32-LS0250\B
SENATE BILL NO. 42
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE - FIRST SESSION
BY SENATOR HUGHES
Introduced: 1/25/21
Referred: Education, Finance
A BILL
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED
1 "An Act relating to early education programs provided by school districts; relating to
2 course credit for students; relating to annual reports regarding school district
3 performance and school district employees; relating to school age eligibility; relating to
4 funding for early education programs; establishing early education programs and a
5 voluntary parent program; relating to the duties and powers of the Department of
6 Education and Early Development; relating to school operating fund reserves; relating
7 to certification of teachers; relating to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission;
8 relating to a virtual education consortium; establishing a reading intervention program
9 for public school students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; establishing a
10 reading program in the Department of Education and Early Development; establishing
11 a teacher retention working group; and providing for an effective date."
12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
SB0042A -1- SB 42
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 * Section 1. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section
2 to read:
3 SHORT TITLE. This Act may be known as the Alaska Reading and Virtual Education
4 Act.
5 * Sec. 2. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
6 read:
7 LEGISLATIVE INTENT. It is the intent of the legislature that each school district
8 consider adopting a policy to limit student-to-teaching-staff ratios for grades kindergarten
9 through three.
10 * Sec. 3. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to
11 read:
12 LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. The legislature finds that
13 (1) virtual education allows students to access courses that are not otherwise
14 available in their local schools or school districts, including courses that are relevant to the
15 interests and career paths of students;
16 (2) virtual education provides students with access to teachers who are experts
17 in their fields, allowing for better instruction and better academic results;
18 (3) overall state spending on education does not correlate with improved
19 academic results; however, spending on quality classroom instruction does correlate with
20 improved academic results;
21 (4) access to quality classroom instruction, whether through virtual education
22 or traditional delivery modes, is important for the success of every student in the state;
23 (5) despite the benefits of virtual education, virtual education has limitations
24 and cannot replace high-quality teachers and teaching aides in the classroom who inspire
25 high-quality student learning.
26 * Sec. 4. AS 14.03.060(e) is amended to read:
27 (e) In addition to the grades enumerated in (a) of this section, an elementary
28 school consists of an early education [A PRE-ELEMENTARY] program approved
29 or supervised by the department under AS 14.07.020(a)(8), including a program
30 operated by a head start agency [THE DEPARTMENT] as a head start program
31 under 42 U.S.C. 9831 - 9852c [AS 14.38.010, OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC
SB 42 -2- SB0042A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 SCHOOL FOR FEDERAL FUNDING PURPOSES. EXCEPT FOR A CHILD WITH
2 A DISABILITY WHO IS RECEIVING SPECIAL EDUCATION OR RELATED
3 SERVICES UNDER AS 14.30.180 - 14.30.350, PRE-ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
4 MAY NOT BE COUNTED IN A SCHOOL'S AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP
5 UNDER AS 14.17].
6 * Sec. 5. AS 14.03.072(a) is amended to read:
7 (a) Each school district shall annually provide to parents and guardians of
8 students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three in a public school in the state
9 current information on the importance of early reading [LITERACY], including
10 (1) intervention strategies and reading intervention services
11 provided under AS 14.30.765;
12 (2) home reading [LITERACY] plans;
13 (3) grade retention standards and policies for the elementary school
14 attended;
15 (4) strategies and resources to help children learn to read.
16 * Sec. 6. AS 14.03.073(a) is amended to read:
17 (a) A school district shall provide the opportunity for students enrolled in
18 grades nine through 12 in the district to challenge one or more courses provided by the
19 district by demonstrating mastery in mathematics, language arts, science, social
20 studies, and world languages at the level of the course challenged. A school district
21 shall give full credit for a course to a student who successfully challenges that course
22 as provided under (b) of this section.
23 * Sec. 7. AS 14.03.073(b) is amended to read:
24 (b) A school district shall establish, within a reasonable time, an assessment
25 tool and a standard for demonstrating mastery in courses provided for students in
26 grades nine through 12 by the district under (a) of this section. This section does not
27 require a school district to establish an assessment tool for every course in
28 mathematics, language arts, science, social studies, and world languages that is offered
29 to students in grades nine through 12 by the district.
30 * Sec. 8. AS 14.03.073 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
31 (e) In addition to providing the opportunity for a student to challenge a course
SB0042A -3- SB 42
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 under (a) - (c) of this section, a school district shall allow a student enrolled in grades
2 nine through 12 to receive course credit in career and technical education, physical
3 education, music, or art if the student participates in an activity, including a cultural
4 activity, outside of school hours that the school district determines meets the
5 educational or physical activity requirements of the course. A school district may
6 adopt standards for awarding course credit for an activity under this subsection.
7 * Sec. 9. AS 14.03.078(a) is amended to read:
8 (a) The department shall provide to the legislature and school districts by
9 February 15 of each year by electronic means an annual report regarding the progress
10 of each school and school district toward high academic performance by all students.
11 The report required under this section must include
12 (1) information described under AS 14.03.120 [AS 14.03.120(d)];
13 (2) progress of the department
14 (A) toward implementing the school accountability provisions
15 of AS 14.03.123; and
16 (B) in assisting high schools to become accredited;
17 (3) a description of the resources provided to each school and school
18 district for coordinated school improvement activities and staff training in each school
19 and school district;
20 (4) each school district's and each school's progress in aligning
21 curriculum with state education performance standards;
22 (5) a description of the efforts by the department to assist a public
23 school or district that receives a low performance designation under AS 14.03.123;
24 (6) a description of intervention efforts by each school district and
25 school for students who are not meeting state performance standards; [AND]
26 (7) the number and percentage of turnover in certificated personnel and
27 superintendents;
28 (8) a summary of the categories of certificated administrative
29 employees employed by each school district that includes the ratio of
30 (A) the number of certificated administrative employees in
31 each category employed by each school district compared to the number
SB 42 -4- SB0042A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 of students enrolled in the school district on October 1 of the previous
2 year;
3 (B) the total number of certificated administrative
4 employees employed by each school district compared to the total number
5 of teachers employed by the school district on October 1 of the previous
6 year; and
7 (C) the total number of teachers employed by each school
8 district compared to the total number of students enrolled in the school
9 district on October 1 of the previous year;
10 (9) the progress made to implement the reading intervention
11 programs established under AS 14.30.760 - 14.30.775, including data on how
12 school districts are using in-service days for professional development in reading
13 instruction; and
14 (10) the effectiveness and participation rates of the parents as
15 teachers program established under AS 14.03.420, including measures of
16 efficiency and effectiveness that demonstrate the effects of the program on school
17 readiness.
18 * Sec. 10. AS 14.03.078 is amended by adding new subsections to read:
19 (c) Each school district shall make available to the public the portion of the
20 report under (a)(8) of this section that pertains to the school district by posting the
21 information in a prominent location on the school district's or local community's
22 Internet website or by another easily accessible method.
23 (d) In this section, "administrative employee" means an employee who does
24 not provide direct classroom instruction for students as a regular part of the
25 employee's job.
26 * Sec. 11. AS 14.03.080(d) is amended to read:
27 (d) A child who is five years of age on or before June 1 preceding
28 [SEPTEMBER 1 FOLLOWING] the beginning of the school year, and who is under
29 school age, may enter a public school kindergarten. A school district may waive the
30 requirements of this subsection for a child who achieves a passing score on an
31 assessment approved by the department.
SB0042A -5- SB 42
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 * Sec. 12. AS 14.03.080 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
2 (g) A child who is at least four, but not more than five, years of age on or
3 before June 1 preceding the beginning of the school year and who has not attended a
4 public school kindergarten may enter a public school early education program.
5 * Sec. 13. AS 14.03.120 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
6 (h) To the extent allowable under state and federal privacy laws, each district
7 shall annually report to the department information from the previous school year
8 regarding
9 (1) the number of students and teaching staff assigned to each
10 classroom in grades kindergarten through three;
11 (2) the number and percentage of students
12 (A) in grades kindergarten through three who demonstrated
13 improvement on expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or
14 assessment tool;
15 (B) in grades kindergarten through three who performed below
16 expected grade-level skills on the statewide screening or assessment tool, by
17 grade;
18 (C) retained in grades kindergarten through three;
19 (D) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills
20 for grade progression based on the statewide screening or assessment tool;
21 (E) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills
22 for grade progression based on an alternative standardized reading screening or
23 assessment;
24 (F) in grade three who demonstrated sufficient reading skills
25 for grade progression based on a student reading portfolio;
26 (G) in grade three who progressed to grade four based on a
27 good cause exemption under AS 14.30.765(g);
28 (3) the performance on the statewide screening or assessment tool of
29 students in a grade above grade three who were retained in grade three under
30 AS 14.30.765(e) or who progressed to grade four based on a good cause exemption
31 under AS 14.30.765(g).
SB 42 -6- SB0042A
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 * Sec. 14. AS 14.03 is amended by adding new sections to read:
2 Article 4. Early Education.
3 Sec. 14.03.410. Early education programs; grants. (a) The department shall
4 provide training and assist districts in the development of early education programs,
5 and shall approve early education programs that meet the standards adopted by the
6 board under AS 14.07.165(a)(5). If the department determines that the district's early
7 education program complies with the standards, the department shall approve the early
8 education program. If the department determines that the district's early education
9 program does not comply with the standards, the department shall provide assistance
10 to the district to improve the early education program to meet the standards.
11 (b) The department may award a grant to an eligible district to provide
12 funding for a three-year period for the development of a district-wide early education
13 program. At the end of the three-year grant period, the department shall assess the
14 district's early education program and determine whether the program complies with
15 the standards adopted under AS 14.07.165(a)(5).
16 (c) The department shall rank the performance of all districts in the state in
17 accordance with the accountability system and performance designations required
18 under AS 14.03.123. The department shall divide all districts into six groups based on
19 performance ranking. Each group of districts is eligible for a three-year grant in the
20 following fiscal years:
21 (1) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021, the lowest performing 10
22 percent of districts;
23 (2) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, the second lowest
24 performing 15 percent of districts;
25 (3) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023, the third lowest
26 performing 15 percent of districts;
27 (4) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, the third highest
28 performing 20 percent of districts;
29 (5) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, the second highest
30 performing 20 percent of districts;
31 (6) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, the highest performing
SB0042A -7- SB 42
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]
 32-LS0250\B
1 20 percent of districts.
2 (d) In each fiscal year, the department may award a three-year grant to a
3 district that applies in a format prescribed by the department and that is in a group of
4 districts that
5 (1) is eligible for a grant during that fiscal year under (c) of this
6 section; or
7