%     173.7        767.2       22.6%

  Band                            2           2           100.0%     71           368         19.3%

  Basic Math (Grades 9-12)        60          79          76.0%      283.92       476.42      59.6%

  Biology                         9           14          64.3%      185.58       591.08      31.4%

  Early Childhood Special         4           18          22.2%      4            18          22.2%
  Education Teacher                                                                           

  Earth Science                   8           10          80.0%      151.98       270.98      56.1%

  Economics                       9           10          90.0%      70           129         54.3%

  English                         93          165         56.5%      391.75       1401.3      28.0%

  General Math (Grades 6-8)       91          144         62.8%      486.08       1184.1      41.1%

  General Science                 31          42          73.7%      477.5        1313.5      36.4%

  Geography                       10          14          71.4%      108.25       166.25      65.1%

  Geometry                        2           2           100.0%     93.75        373.75      25.1%

  Grade 1                         0           2           0.0%       84           405         20.7%

  Grade 2                         0           3           0.0%       79           352         22.4%

  Grade 3                         0           6           0.0%       69           350         19.7%

  Grade 4                         3           6           50.0%      75           319         23.5%

  Grade 5                         1           4           25.0%      82.33        322.33      25.5%

  Grade 6                         4           10          40.0%      94           278         33.8%

  Multi-Grade Elementary (grades  21          166         12.4%      325          1011.5      32.1%
  preK-6 only)                                                                                

  Grade 7                         2           3           60.0%      89           115         77.4%
  (self-contained/teaching all                                                                
  subjects)\*                                                                                 

  Grade 8 (self-contained         1           3           33.3%      81           101         80.2%
  teaching all subjects)\*                                                                    

  History                         3           14          22.2%      150          492.5       30.5%

  Integrated Math                 0           1           25.4%      26.34        122.34      21.5%

  Kindergarten                    2           5           40.0%      93           444         20.9%

  Language Arts                   76          147         51.4%      449          1534.2      29.3%

  Literature                      1           6           16.7%      134.75       361.75      37.2%

  Music                           1           1           100.0%     147          645         22.8%

  Physical Science                2           5           40.0%      146          371         39.4%

  Political Science/Civics        5           9           55.6%      146.59       299.59      48.9%

  Pre-algebra                     22          32          68.8%      208.75       412         50.7%

  Reading                         85          136         62.5%      430.33       696.68      61.8%

  Social Studies                  73          107         68.6%      601          1255        47.9%

  Speech                          3           6           50.0%      28           48          58.3%

  World History                   3           14          21.4%      127.45       282.45      45.1%

  Writing                         31          48          64.6%      184          393.25      46.8%

  Total                           675         1276        52.9%      6687.7       18716       35.73%
  ------------------------------- ----------- ----------- ---------- ------------ ----------- ----------

The data show the following regarding core academic classes taught by
special education teachers:

-   25.8% of all elementary special education classes are being taught
    by highly qualified teachers. In grades 1-3 all core academic
    special education classes are being taught by highly qualified
    teachers.

-   87.6% of the multi-grade special education classes are taught by
    highly qualified teachers.

-   As expected, having highly qualified special education teachers
    teaching the core academic areas in high schools throughout the
    state is an issue.

-   It is interesting to note that in grades 7-8 the percentage of
    non-highly qualified special education teachers is less than the
    percentage of non-highly qualified statewide. (50% versus 78.7%)

-   When comparing special education reading classes with reading
    classes statewide, there is an insignificant number of special
    education teachers who teach reading who are not highly qualified.

It would appear from Alaska's data that reading is a concern throughout
the state and across populations of students. This is true with regard
to the highly qualified status of secondary special education teachers
as well as secondary core academic courses in rural Alaska.

Requirement 2:

Information on the HQT status in each LEA

The following two tables show the total teacher count broken out by
rural and urban districts in Alaska and the core academic classes taught
by highly qualified and non-highly qualified teachers in each district.
The 8 districts designated as urban employ 75% of the teachers in the
state.

Table B.1 Core Academic Classes Taught by HQT in Urban Districts

  -------------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -----------
  **District**         **Teacher   **Core        **Core      **Core         **Core
                       Count       Academic      Academic    Academic       Academic
                       05-06**     NHQ**         HQ**        Total**        Taught
                                                                            %NHQT**

  Anchorage            2933        1914          4617        6531           29.30%

  Fairbanks            853         665           1130        1795           37.00%

  Juneau               336         108.5         656.5       765            14.20%

  Kenai Peninsula      566         953           1411        2364           40.30%

  Ketchikan            142         7             247         254            2.80%

  Kodiak Island        191         137.13        255.5       392.63         34.90%

  Mat-Su               892         426           2044        2470           17.20%

  Sitka                109         4             304         308            1.30%

  **Urban Districts    **6022**    **4214.63**   **10665**   **14879.63**   **28.3%**
  Total**                                                                   
  -------------------- ----------- ------------- ----------- -------------- -----------

**Table B.2** Core Academic Classes Taught by HQT in Rural Districts

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **District**         **Teacher   **Core        **Core        **Core        **Core
                       Count       Academic      Academic HQ** Academic      Academic
                       05-06**     NHQ**                       Total**       Taught
                                                                             %NHQT**
  -------------------- ----------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -----------
  Alaska Gateway       32          107           103           210           51.00%

  Aleutian Region      7           18            4             22            81.80%

  Aleutians East       35          83            7             90            92.20%

  Annette Island       30          7             38            45            15.60%

  Bering Strait        161         322           137           459           70.20%

  Bristol Bay          15          18            21            39            46.20%

  Chatham              16          17            35            52            32.70%

  Chugach              12          30            15            45            66.70%

  Copper River         39          27            82            109           24.80%

  Cordova              31          31.5          61            92.5          34.10%

  Craig                32          40            47            87            46.00%

  Delta/Greely         63          68            135           203           33.50%

  Denali               33          13            64.75         77.75         16.70%

  Dillingham           43          66.83         49.17         116           57.60%

  Galena               65          76            72            148           51.40%

  Haines               22          3             55            58            5.20%

  Hoonah               14          19            13            32            59.40%

  Hydaburg             11          31            2             33            93.90%

  Iditarod             29          23            86            109           21.10%

  Kake                 13          9             19            28            32.10%

  Kashunamiut          29          15            51            66            22.70%

  Klawock              15          5             36            41            12.20%

  Kuspuk               35          102.5         24.5          127           80.70%

  Lake & Peninsula     46          105           21            126           83.30%

  Lower Kuskokwim      290         372           250           622           59.80%

  Lower Yukon          138         234           21            255           91.80%

  Mt. Edgecumbe        19          13            73            86            15.10%

  Nenana               26          114           25            139           82.00%

  Nome                 50          25            47            72            34.70%

  North Slope          196         147           259           406           36.20%

  Northwest Arctic     165         146           160           306           47.70%

  Pelican              2           12            2             14            85.70%

  Petersburg           44          7             102           109           6.40%

  Pribilof             12          2             26            28            7.10%

  Saint Mary\'s        13          3             23            26            11.50%

  Skagway              13          2             31            33            6.10%

  Southeast Island     22          37            15            52            71.20%

  Southwest Region     58          61            35            96            63.50%

  Tanana               7           9             11.5          20.5          43.90%

  Unalaska             32          8             48            56            14.30%

  Valdez               55          19            105           124           15.30%

  Wrangell             26          10            69            79            12.70%

  Yakutat              14          2             32            34            5.90%

  Yukon Flats          33          95            0             95            100.00%

  Yukon/Koyukuk        66          625           85            710           88.00%

  Yupiit               41          56            71            127           44.10%

  **Rural Districts    **2150**    **3235.83**   **2668.92**   **5904.75**   **54.8%**
  Total**                                                                    
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The data show the following:

-   Statewide, 13.2% of the districts reported over 92% of their core
    academic classes taught by highly qualified teachers**.**

-   35 districts reported less than 50% of core academic classes taught
    by non-highly qualified teachers; 19 districts reported more than
    50% of core academic classes taught by non-highly qualified
    teachers.

-   1 district reported no core academic classes taught by highly
    qualified teachers (Yukon Flats).

-   In the 8 urban districts, 2 districts reported less than 2.8 % of
    core academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers. The
    remaining 6 districts reported less than 14.2% of core academic
    classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

-   Of the 46 rural districts, 13 districts reported less than 16.7 % of
    core academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers; 23
    districts reported more than 16.7% but less than 80% of core
    academic classes taught by non-highly qualified teachers; 10
    districts reported more than 80% of the core academic classes being
    taught by non-highly qualified teachers.

    The following table shows the requirements for LEAs who did not meet
    the Annual Measurable Objectives set by the state for having all
    teachers highly qualified.

Table B.3 Requirements for LEAs not meeting Annual Measurable Objectives

+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| Activities to meet HQT              | Persons Responsible            |
+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|                                     |                                |
+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
| Superintendents notified status of  | Commissioner of Education &    |
| meeting AMOs for highly qualified   | Early Development              |
| during annual meeting with          |                                |
| department staff in August.         | Title II A program manager and |
|                                     | team from Title I program      |
| LEAs not meeting AMOs submit plan   | managers will review plans.    |
| which includes timelines for        |                                |
| meeting highly qualified teacher    | School Improvement program     |
| requirements.                       | manager                        |
|                                     |                                |
| -   Districts with schools not      | Title II A program manager,    |
|     making AYP will be required to  | Teacher Certification          |
|     specifically focus on the       | Administrator, Deputy Director |
|     highly qualified teacher needs  | Teaching and Learning Support  |
|     in those schools                |                                |
|                                     | State monitoring team          |
| -   Schools that are also Title I   |                                |
|     schools and are in school       |                                |
|     improvement those needs will    |                                |
|     need to be addressed in their   |                                |
|     school improvement plan         |                                |
|                                     |                                |
| Addendums to the plans may be       |                                |
| required as EED staff review the    |                                |
| LEA plans.                          |                                |
|                                     |                                |
| LEAs not meeting AMOs will be       |                                |
| required to participate in          |                                |
| technical assistance offered by EED |                                |
| throughout the 2006-2007 school     |                                |
| year.                               |                                |
|                                     |                                |
| Prior to the on site monitoring     |                                |
| visit, districts will be given the  |                                |
| certified staff accounting          |                                |
| information previously provided to  |                                |
| EED and asked to update the highly  |                                |
| qualified teacher information they  |                                |
| have provided. During the onsite    |                                |
| monitoring, information from select |                                |
| schools will be verified.           |                                |
+-------------------------------------+--------------------------------+

The following table delineates the Alaska Department of Education &
Early Development will take the following steps to ensure that all LEAs
have plans in place to assist all non-highly qualified teachers to
become highly qualified as quickly as possible:

Table B.4 EED Steps to Ensure that all LEAs Have HQT Plans

+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| EED Steps                            | Persons Responsible           |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|                                      |                               |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Superintendents notified status of   | Commissioner of Education &   |
| meeting AMOs for highly qualified    | Early Development             |
| during annual meeting with           |                               |
| department staff in August.          | Teacher Certification         |
|                                      | Administrator                 |
| EED staff shares the classroom level |                               |
| information gathered for the revised | Assessment and Accountability |
| state plan with each LEA. EED staff  | Division                      |
| will provide technical assistance in |                               |
| working with the data to             | Teacher Certification         |
| superintendents during annual        | Administrator and Title II A  |
| meeting in August.                   | program manager               |
|                                      |                               |
| EED staff verify certified staff     | Teacher Certification         |
| accounting information received from | Administrator and Title II A  |
| LEAs and return to LEAs to update    | program manager and Title I   |
| three times each year.               | program managers              |
|                                      |                               |
| EED staff request HQT plan addendum  | EED review team               |
| from all LEAs                        |                               |
|                                      | Title II A program manager    |
| EED staff provide technical          | and team from Title I program |
| assistance on writing an HQT plan.   | managers will review plans.   |
|                                      |                               |
| EED staff review HQT plans from LEAs | Assessment and Accountability |
|                                      | Division                      |
| Quality School Team Leader will      |                               |
| follow up with districts that have   | EED review team               |
| not submitted their HQT plan.        |                               |
|                                      | Teacher Certification         |
| As certified staff accounting        | Administrator and Title II A  |
| information is verified by EED,      | program manager               |
| staff will measure progress from     |                               |
| previous highly qualified teacher    | EED review team               |
| numbers.                             |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| Districts who are not making         |                               |
| progress are contacted to discuss    |                               |
| program modifications necessary to   |                               |
| ensure progress                      |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| Technical Assistance on HQT plans    |                               |
| provided at NCLB Winter Conference   |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| As certified staff accounting        |                               |
| information is verified by EED,      |                               |
| staff will measure progress from     |                               |
| previous highly qualified teacher    |                               |
| numbers and districts who are not    |                               |
| making progress are contacted to     |                               |
| discuss program including budget     |                               |
| modifications necessary to ensure    |                               |
| progress.                            |                               |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+

As part of the NCLB Consolidated Application in Alaska, each LEA is
required to submit a Title II plan each year. Title II plans are
approved by the Title II program staff as they are received. When there
are questions regarding the plans or expenditures of funds, the Title II
program manager contacts the individual LEA to resolve the question.
Within the plans, the Title I A 5% set aside for highly qualified
teachers requires a program description and a means by which to evaluate
the LEA's progress.

Alaska LEAs are monitored on site on a five year cycle. During the
on-site monitoring, the state monitoring team verifies the information
provided on the Title II plan by checking select district and school
files as well as through interviews with LEA district staff, teachers
and principals. Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, the on-site
monitoring will also verify the certified staff accounting information
concerning the highly qualified status of classroom teachers prior to
the on-site visit.

Alaska is in the planning stages to create a desk audit process for the
highly qualified teacher requirements in LEAs that are not on the
monitoring schedule for each year. This will help the state pinpoint
areas of greatest need throughout the state, not just in those districts
participating in the on-site monitoring.

Requirement 3: EED Technical Assistance for LEAs in Completing their HQT
Plans

Throughout the 2006-2007 school year, EED staff will continue to offer a
variety of technical assistance to LEAs in order to assist them in
successfully carrying out their HQT plans. Due to the great distances
between LEAs in Alaska, as well as the cost to travel, technical
assistance will be offered via audio-conferencing and videoconferencing.
EED has scheduled mandatory audio/video conferences ever other month for
the targeted LEAs as well as other LEAs who may be interested in the
technical assistance offered. LEAs facing the same issues will be
grouped together for these audio-conferences so that EED staff can
maximize the time spent on issues needing to be addressed. Table 3.1
outlines the technical assistance that will be offered during the audio
conferences. During the months there is no regularly scheduled
audio/videoconference EED staff are available to provide technical
assistance through emails and on the telephone.

EED will also offer other services to teachers and LEAs to help them
with meeting the goals of highly qualified. For example, EED will
continue to research successful distance delivered core academic course
options and disseminate this information through the Title II program
manager's work with districts. The Title II program manager will provide
information to districts and teachers about programs that teach teachers
core academic content and are available through distance delivery so
that teachers may become highly qualified through enhancing their
content knowledge. The EED website provides links to information for
teachers on becoming highly qualified that direct teachers to the
Teacher Certification website. Once there teachers can find information
about all the options for becoming highly qualified, required tests and
passing scores, and the forms that can be used to show attainment of
highly qualified status.

Where applicable, the state will continue to use the available funding
from Title II to carry out the planned activities, i.e. Math/Science
Partnership Grants. Funds for assistance provided by the Teacher
Certification Administrator will come from the general fund through
certification fees already collected. Additionally, the State
Legislature provided a \$4.5 million appropriation for the Statewide
Mentoring Project activities.

The following two tables outline technical assistance activities for the
LEAs and teachers that will take place throughout the 2006-2007 school
year:

Table 3.1 Technical Assistance Activities for LEAs

+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| 2006  | Activities to Meet HQT Timelines        | Technical         |
| -2007 |                                         | Assistance        |
| S     |                                         | Providers         |
| chool |                                         |                   |
| Year  |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| J     |                                         |                   |
| uly-A |                                         |                   |
| ugust |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | Title I program staff review each       | Title I Program   |
|       | district NCLB Consolidated application  | staff; Title II   |
|       | including the districts professional    | program manager   |
|       | development plans and Title IA Highly   |                   |
|       | qualified set-asides. Each district     | Commissioner of   |
|       | must clearly identify the steps being   | Education         |
|       | taken to reach the HQT requirements     |                   |
|       | within application and plan.            | EED Assessment    |
|       |                                         | and               |
|       | Superintendent's meeting presentation   | Accountability    |
|       | by Commissioner to stress importance of | Division; Teacher |
|       | meeting the HQT goal by end of year and | Certification     |
|       | explain change in EED processes for     | Administrator     |
|       | accurate data collection                |                   |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | EED staff meet individually with        |                   |
|       | superintendents to explain changes in   |                   |
|       | data collection and reporting and       |                   |
|       | monitoring for 06-07 school year        |                   |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | EED Federal Program staff and Quality   |                   |
|       | School Team Leaders participate in      |                   |
|       | professional development on the Revised |                   |
|       | Title II plan so they will be able to   |                   |
|       | provide technical assistance to their   |                   |
|       | assigned districts.                     |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| A     |                                         |                   |
| ugust |                                         |                   |
| -Sept |                                         |                   |
| ember |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | EED staff review Title II addendums and | Title II program  |
|       | address any issues that remain in the   | staff; Title I    |
|       | LEA plans                               | program managers  |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | -   Request addendums to plan for       | Title II program  |
|       |     targeted districts                  | manager; Teacher  |
|       |                                         | Certification     |
|       | -   Districts with schools not making   | Administrator and |
|       |     AYP will be required to             | Deputy Director   |
|       |     specifically focus on the highly    |                   |
|       |     qualified teacher needs in those    | School            |
|       |     schools                             | Improvement       |
|       |                                         | program manager,  |
|       | Begin mandatory bi-monthly audio/video  | Title II A        |
|       | conferences with targeted LEAs in       | program manager   |
|       | September. Each audio-conference will   | and Title I       |
|       | have a specific focus. September will   | program managers  |
|       | focus on accurate data collection;      | will review plans |
|       | reviewing definitions and the record    | to monitor        |
|       | keeping at the school and district      | compliance        |
|       | level. The school level data used in    |                   |
|       | the preparation of the revised Title II | Teacher           |
|       | plan will be given back to the          | Certification     |
|       | districts and used with the districts   | Administrator     |
|       | to identify needs with regard to highly |                   |
|       | qualified teachers.                     |                   |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | Schools that are also Title I schools   |                   |
|       | and are in school improvement will be   |                   |
|       | required to show how the needs are      |                   |
|       | addressed in their school improvement   |                   |
|       | plan.                                   |                   |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | Highly qualified teacher information    |                   |
|       | presented during Special Education      |                   |
|       | Directors' Conference.                  |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Oc    |                                         |                   |
| tober |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | During certified staff accounting data  | EED Assessment    |
|       | collection for highly qualified, EED    | and               |
|       | staff are available to provide          | Accountability    |
|       | technical assistance to those LEAs who  | Division; Teacher |
|       | require or request it.                  | Certification     |
|       |                                         | Administrator     |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Nov   |                                         |                   |
| ember |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | Bi-monthly audio/video conference with  | Title II program  |
|       | targeted LEAs will use results of       | manager; Teacher  |
|       | certified staff accounting to determine | Certification     |
|       | district progress. EED staff and        | Administrator and |
|       | districts will look at data to          | Deputy Director   |
|       | determine where problem areas are and   |                   |
|       | share strategies to make progress       |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Dec   |                                         |                   |
| ember |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | EED staff available to provide          | Title II program  |
|       | technical assistance to those LEAs who  | manager; Teacher  |
|       | require or request it.                  | Certification     |
|       |                                         | Administrator and |
|       |                                         | Deputy Director   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Ja    |                                         |                   |
| nuary |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | NCLB Winter Conference will be held in  | All Title program |
|       | Anchorage. The purpose of the           | staff, TLS        |
|       | conference is to provide technical      | Division          |
|       | assistance to districts as well as      | Director, and     |
|       | showcase exemplary practices.           | Deputy Director,  |
|       |                                         | Teacher           |
|       | -   EED staff provide technical         | Certification     |
|       |     assistance to individual LEAs       | Administrator     |
|       |     during NCLB conference              |                   |
|       |                                         | Title II program  |
|       | Bi-monthly audio/video conference with  | manager; Teacher  |
|       | targeted LEAs will provide information  | Certification     |
|       | from NCLB conference for those unable   | Administrator and |
|       | to attend.                              | Deputy Director   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| Feb   |                                         |                   |
| ruary |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | EED staff available to provide          | Title II program  |
|       | technical assistance to those LEAs who  | manager; Teacher  |
|       | require or request it.                  | Certification     |
|       |                                         | Administrator and |
|       |                                         | Deputy Director   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| March |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | Bi-monthly audio/video conferences      | Title II program  |
|       | continue with targeted LEAs             | manager; Teacher  |
|       |                                         | Certification     |
|       | -   Planning for the Job Fair and       | Administrator and |
|       |     Hiring Season: Highly Qualified     | Deputy Director   |
|       |     Teachers; EED staff outline steps   |                   |
|       |     districts need to take if they have |                   |
|       |     to hire a non-highly qualified      |                   |
|       |     teacher or face not having a        |                   |
|       |     teacher in a classroom.             |                   |
|       |                                         |                   |
|       | -   Review expectations for the Title   |                   |
|       |     II Plans for the 2007-08 school     |                   |
|       |     year                                |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| April |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | EED staff available to provide          | Title II program  |
|       | technical assistance to those LEAs who  | manager; Teacher  |
|       | require or request it.                  | Certification     |
|       |                                         | Administrator and |
|       |                                         | Deputy Director   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
| May   |                                         |                   |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+
|       | Final highly qualified teacher data     | EED Assessment    |
|       | collection for 2006-07 school year from | and               |
|       | all LEAs. EED staff available to        | Accountability    |
|       | provide technical assistance to those   | Division; Teacher |
|       | LEAs who require or request it          | Certification     |
|       |                                         | Administrator     |
+-------+-----------------------------------------+-------------------+

Table 3.2 EED Technical Assistance Activities for Teachers

+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
| Ti     | Technical Assistance for       | Technical Assistance      |
| meline | Teachers                       | Providers                 |
+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
| Summer |                                |                           |
| 2006   |                                |                           |
+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
|        | -   EED co-sponsors summer     | -   University of Alaska  |
|        |     Content Intensives for     |     Anchorage College of  |
|        |     Math and Science           |     Arts and Sciences and |
|        |                                |     Alaska Native Science |
|        | -   EED offers Carnegie Math   |     and Engineering       |
|        |     training for teachers in   |     Program               |
|        |     districts using program to |                           |
|        |     teach Algebra              | -   Certified Carnegie    |
|        |                                |     Math Trainer          |
|        | -   EED promotes Alaska        |                           |
|        |     Science Consortium, Math   | -   Alaska Science, Math, |
|        |     Consortium, Writing        |     Writing Teacher       |
|        |     Consortium and Summer      |     Leaders               |
|        |     Institutes as a way for    |                           |
|        |     teachers to enhance their  |                           |
|        |     content knowledge in those |                           |
|        |     areas                      |                           |
+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
| During |                                |                           |
| 2      |                                |                           |
| 006-07 |                                |                           |
| SY     |                                |                           |
+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+
|        | -   EED continues to update    | -   EED Webmaster from    |
|        |     information on becoming    |     information provided  |
|        |     highly qualified on the    |     by Title II program   |
|        |     department's website       |     manager and Teacher   |
|        |                                |     Certification         |
|        | -   EED provides information   |     Administrator         |
|        |     on website regarding       |                           |
|        |     professional development   | -   Title II program      |
|        |     offered through Title II-A |     manager               |
|        |     funded Math/Science        |                           |
|        |     Partnership grants and     | -   EED Webmaster from    |
|        |     State Higher Education     |     information provided  |
|        |     grants funded through      |     by Title II program   |
|        |     Title II                   |     manager               |
|        |                                |                           |
|        | -   EED updates                | -   Teacher Certification |
|        |     information/resources on   |     Administrator         |
|        |     core content areas for     |                           |
|        |     teachers                   | -   EED staff             |
|        |                                |                           |
|        | -   Highly qualified teacher   | -   UA statewide teacher  |
|        |     information sessions for   |     mentors               |
|        |     special education teachers |                           |
|        |     and special education      |                           |
|        |     directors at their         |                           |
|        |     conferences                |                           |
|        |                                |                           |
|        | -   EED continues to research  |                           |
|        |     alternatives to help rural |                           |
|        |     multi-subject teachers     |                           |
|        |     obtain the content         |                           |
|        |     knowledge they need to     |                           |
|        |     become highly qualified    |                           |
|        |     with results sent to these |                           |
|        |     teachers as well as posted |                           |
|        |     on the EED web page.       |                           |
|        |                                |                           |
|        | -   Continuation of the        |                           |
|        |     state-wide mentoring       |                           |
|        |     project funded through     |                           |
|        |     Title II-A and state       |                           |
|        |     funds.                     |                           |
+--------+--------------------------------+---------------------------+

**Requirement 4**: **Working with Districts That Fail to Meet the HQT
Goals by June 2007**

EED annually reviews each district's NCLB Consolidated application
including the districts' professional development plans and Title IA
Highly qualified set-asides. Each district must clearly identify the
steps it is taking to reach the highly qualified requirements within
this application and plan.

The state will monitor LEA compliance in two ways:1) though data
collection for highly qualified done through certified staff accounting
process of each year previously described Requirement 1 and 2) through
the monitoring process described in Requirement 2.

Although the withholding of LEA funding under the various Title programs
is the state's option, EED feels that prior to taking such an action it
needs to make sure the data the state has is the true and accurate
picture of what is happening with regard to resolving the highly
qualified teacher issue. EED feels it important to have longitudinal
data in order to be able to work effectively with its districts and meet
their needs in resolving the highly qualified teacher issue. EED will
closely monitor information it receives from LEAs to determine its
accuracy prior to making any decisions regarding the withholding of
federal funds for noncompliance, districts will be notified of the
possible loss of federal funds should they fail to meet the HQT goals in
succeeding years.

The following table outlines 2007 School Year and Beyond Activities to
meet HQT in Districts that fail to reach the 100 percent HQT goal by the
end of the 2006-07 school year.

Table 4.1 Activities to Meet HQT in the 2007 School Year and Beyond

+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Activities to meet HQT               | Monitoring Compliance         |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
|                                      |                               |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Districts notified of actions EED    | Commissioner of Education&    |
| will take if necessary to ensure     | Early Development             |
| LEAs meet the HQT goals              |                               |
|                                      | Title II A program manager    |
| EED reviews each district NCLB       | and Title I program managers. |
| Consolidated application including   |                               |
| the districts professional           | Title II program manager      |
| development plans and Title IA       |                               |
| Highly qualified set-asides.         | EED Assessment and            |
|                                      | Accountability Division       |
| Each LEA must clearly identify       |                               |
| within its application and plan the  |                               |
| steps being taken and timelines to   |                               |
| reach the HQT requirements.          |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| EED requests addendum to Title II    |                               |
| plans from targeted LEAs and reviews |                               |
| them                                 |                               |
|                                      |                               |
| Certified staff accounting           |                               |
| information on highly qualified      |                               |
| teachers provided to EED by each LEA |                               |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+

Requirement 5:

Completing the HOUSSE Process in Alaska

In 2003, the Alaska State Board of Education & Early Development adopted
regulations that would provide pathways for teachers to become highly
qualified. Following the state's regulatory process, EED staff will
present amendments to 4 AAC 04.212 Objective uniform standards to the
board at the December, 2006, meeting. The proposed amendments will:

-   complete the use of the HOUSSE process by all teachers not new to
    the profession who were hired before the end of the 2005-06 school
    year.

-   limit the use of the HOUSSE process after the end of the 2006-07
    school year to the following situations:

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-   multi-subject secondary teachers in rural schools who, if HQ in one
    subject at the time of hire, may use HOUSSE to demonstrate
    competence in additional subjects within three years of the date of
    hire; or

-   multi-subject special education teachers who are new to the
    profession, if HQ in language arts, mathematics, or science at the
    time of hire, may use HOUSSE to demonstrate competence in additional
    subjects within two years of the date of hire.

As per the regulatory process in Alaska, EED staff will recommend the
State Board of Education & Early Development place the proposed
amendments out for public comment. Following the period of public
comment, it is anticipated the State Board of Education & Early
Development would adopt the proposed amendments at its March, 2007
meeting. The regulations would then be forwarded to the Alaska
Department of Law for review and then to the Lieutenant Governor for an
effective date and signature.

Requirement 6:

A Plan to Ensure the Equitable Distribution of Teachers in Alaska

Problems facing education nationwide tend to be magnified in Alaska,
both in Alaska\'s many small, rural, remote schools and its varied urban
classrooms. Of Alaska's 506 schools, 120 schools have fewer than 50
students and 76 enroll 25 or fewer students. One hundred schools,
approximately 20% of Alaska's total schools, employ three or fewer
teachers. Twenty-nine schools employ one teacher; 41, two teachers; 27,
three teachers. Anchorage School District is the largest school district
in Alaska and employs 3,000 teachers. According to the National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES), Anchorage is ranked as one of the 100
largest school districts in the United States. Though Alaska has few
truly urban schools, those schools have an extremely varied student
population with numerous Alaska Natives and foreign-language-speaking
students. There are over 100 languages spoken in Alaska's schools.
Multilingual and multicultural classrooms pose wonderful opportunities
as well as challenges for Alaskan educators.

**Table 6.1** Core Academic Classes by Poverty Level in Alaska

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  **Statewide Core Classes** **High                  ** **       **Medium                            **Low                   ** **
                             Poverty**                           Poverty**                           Poverty**               
  -------------------------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- -----------
  **by Poverty Level FY06**  **NHQ**     **Total**   **%NHQ**    **NHQ**     **Total**   **%NHQ**    **NHQ**     **Total**   **%NHQ**

  Advanced Math other than   6           8           75.0%       10          38          26.3%       3           29          10.5%
  those listed                                                                                                               

  Algebra I                  64          128         49.6%       83          375         22.1%       76          233         32.6%

  Algebra II                 21          38          55.3%       25          132         18.9%       40          107         37.4%

  Basic Math (Grades 9-12)   98          156         62.7%       122         202         60.6%       64          119         53.8%

  Calculus                   0           3           0.0%        1           17          3.0%        2           6           33.3%

  General Math (Grades 6-8)  150         228         65.8%       257         760         33.8%       79          197         40.2%

  Geometry                   5           22          22.7%       33          198         16.5%       56          154         36.5%

  Integrated Math            1           1           100.0%      14          74          19.3%       11          47          23.4%

  Pre-algebra                65          88          73.9%       68          182         37.1%       76          142         53.5%

  Pre-calculus               3           3           100.0%      2           32          6.3%        8           35          23.2%

  Calculus Advanced                                              0           18          0.0%        5           16          31.3%
  Placement                                                                                                                  

  **Math Total**             **412**     **675**     **61.1%**   **614**     **2027**    **30.3%**   **420**     **1083**    **38.8%**

                                                                                                                             

  Biology                    19          44          43.7%       90          317         28.3%       77          231         33.3%

  Chemistry                  4           9           43.6%       48          126         38.1%       37          95          38.9%

  Earth Science              26          39          66.7%       69          129         53.5%       57          103         55.3%

  General Science            131         233         56.3%       221         772         28.7%       125         308         40.6%

  Geology                    1           1           100.0%      4           11          36.4%       5           10          50.0%

  Life Science               13          31          41.9%       48          118         40.7%       29          43          67.4%

  Physical Science           21          56          37.5%       74          188         39.5%       51          128         40.0%

  Physics                    2           11          18.2%       19          48          39.6%       11          39          28.2%

  Advanced Science           ** **       ** **       ** **       2           14          14.3%       3           20          15.4%

  **Science Total**          **217**     **424**     **51.2%**   **575**     **1722**    **33.4%**   **395**     **976**     **40.5%**

                                                                                                                             

  Grade 1                    16          39          41.0%       42          236         17.8%       26          130         20.0%

  Grade 2                    19          40          47.5%       33          192         17.2%       27          120         22.5%

  Grade 3                    17          42          40.5%       25          184         13.6%       27          124         21.8%

  Grade 4                    20          37          54.1%       22          169         13.0%       33          113         29.2%

  Grade 5                    11          33          33.3%       36          178         20.4%       35          111         31.5%

  Grade 6                    21          46          45.7%       39          141         27.7%       34          91          37.4%

  Grade 7                    20          31          64.5%       24          32          75.0%       45          52          86.5%
  (self-contained/teaching                                                                                                   
  all subjects)\*                                                                                                            

  Grade 8                    20          27          74.1%       14          21          66.7%       47          53          88.7%
  (self-contained/teaching                                                                                                   
  all subjects)\*                                                                                                            

  Multi-Grade Elementary     109         212         51.4%       146         551         26.5%       70          249         28.1%
  (grades preK-6 only)                                                                                                       

  **Elementary Total**       **253**     **507**     **49.9%**   **381**     **1704**    **22.4%**   **344**     **1043**    **33.0%**

                                                                                                                             

  English                    38          151         24.9%       197         682         28.9%       157         569         27.6%

  Language Arts              101         298         33.8%       255         987         25.9%       93          249         37.3%

  Literature                 22          43          51.2%       77          220         34.9%       36          99          36.4%

  Reading                    125         180         69.4%       217         374         58.2%       88          143         61.5%

  Speech                     0           3           0.0%        9           16          56.3%       19          29          65.5%

  Writing                    84          126         66.7%       57          165         34.5%       43          102         42.2%

  **English/Language Arts    **369**     **800**     **46.1%**   **813**     **2444**    **33.3%**   **436**     **1191**    **36.6%**
  Total**                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                             

  Geography                  26          32          81.4%       44          83          53.0%       38          51          74.5%

  History                    10          31          32.3%       65          255         25.5%       75          207         36.3%

  Political Science/Civics   16          23          69.6%       68          150         45.2%       63          127         49.6%

  Social Studies             185         264         69.9%       288         739         39.0%       129         252         51.0%

  World History              8           16          50.0%       64          151         42.6%       55          115         47.8%

  American History           17          36          47.2%       71          177         40.3%       29          96          30.2%

  Economics                  2           4           50.0%       40          63          63.5%       28          62          45.2%

  **Social Studies Total**   **264**     **407**     **64.9%**   **640**     **1618**    **39.6%**   **417**     **910**     **45.8%**

                                                                                                                             

  French                     1           2           50.0%       11          91          12.1%       35          93          37.6%

  German                     0           1           0.0%        0           21          0.0%        33          54          61.1%

  Japanese                   0           6           0.0%        11          19          57.9%       27          41          65.9%

  Russian                    2           2           100.0%      0           25          0.0%        7           13          53.8%

  Spanish                    8           21          38.1%       75          260         28.9%       93          204         45.6%

  Latin                                                          0           3           0.0%        17          27          63.0%

  Other World Language                                           5           7           71.4%       15          15          100.0%

  Chinese                                                                                            2           2           100.0%

  **Foreign/World Languages  **11**      **32**      **34.4%**   **102**     **426**     **24.0%**   **229**     **449**     **51.0%**
  Total**                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                             

  Music                      17          34          50.0%       75          391         19.2%       55          220         25.0%

  Theater                    1           3           33.3%       44          61          72.1%       24          41          58.5%

  Art                        20          47          41.9%       93          452         20.6%       61          269         22.7%

  Band                       9           24          37.5%       39          203         19.2%       23          141         16.3%

  **The Arts Totals**        **47**      **108**     **43.3%**   **251**     **1107**    **22.7%**   **163**     **671**     **24.3%**

                                                                                                                             

  Early Childhood Special    1           9           11.1%       3           7           42.9%       0           2           0.0%
  Education Teacher                                                                                                          

  Kindergarten               23          52          44.2%       37          252         14.7%       33          140         23.6%

  **Others Totals**          **24**      **61**      **39.3%**   **40**      **259**     **15.4%**   **33**      **142**     **23.2%**

                                                                                                                             

  **Total**                  **1597**    **3013**    **53.0%**   **3417**    **11307**   **30.2%**   **2437**    **6464**    **37.7%**
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As previously stated in Alaska's revised state plan, EED feels it
important to have longitudinal data in order to be able to work
effectively with its districts and meet their needs in resolving the
highly qualified teacher issue. Due to the fact that certain teachers
were allowed extra time by Secretary Paige to meet the highly qualified
requirements if they were already highly qualified in one content area
in which they taught and they taught in districts eligible for the Small
Rural Schools Achievement Act, as expected, Alaska has not met the 100%
goal for having all of its teachers highly qualified.

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development has been
improving its data collection systems for several years. The certified
staff accounting process collects information from districts regarding
their teachers in a snapshot taken on October 1 of each year. Data from
this process is used in the Consolidated State Performance Report due
each year to the federal government. The data reported on the Certified
Staff Accounting Report is un-audited survey data that reported by the
districts. This report yields the following information about teachers
in a district:

-   Gender

-   Race

-   Highest degree earned

-   Salary

-   Years of experience in the teacher's current job class

-   Job description code

-   Whether or not the teacher worked in the same job code in the same
    school site as the previous year

-   Whether or not the teacher is a new employee in the district

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to the state in the reporting year

-   Whether or not the teacher is new to his/her profession as defined
    by the job code

-   The full time equivalency (FTE) of the teacher

-   The related NCLB requirements: number of core academic courses
    taught, highly qualified status for each core academic class taught,
    the reason(s) not highly qualified

Table 6.1 shows the process EED will implement during the 2006-2007 to
insure that the highly qualified teacher data reported by LEAs is the
most up-to-date and accurate information available.

**Table 6.1** 2006-2007 Certified Staff Accounting Process

+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| Date        | Information/Product       | Responsible Entity         |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| Augus       | Information and Training  | EED---Assessment and       |
| t-September | sessions on the Certified | Accountability Division,   |
|             | Staff Accounting Report   | Teacher Certification      |
|             | for:                      | Administrator              |
|             |                           |                            |
|             | -   LEA staff responsible |                            |
|             |     for collecting        |                            |
|             |     information: Business |                            |
|             |     Office personnel, HR  |                            |
|             |     Directors             |                            |
|             |                           |                            |
|             | -   District Federal      |                            |
|             |     Program personnel     |                            |
|             |                           |                            |
|             | -   Superintendents       |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| August-June | Provide technical         | EED---Assessment and       |
| 2007        | assistance as requested   | Accountability Division,   |
|             | by LEAs: audio            | Teacher Certification      |
|             | conference; video         | Administrator              |
|             | conference; on-site       |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| October 15  | Certified Staff           | LEAs                       |
|             | Accounting Report due to  |                            |
|             | EED                       |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| Octob       | EED staff compare current | EED---Assessment and       |
| er-November | report with previous      | Accountability Division    |
|             | year's information to     |                            |
|             | check accuracy            |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| December 15 | LEAs receive Certified    | EED---Assessment and       |
|             | Staff Accounting reports  | Accountability Division    |
|             | back to make revisions    | and LEAs                   |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| January     | NCLB Winter Conference    | Teacher Certification      |
|             | presentation on Highly    | Administrator, Title II A  |
|             | Qualified Teachers        | Program Manager            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| February 15 | Revised Certified Staff   | LEAs                       |
|             | Accounting reports        |                            |
|             | returned to EED           |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| April 1     | LEAs receive Certified    | EED---Assessment and       |
|             | Staff Accounting reports  | Accountability Division    |
|             | back to make revisions    | and LEAs                   |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+
| May 15      | Revised Certified Staff   | LEAs                       |
|             | Accounting reports        |                            |
|             | returned to EED           |                            |
+-------------+---------------------------+----------------------------+

In succeeding years, EED will continue to utilize the organizational
structure in Table 6.1 to insure that all LEAs have the necessary
training and updates to provide accurate highly qualified teacher data
for the Consolidated State Performance Report submitted to USDE each
year.

Inequitable distribution of teachers is a complex issue requiring a
variety of strategies. In order to adequately address the issue, Alaska
must be able to pinpoint areas of greatest need. Without accurate data,
it is difficult to know the where teacher turnover is greatest or causes
of teacher turnover. To that end during the summer of 2005, the
following entities in Alaska became partners in a Memorandum of
Understanding for a process to build a statewide, easily updatable set
of education data useful to university schools/colleges of education,
other university researchers, and state agencies:

-   Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska
    (ISER)

-   Statewide Planning and Budget Development, Office of Institutional
    Research (UA IR)

-   Alaska Pacific University (APU)

-   Sheldon Jackson College (SJ)

-   University of Alaska Anchorage

-   University of Alaska Fairbanks

-   University of Alaska Southeast

-   Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (EED)

-   Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD)

Through participation in the process, EED will ultimately be better able
to collect accurate information concerning inequitable teacher
distribution and its causes in Alaska. Figure 1 summarizes how the data
will be collected and compiled.

Figure 1

![](media/image2.png){width="6.498611111111111in"
height="6.147916666666666in"}

Data collected through this MOU will include statewide information on:

-   factors that contribute to teacher turnover

-   which districts experience the most turnover and what contributes to
    that turnover

-   where teachers go when they leave their positions in a district,
    i.e. leave the profession, move to another district to teach, move
    to another educational position within a district or within Alaska?

-   where Alaska's teachers are prepared and the type of preparation
    program

-   the efficacy of teacher Alaska teacher preparation programs with
    regard to the needs of Alaska's schools i.e. special education
    teachers

-   the efficacy of teacher Alaska teacher preparation programs with
    regard to the preparation of Alaska Native teachers

**Table 6.2** Research-based Strategies to Ensure Equitable Distribution
of Teachers for High-Need Schools\*

+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Strategy       | Current Alaska Activities  | Looking Forward in     |
|                |                            | Alaska                 |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Offer          |                            |                        |
| financial      |                            |                        |
| incentives to  |                            |                        |
| encourage      |                            |                        |
| teachers to    |                            |                        |
| work in high   |                            |                        |
| need schools   |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | Some LEA's are using       | In those districts     |
|                | signing bonuses to attract | where NBCT's are given |
|                | teachers in the high needs | bonuses, individual    |
|                | area of Special Education. | LEAs could restrict    |
|                |                            | bonuses to NBCT's who  |
|                | Alaska Housing Finance     | agree to work in high  |
|                | Corporation (AHFC)         | need schools           |
|                | Teachers' and Nurses       |                        |
|                | Housing Loan Program: an   | Establish a link from  |
|                | add-on option to single    | the Teacher            |
|                | family loan programs to    | Certification website  |
|                | obtain 100% conventional   | to the Alaska          |
|                | financing-zero down        | Commission on          |
|                | payment to purchase,       | Postsecondary          |
|                | construct, or renovate a   | Education (ACPE)       |
|                | single-family home.        | website so that        |
|                | Qualified teachers         | prospective teachers   |
|                | eligible to use the        | could obtain           |
|                | program must be certified  | up-to-date information |
|                | educators under AS 14.20.  | on student loan        |
|                |                            | programs and Teacher   |
|                | AHFC Funding Availability  | Loan Forgiveness       |
|                | for Pre-development        | programs for teaching  |
|                | program for Teacher,       | in high need schools.  |
|                | Health Professional,       |                        |
|                | Public Safety, Senior and  | EED could encourage    |
|                | Special Needs Housing. Is  | the universities in    |
|                | a grant program currently  | Alaska to participate  |
|                | open for proposals related | in the Robert Noyce    |
|                | to the development of      | Scholarship Program    |
|                | decent, safe, and sanitary | through NSF and        |
|                | rental housing in Alaska   | encourage talented     |
|                | for the aforementioned     | STEM majors to become  |
|                | populations, in accordance | K-12 math and science  |
|                | with applicable laws and   | teachers in high needs |
|                | regulations.               | LEAs                   |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Alaska has 66 Troops to    |                        |
|                | Teachers working in 11     |                        |
|                | school districts           |                        |
|                | throughout the state.      |                        |
|                | Troops to Teachers assists |                        |
|                | military personnel in      |                        |
|                | making successful          |                        |
|                | transitions to a second    |                        |
|                | career in public, K-12,    |                        |
|                | education as teachers. 37  |                        |
|                | of Alaska's Troops to      |                        |
|                | Teachers have received a   |                        |
|                | combined total of over     |                        |
|                | \$208,000 in bonuses and   |                        |
|                | stipends to encourage them |                        |
|                | to remain teaching in      |                        |
|                | those areas where they are |                        |
|                | most needed.               |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Pay for        |                            |                        |
| performance    |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | House Bill 13 established  | After the current      |
|                | the Alaska School          | three year             |
|                | Performance Incentive      | authorization, EED     |
|                | Program for the next three | staff could go back to |
|                | school years, to sunset on | the Legislature and    |
|                | June 20, 2009. The bill    | ask for an additional  |
|                | authorizes payouts for up  | appropriation in order |
|                | to 850 certificated        | to expand the program  |
|                | employees annually and for | to target high need    |
|                | the support staff in their | schools within the     |
|                | schools                    | state.                 |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Funded up to \$5.8 million |                        |
|                | annually, the program      |                        |
|                | financially rewards all of |                        |
|                | the staff in a school      |                        |
|                | whose students             |                        |
|                | significantly improve in   |                        |
|                | reading, writing and math  |                        |
|                | compared with the same     |                        |
|                | students' performance the  |                        |
|                | previous year. Teachers,   |                        |
|                | administrators and         |                        |
|                | district central office    |                        |
|                | staff members can receive  |                        |
|                | up to \$5,500, and support |                        |
|                | staff can receive up to    |                        |
|                | \$2,500.                   |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Require and    |                            |                        |
| fund mentoring |                            |                        |
| and induction  |                            |                        |
| programs       |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | Alaska's Statewide         | EED may want to        |
|                | Mentoring Project (ASMP)   | consider requiring all |
|                | has been in effect since   | new teachers in high   |
|                | the 2004-2005 school year. | need LEAs to have a    |
|                | Aimed at teachers who are  | mentor from the        |
|                | new to Alaska, new to      | Statewide Mentor       |
|                | teaching or both the       | Project                |
|                | project reached:           |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   339 teachers in 31     |                        |
|                |     districts during the   |                        |
|                |     2004-2005 school year  |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   381 teachers in 36     |                        |
|                |     districts during the   |                        |
|                |     2005-2006 school year  |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   It is anticipated      |                        |
|                |     approximately 450      |                        |
|                |     teachers in 40 school  |                        |
|                |     districts will have    |                        |
|                |     mentors during the     |                        |
|                |     2006-2007 school year. |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | 11 of the 15 high need     |                        |
|                | LEAs identified under      |                        |
|                | Section 2102 of Title II   |                        |
|                | Part A have participated   |                        |
|                | in the ASMP.               |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Findings from research     |                        |
|                | done on the project        |                        |
|                | included the following     |                        |
|                | data:                      |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   77% of beginning       |                        |
|                |     teachers who           |                        |
|                |     participated in the    |                        |
|                |     ASMP were planning to  |                        |
|                |     return to the same     |                        |
|                |     school and/or school   |                        |
|                |     district.              |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   82% of new teachers    |                        |
|                |     who received mentoring |                        |
|                |     were planning to       |                        |
|                |     return to teaching in  |                        |
|                |     Alaska.                |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | The Alaska Legislature in  |                        |
|                | 2006 appropriated XXX for  |                        |
|                | the Statewide Mentoring    |                        |
|                | Project to increase the    |                        |
|                | number of teachers served. |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Support the    |                            |                        |
| development of |                            |                        |
| high-quality   |                            |                        |
| alternative    |                            |                        |
| route programs |                            |                        |
| to create a    |                            |                        |
| pool of        |                            |                        |
| teachers       |                            |                        |
| specifically   |                            |                        |
| for high needs |                            |                        |
| schools        |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | Alaska law AS 14.20.022    | EED will work with the |
|                | subject matter expert      | Anchorage School       |
|                | limited teacher            | District to adapt the  |
|                | certificate provides that  | Anchorage model for    |
|                | subject matter experts who | the preparation of     |
|                | have a major in a content  | special education      |
|                | area and are currently     | teachers to allow more |
|                | enrolled in a teacher      | LEA's to able to       |
|                | preparation program be     | utilize it in          |
|                | able to teach in the       | succeeding years.      |
|                | subject area of their      |                        |
|                | expertise and earn credit  | EED continues work on  |
|                | toward tenure as well as   | an alternate route to  |
|                | pay into the Teachers'     | certification for      |
|                | Retirement System.         | other high needs       |
|                |                            | areas.                 |
|                | During the 2006-2007       |                        |
|                | school year, the Anchorage |                        |
|                | School District and EED    |                        |
|                | staff are creating and     |                        |
|                | implementing a             |                        |
|                | standards-based alternate  |                        |
|                | route to prepare highly    |                        |
|                | qualified special          |                        |
|                | education teachers in      |                        |
|                | Anchorage. The first phase |                        |
|                | would focus on highly      |                        |
|                | qualified teachers who     |                        |
|                | want to be special         |                        |
|                | education teachers.        |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Rehire retired |                            |                        |
| teachers       |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | Alaska law, AS 14.20.135   | EED will work with     |
|                | Employment of retired      | LEAs to insure         |
|                | teachers because of        | teachers are highly    |
|                | shortages provides         | qualified in the area  |
|                | districts the ability to   | they will be teaching  |
|                | declare a shortage area in | prior to being hired   |
|                | a particular discipline or | under this program.    |
|                | specialty and rehire       |                        |
|                | retired teachers who are   |                        |
|                | qualified to teach in the  |                        |
|                | discipline or specialty.   |                        |
|                | Rehired teachers have      |                        |
|                | several options under the  |                        |
|                | law to be able to work     |                        |
|                | without losing their       |                        |
|                | retirement benefits.       |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Grow-your-own  |                            |                        |
| teachers       |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | The Statewide Future       | EED will work with the |
|                | Teachers of Alaska Program | Anchorage School       |
|                | is a partnership with the  | District to            |
|                | Alaska Federation of       | collaborate on a model |
|                | Natives, Alaska Teacher    | for the preparation of |
|                | Placement, University of   | paraprofessionals who  |
|                | Alaska Statewide, and      | already have a         |
|                | three, high need LEA's in  | baccalaureate degree   |
|                | rural Alaska: Lower        | who want to become     |
|                | Kuskokwim School District, | special education      |
|                | Bering Strait School       | teachers. Once the     |
|                | District, and Nome Public  | model is established   |
|                | Schools. The FTA partner   | in Anchorage, it may   |
|                | school districts agreed to | be possible to use the |
|                | pilot future teacher clubs | model in other LEAs    |
|                | to "grow-their-own"        | with qualified         |
|                | teachers. Each partner     | paraprofessionals who  |
|                | school district creates    | want to be teachers in |
|                | local future teacher clubs | either special         |
|                | that address their unique  | education or regular   |
|                | educational needs and      | education.             |
|                | resources available within |                        |
|                | their school, community    | Establishing a link    |
|                | and district.              | between the EED and    |
|                |                            | ACPE web sites would   |
|                | The Preparing Indigenous   | allow prospective      |
|                | Teachers for Alaskan       | teachers in Alaska as  |
|                | Schools (PITAS) is a       | well as those who hold |
|                | federally funded program   | Carl Perkins loans to  |
|                | whose goal is to increase  | find options to help   |
|                | the number of Alaska       | finance their          |
|                | Native teachers and        | educations.            |
|                | administrators in Alaska   |                        |
|                | Schools by increasing the  |                        |
|                | participation of Alaska    |                        |
|                | Native students in teacher |                        |
|                | education programs at the  |                        |
|                | University of Alaska       |                        |
|                | Southeast by 100%. The     |                        |
|                | program offers             |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   A high school          |                        |
|                |     component              |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   A summer institute     |                        |
|                |     prior to coming to     |                        |
|                |     campus                 |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   A scholarship          |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   Mentors                |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   Cultural infusion      |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   A year-long            |                        |
|                |     foundations course to  |                        |
|                |     build leadership       |                        |
|                |     skills and Native      |                        |
|                |     identity.              |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Indian Education           |                        |
|                | Professional Development   |                        |
|                | Grants: Project ENHANCE    |                        |
|                | (Increasing \# of          |                        |
|                | certified Alaska Native or |                        |
|                | American Indian teachers   |                        |
|                | --rural and urban Interior |                        |
|                | AK\[2005\]                 |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | UAF SOE\--Train teacher    |                        |
|                | aides as elementary        |                        |
|                | teachers (17 students more |                        |
|                | than half done with        |                        |
|                | teacher prep); establish   |                        |
|                | partnership with WGU for   |                        |
|                | secondary math, science,   |                        |
|                | social science (3          |                        |
|                | students)                  |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Established by the Alaska  |                        |
|                | Legislature, the Teacher   |                        |
|                | Education Loan (TEL)       |                        |
|                | encourages Alaska high     |                        |
|                | school graduates to pursue |                        |
|                | teaching careers and to    |                        |
|                | teach in Alaska rural      |                        |
|                | elementary and secondary   |                        |
|                | schools. Rural school      |                        |
|                | districts annually         |                        |
|                | nominate Alaskans for TEL  |                        |
|                | based on high school       |                        |
|                | academic performance and   |                        |
|                | the students\' intent to   |                        |
|                | teach in a rural Alaska    |                        |
|                | school. Loans are forgiven |                        |
|                | in whole or part if the    |                        |
|                | graduate teaches in rural  |                        |
|                | Alaska.                    |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | In 2005-2006 351 of        |                        |
|                | Alaska's 500+ schools were |                        |
|                | considered as eligible for |                        |
|                | Teacher Loan Cancellation  |                        |
|                | under the Federal Perkins  |                        |
|                | Loan Teacher Cancellation. |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Improve        |                            |                        |
| working        |                            |                        |
| conditions to  |                            |                        |
| retain         |                            |                        |
| teachers       |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| -   Improve    | Begun during the 2004-2005 |                        |
|                | school year, the purpose   |                        |
| administrative | of The Alaska Principal    |                        |
|     support    | Coaching Project is to     |                        |
|     and        | prepare principals to      |                        |
|     leadership | become effective           |                        |
|                | instructional leaders and  |                        |
|                | assist in attracting and   |                        |
|                | retaining principals in    |                        |
|                | the education profession   |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   During the 2004-2005   |                        |
|                |     school year, seven     |                        |
|                |     principal coaches      |                        |
|                |     working with 45 school |                        |
|                |     administrators in 25   |                        |
|                |     school districts.      |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   During the 2005-2006   |                        |
|                |     school year, nine      |                        |
|                |     principal coaches      |                        |
|                |     worked with 81         |                        |
|                |     principals in 27       |                        |
|                |     school districts.      |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   During the 2006-2007   |                        |
|                |     school year, it is     |                        |
|                |     anticipated that nine  |                        |
|                |     coaches will work with |                        |
|                |     100 principals in 30   |                        |
|                |     districts.             |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| -   Improve    | EED has an annual process  | As part of EED         |
|     physical   | by which school districts  | technical assistance   |
|     working    | can submit school          | for high need LEAs,    |
|     conditions | construction and major     | EED staff will work    |
|     and        | maintenance projects to    | with LEAs on ways to   |
|     resources  | the department.  The       | improve working        |
|                | department reviews and     | conditions and         |
|                | prioritizes all projects   | resources for their    |
|                | and submits them to the    | teachers.              |
|                | governor and the           |                        |
|                | legislature for funding    | -   Adjust planning    |
|                | consideration.             |     time so that       |
|                |                            |     teachers of the    |
|                |                            |     same content or    |
|                |                            |     grade level have   |
|                |                            |     the same planning  |
|                |                            |     time               |
|                |                            |                        |
|                |                            | -   Adjust the start   |
|                |                            |     times or ending    |
|                |                            |     times of school to |
|                |                            |     allow partial days |
|                |                            |     during the month   |
|                |                            |     for collaborative  |
|                |                            |     planning among     |
|                |                            |     teachers           |
|                |                            |                        |
|                |                            | -                      |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| -   Improve    | Alaska has the following   |                        |
|     school     | in place to support safe   |                        |
|     safety and | and disciplined schools:   |                        |
|     discipline |                            |                        |
|                | -   State staff review     |                        |
|                |     requests for Title IVA |                        |
|                |     funding and approve    |                        |
|                |     expenditures that are  |                        |
|                |     supported by data so   |                        |
|                |     funding is directed to |                        |
|                |     highest areas of need  |                        |
|                |     for safety.            |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State Statute AS       |                        |
|                |     14.03.160 Suspension   |                        |
|                |     or expulsion of        |                        |
|                |     students for           |                        |
|                |     possessing weapons --  |                        |
|                |     provides for the       |                        |
|                |     exclusion of students  |                        |
|                |     who bring weapons to   |                        |
|                |     schools.               |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State Statute AS       |                        |
|                |     14.30.045 Grounds for  |                        |
|                |     suspension or denial   |                        |
|                |     of admission --        |                        |
|                |     provides for the       |                        |
|                |     exclusion of students  |                        |
|                |     who pose a risk to     |                        |
|                |     safety.                |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State Statute AS       |                        |
|                |     14.33.010-14.33.150    |                        |
|                |     School Safety and      |                        |
|                |     Discipline -- provides |                        |
|                |     for safe and           |                        |
|                |     disciplined schools    |                        |
|                |     through school safety  |                        |
|                |     patrols.               |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State Statute AS       |                        |
|                |     14.33.100 Required     |                        |
|                |     school crisis response |                        |
|                |     planning -- provides   |                        |
|                |     for school safety      |                        |
|                |     through planning and   |                        |
|                |     training at the school |                        |
|                |     level.                 |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State Statute AS       |                        |
|                |     14.33-110-14.33.140    |                        |
|                |     School Disciplinary    |                        |
|                |     and safety program --  |                        |
|                |     provides for safe and  |                        |
|                |     disciplined schools    |                        |
|                |     through standards of   |                        |
|                |     behavior and classroom |                        |
|                |     safety measures.       |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State staff collect    |                        |
|                |     suspension and         |                        |
|                |     expulsion data from    |                        |
|                |     all schools in the     |                        |
|                |     state to analyze and   |                        |
|                |     report for             |                        |
|                |     Persistently Dangerous |                        |
|                |     Schools reporting, and |                        |
|                |     Federal and State      |                        |
|                |     Reporting              |                        |
|                |     requirements.  Data is |                        |
|                |     utilized to inform     |                        |
|                |     decisions on funding   |                        |
|                |     and staff training.    |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   State teams are formed |                        |
|                |     to help respond to     |                        |
|                |     major school safety    |                        |
|                |     events, such as a      |                        |
|                |     school shooting or     |                        |
|                |     major school safety.   |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   The Anchorage Safe and |                        |
|                |     Drug-Free Schools      |                        |
|                |     Program supports a     |                        |
|                |     major effort to keep   |                        |
|                |     their schools safe and |                        |
|                |     disciplined with their |                        |
|                |     successful Resolving   |                        |
|                |     Conflict Creatively    |                        |
|                |     Program, a             |                        |
|                |     researched-based       |                        |
|                |     program.  Anchorage    |                        |
|                |     also has developed     |                        |
|                |     Social Emotional       |                        |
|                |     Learning Standards for |                        |
|                |     all their students to  |                        |
|                |     keep schools and       |                        |
|                |     students safe and      |                        |
|                |     healthy.               |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | -   The Juneau Effective   |                        |
|                |     Prevention Program     |                        |
|                |     (JEPP) utilizes        |                        |
|                |     research-based         |                        |
|                |     strategies under their |                        |
|                |     Safe Schools/Healthy   |                        |
|                |     Students funding to    |                        |
|                |     combine school and     |                        |
|                |     community prevention   |                        |
|                |     efforts to best meet   |                        |
|                |     the needs of their     |                        |
|                |     student population in  |                        |
|                |     keeping schools        |                        |
|                |     healthy places to      |                        |
|                |     learn.                 |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | Alaska is also in the      |                        |
|                | planning phase to meet     |                        |
|                | with district              |                        |
|                | representatives during the |                        |
|                | 2006-2007 school year to   |                        |
|                | review local and state     |                        |
|                | data around safety issues  |                        |
|                | and identify additional    |                        |
|                | supportive programming and |                        |
|                | trainings.                 |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Adopt policies |                            |                        |
| to increase    |                            |                        |
| the number of  |                            |                        |
| NBCT's in      |                            |                        |
| high-needs     |                            |                        |
| schools        |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | During the 2006-2007       |                        |
|                | funding cycle for stipends |                        |
|                | for teachers attempting    |                        |
|                | National Board             |                        |
|                | Certification, Alaska will |                        |
|                | grant stipends only to     |                        |
|                | teachers who are working   |                        |
|                | in high needs schools.     |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Provide        |                            |                        |
| intensive      |                            |                        |
| professional   |                            |                        |
| development in |                            |                        |
| core academic  |                            |                        |
| content to     |                            |                        |
| teachers       |                            |                        |
| currently      |                            |                        |
| working in     |                            |                        |
| high-need      |                            |                        |
| schools.       |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | EED helps provide funding  | Expand this type of    |
|                | for a partnership of the   | program into other     |
|                | University of Alaska       | high need content      |
|                | Anchorage College of Arts  | areas through a        |
|                | and Sciences , the Alaska  | variety of             |
|                | Native Science and         | partnerships to        |
|                | Engineering Program and    | provide the content    |
|                | the College of Education   | area instruction.      |
|                | to offer summer intensives |                        |
|                | for Physics, Chemistry and | Several high need LEAs |
|                | Trigonometry for teachers  | currently utilize      |
|                | to develop their content   | videoconferencing      |
|                | knowledge in those areas   | technology to deliver  |
|                |                            | core academic          |
|                | Alaska participates in the | instruction by a       |
|                | following federally-funded | highly qualified       |
|                | grant programs under Title | teacher to smaller     |
|                | II A: Improving Teacher    | schools within their   |
|                | Quality State Grants-      | districts. EED         |
|                | Agencies for Higher Ed     | believes this delivery |
|                | (SAHE) in the Request for  | method provides a      |
|                | Proposal phase; and the    | means to strengthen    |
|                | Math Science Partnership   | the content knowledge  |
|                | Grant (MSP) \[2006\]       | of teachers in small   |
|                | awarded to the University  | rural schools as they  |
|                | of Alaska Fairbanks        | work with the students |
|                | Geophysical Institute in   | who receive this       |
|                | partnership with the       | instruction.           |
|                | Alaska Science Consortium  |                        |
|                | for the Science Teacher    |                        |
|                | Education Program (STEP).  |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
| Ensure that    |                            |                        |
| teachers have  |                            |                        |
| the            |                            |                        |
| preparation    |                            |                        |
| and training   |                            |                        |
| that they need |                            |                        |
| to work with   |                            |                        |
| diverse        |                            |                        |
| learners and   |                            |                        |
| their          |                            |                        |
| families.      |                            |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+
|                | Alaska law AS 14.20.020    |                        |
|                | requires all teachers      |                        |
|                | complete three semester    |                        |
|                | hours of Alaska studies    |                        |
|                | coursework and three       |                        |
|                | semester hours of          |                        |
|                | multicultural coursework   |                        |
|                | within two years of their  |                        |
|                | initial certification.     |                        |
|                | These courses are          |                        |
|                | available through a        |                        |
|                | variety of delivery        |                        |
|                | methods including online   |                        |
|                | from Alaska's universities |                        |
|                | and colleges.              |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | The Alaska Rural Systemic  |                        |
|                | Initiative and Native      |                        |
|                | villages in the five       |                        |
|                | regions of the state have  |                        |
|                | collaborated on culture    |                        |
|                | camps that help non-native |                        |
|                | teachers incorporate       |                        |
|                | Native ways of knowing     |                        |
|                | into the curriculum.       |                        |
|                | Initially funded through   |                        |
|                | the Alaska Rural Systemic  |                        |
|                | Initiative, districts some |                        |
|                | districts have opted to    |                        |
|                | continue them. The camps   |                        |
|                | are held in the summer and |                        |
|                | teachers, Native elders    |                        |
|                | and students attend.       |                        |
|                |                            |                        |
|                | The Alaska State Board of  |                        |
|                | Education & Early          |                        |
|                | Development endorsed the   |                        |
|                | Alaska Standards for       |                        |
|                | Culturally Responsive      |                        |
|                | Schools as a way to        |                        |
|                | further the recognition of |                        |
|                | the diversity within       |                        |
|                | Alaska and address the     |                        |
|                | needs of students from     |                        |
|                | diverse backgrounds.       |                        |
+----------------+----------------------------+------------------------+

\* Alaska thanks CCSSO for information used to complete the equity plan.

It is clear that Alaska needs to address issues around ensuring there is
equal access to highly qualified teachers in the small rural schools in
the state. However, at this time, the Alaska data do not clearly
indicate there is a high correlation between having a highly qualified
teacher and making AYP. EED feels that a key issue lies in the retention
of teachers in our rural areas and will work with LEAs as they are
monitored to address this issue with the LEAs. As noted earlier in the
revised state plan, it is difficult to determine whether the cause of a
lack of highly qualified teachers has to do more with location or the
fact that in the smaller rural schools there are very few teachers to
address all core content areas. To that end EED will continue to work
with districts to find creative solutions to the lack of numbers of
highly qualified teachers available to teach in the rural areas.

While issues surrounding highly qualified teachers are relatively new to
Alaska, the issue of attracting and keeping teachers is not. Efforts
have been underway in Alaska to try to get the most up-to-date
information about teaching and living in Alaska where prospective
teachers can find it. The Teacher Certification web site and the Alaska
Teacher Placement website have links to each other to help prospective
teachers learn more about teaching in Alaska from finding a teaching
position in Alaska to certification requirements. One of the resources
for prospective teachers, on the Alaska Teacher Placement web site
www.alaskateacher.org is a link to the State of Alaska Department of
Community and Economic Affairs. This link allows prospective teachers to
learn about the communities in Alaska and make informed decisions
regarding where they would like to teach. This will hopefully aid the
state's efforts regarding the issue of teacher retention in our high
need LEAs. One of the challenges facing teachers in both rural and urban
Alaska is affordable housing. Representatives from the Teachers' and
Nurses" Loan Program participated this past year in the Alaska Teacher
Placement Job Fair held in Anchorage. Establishing a link between the
AHFC web site and the Teacher Certification web site housed at the
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development could attract
prospective teachers to areas of the state they might not have
considered otherwise.

Alaska is hopeful that it will achieve the highly qualified teacher
goals of the No Child Left Behind Act by drawing together resources,
agencies, and programs within the state as well as those available
nationally to address the issue.

References used in Preparation of Alaska's Equity Plan:

Feistritzer, C.E. *Profile of Troops to Teachers*. Washington, DC:
National Center for Education Information.
http://www.teach-now.org/NCEI_TT_v3.pdf

Hill, A., Hirshberg, D., (2006). [Alaska Teacher Supply and Demand 2005
Update]{.underline}. Institute of Social and Economic Research:
University of Alaska Anchorage.

Moir, E., Gless, J. Quality Induction: An Investment in Teachers. The
New Teacher Center. Santa Cruz, California.

Peske. H., Haycock, K., (2006). [Teaching Inequality: How Poor and
Minority Students are Shortchanged on Teacher Quality.]{.underline} The
Education Trust. Washington, D.C..

Prince, C. (forthcoming). Building Partnerships to Achieve Equity in
Teacher Distribution. Washington, D.C.: Council of Chief State School
Officers.