ESEA FLEXIBILITY WAIVER

1. ESEA FLEXIBILITY WAIVER Principle 1 – College & Career Ready Standards and Assessments Alaska’s Initial DRAFT Proposal August 2, 2012 Alaska Department of Education & Early Development

2. Principle 1: College- and Career-Ready Expectations for All Students Requirements for waiver: • Adopt college- and career-ready (CCR) standards in at least reading/language arts and mathematics (not required to adopt Common Core standards; state’s standards would need approval from Institutions of Higher Education that students who meet standards would not need remediation in college) • Transition to and implementation of CCR standards • Develop and administer statewide, aligned, high-quality assessments that measure student growth • Adopt English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards for English Learners that correspond to the state’s new CCR standards and develop aligned ELP assessments

3. College & Career Ready Standards • College & Career Ready standards in English Language Arts and Math adopted by State Board of Education on June 8, 2012 • State received Letter of support from University of Alaska president certifying that students who meet new standards will not need remedial coursework at the postsecondary level • Standards have same depth and rigor as the common core standards adopted by other states

4. Transition to College & Career Ready Standards • Process of transition to new standards • Phase I: Increase awareness of new standards – provide awareness campaign and tools to support transition • Phase II: Transition to new standards - provide support for curriculum alignment to and instruction in new standards • Phase III: Full implementation of new standards - continue support for instruction of students based on new standards

5. Timeline for Transition • SY 2012-2013 – Conduct awareness campaign and provide tools to support transition to new standards • SY 2013-2014 – Provide support for curriculum alignment and changes in instructional practices to new standards • SY 2014-2015 – Continue support for instruction in new standards. • SY 2015-2016 – Continue support for instruction in new standards.

6. Tools to Support Transition • Awareness Phase • Standards Organizational Charts – ELA & Math • Guide to Reading the Standards – ELA & Math • Treasure Hunts - Alaska ELA and Math Standards • Jeopardy Review Game - new Alaska Standards • Measuring Text Complexity: Three Factors – ELA • New Math Content Standards Overview • Math Glossaries including K-5 operation tables • Alaska Standards documents (ELA, Math & Literacy) • Literacy Blueprint Crosswalk – Alaska ELA Standards Alignment Study • Webinar Series - New Standards Overview, ELA & Math • Teacher and Parent Guides to New Alaska Standards

7. Tools to Support Transition • Transition phase • District Leaders Guide to the new Alaska ELA and Math Standards • Comparison Tools For Standards Transition (New Standards & GLEs) • High School Courses and Sequences Guidance – Math • New Alaska Standards Self-Assessment • Webinar Series • Comparison Tool for Standards Transition • 5 Components of Rigorous Reading Instruction • Understanding Text Complexity – ELA • Reading Basal Alignment Tool – ELA • Math Practices Overview and Resources • New Math Content Standards Overview

8. Tools to Support Transition • Transition and Implementation Phases • Webinars • Transition Tools Webinars • Content Specific Webinars • Conferences/Events • Curriculum Alignment Institute • Summer Literacy Institute • Alaska Reading Course • EED Conference Calendar – additional events

9. Assessments • New assessments must be high-quality, aligned to the standards, and be able to measure student growth • Timeline • Field test new test items and item types based on new standards in current Standards Based Assessments (SBAs) beginning with spring 2013 assessment • Implement new assessments based on new standards in 2015-2016 • Options • Participate in or use assessments created by one of the 2 assessment consortia (PARRC or Smarter Balanced) • Create Alaska specific assessment

10. English Learners • Adopt English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards for English learners (LEP students) aligned to Alaska’s new standards • Alaska adopted new ELP standards in 2011 based on the WIDA consortium standards • The current ELP standards already have a strong alignment with both English/Language Arts and content areas • WIDA is currently in the process of updating their standards to be aligned with the common core Language Arts and Math standards • Alaska will review updated WIDA standards that are aligned with the when they become available and will consider them for adoption at that time

11. English Learners • Develop English language proficiency assessment aligned to ELP standards • Alaska implemented the ACCESS for ELLs from the WIDA Consortium as the new ELP assessment in 2012 • Alaska will review the updated ACCESS for ELLs assessment from WIDA when it becomes available and consider it for adoption at that time

12. Comments on Waiver Proposal • Submit comments and feedback by August 21 on Alaska’s waiver proposal through the online feedback form • Link under “News & Announcements” on EED’s home page: http://education.alaska.gov • Questions on Principle 1: • Transition to new standards • Karen Melin, Language Arts Content Specialist, karen.melin@alaska.gov, 907-465-6536 • Cecilia Miller, Mathematics Content Specialist, cecilia.miller@alaska.gov, 907-465-8703 • Bjorn Wolter, Science Content Specialist, bjorn.wolter@alaska.gov, 907-465-6542 • Assessments • Erik McCormick, Director of Assessment & Accountability erik.mccormick@alaska.gov