Alaska State Literacy Blueprint

Leadership: State Level

Organizational Culture

  • State leaders demonstrate literacy as a priority by utilizing the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint as a guiding document in education initiatives.
  • The state delivers a public awareness campaign through collaborative partnerships.
  • State leaders honor local collaborative partnerships by listening to their goals and strategies for helping every child have literacy skills.
  • State leaders establish a culture that respects those providing educational services to children by doing the following:
    • Setting high expectations.
    • Supporting those providing educational services, including parents, by providing appropriate instruction and environments to promote development of early literacy.
    • Providing professional development opportunities.
  • State leadership keeps current in research-based practices to ensure the dissemination and delivery of best practices in literacy.
  • The state disseminates information to the public, in a user-friendly manner, about trends in children’s performance and progress in closing the achievement gap.
  • Program leaders (child care, Infant Learning Program, home visiting, preschool, Head Start, etc.) demonstrate knowledge regarding literacy and are up-to-date on best practices.
  • The state creates and maintains the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
  • The state incorporates information from the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint in the work of the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
  • State entities actively engage in collaborative partnerships to develop early learning policies and systems that include literacy.

Resources

  • The state creates and maintains the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
  • The state supports early literacy efforts undertaken by community-based early childhood partnerships.
  • The state provides resources, data collection, and online professional development.
  • The state agencies make information about child development and early literacy available.
  • The state hosts early literacy institutes for parents, caregivers, and teachers that include facets of multi-lingual and multi-cultural approaches shown to be more effective for growing early literacy skills.
  • The state provides trainings for using the Early Learning Guidelines, the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint, and activities to support early literacy.
  • The state integrates early learning and parent engagement in the Alaska Administrator Coaching Program.
  • The state invites and informs parents regarding state-supported literacy opportunities (parent university, website, Early Learning Guidelines, and materials).
  • The state improves the continuity of quality care, retention of caregivers and childhood educators, and avoids disruptive turnover by doing the following:
    • Identifying methods to increase the pay, particularly of those with higher degrees, in early childhood in settings with successful early literacy outcomes.
    • Increasing accessible and affordable opportunities (for example, loan forgiveness) for professional development for rural and urban Alaskans.
  • The state incorporates information from the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint in the work of the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.

Aligned and Coherent

  • Program leaders (child care, Infant Learning Program, home visiting, preschool, Head Start) display and continually develop knowledge about the following:
    • Literacy development.
    • Current research on effective practices.
    • Understanding of assessments and skills in data analysis.
  • The state supports engagement in literacy learning as part of the Alaska Administrator Coaching Program.
  • Parents are invited and informed regarding state-supported literacy opportunities (parent university, website, Early Learning Guidelines, and materials).
  • The state creates and maintains the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
  • The state incorporates information from the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint in the work of the Alaska Early Childhood Coordinating Council.
  • The state improves the continuity of quality care, retention of caregivers and childhood educators, and avoids disruptive turnover by doing the following:
    • Identifying methods to increase the pay, particularly those with higher degrees in early childhood in settings with successful early literacy outcomes.
    • Increasing accessible and affordable opportunities (e.g. loan forgiveness) for professional development for rural and urban Alaskans.

Building Capacity

  • The state establishes and funds a state literacy position that includes expertise in early literacy.
  • The state establishes and funds a state technical assistance position specifically to support families, child-care providers, and early childhood educators.
  • The state aligns resource allocation to the priorities and outcomes of the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state aligns the Quality Rating Improvement System with the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state improves the continuity of quality care, retention of caregivers and childhood educators, and avoids disruptive turnover by doing the following:
    • Identifying methods to increase the pay, particularly of those with higher degrees in early childhood, in settings with successful early literacy outcomes.
    • Increasing accessible and affordable opportunities (for example loan forgiveness) for professional development.

Organizational Culture

  • State leaders demonstrate literacy as a priority by utilizing the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint as a guiding document in education initiatives.
  • The state demonstrates respect for educators by setting high expectations.
  • State leadership keeps current in research-based practices to ensure the dissemination and delivery of best practices in literacy.
  • The state forms collaborative relationships with educators to create positive learning communities that value all cultures.
  • The state builds shared ownership among departments to meet the literacy needs of all students.
  • The state shares data in a user-accessible format that informs stakeholders on the performance and progress of Alaska students.

Resources

  • The state provides and funds teacher and principal mentor programs that are aligned to the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state sufficiently funds literacy efforts across the state to provide the following:
    • Access to text and online resources to support literacy and content area literacy.
    • A state literacy center that provides access to a variety of literacy research and resources for educators.
    • Professional development on literacy instruction, intervention, and assessment.
    • Dissemination and implementation of state resources such as standards, guidelines, and plans.
  • The state develops and fosters effective partnerships and collaboration between and among professional associations, consortia, foundations, libraries, school districts, community agencies, and universities on professional development, literacy instruction, intervention, and assessment for diverse learners.
  • The state analyzes data to make resource allocation decisions to districts based on identified needs.
  • The Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint contains built-in technological support features such as mouse-over definitions of key vocabulary and concepts with supporting modeling video clips within the body of the document.

Aligned and Coherent

  • State leadership continually develops knowledge about the following:
    • Literacy development.
    • Current research on effective practices.
    • Understanding of assessments and skills in data analysis.
  • State leadership teams provide technical support to guide the implementation of literacy plans.
  • The state provides districts with tools, processes, and ongoing technical support to ensure alignment between state initiatives and district practice, including the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state provides coordinated professional development with statewide entities such as Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC), Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN), Special Education Service Agency (SESA), and Education Northwest. The professional development is aligned to the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint which includes facets of multi-lingual and multi-cultural approaches shown to be effective in literacy instruction.

Building Capacity

  • The state establishes and funds a state literacy position.
  • The state aligns resource allocation to the priorities and outcomes of the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state ensures high-quality professional development for all educators, provides access to technical assistance providers, and encourages reflective practice and inquiry.

Organizational Culture

  • State leaders demonstrate literacy as a priority by utilizing the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint as a guiding document in education initiatives.
  • The state demonstrates respect for educators by setting high expectations.
  • State leadership keeps current in research-based practices to ensure the dissemination and delivery of best practices in literacy.
  • The state forms collaborative relationships with educators to create positive learning communities that value all cultures.
  • The state builds shared ownership among departments to meet the literacy needs of all students.
  • The state shares data in a user-accessible format that informs stakeholders on the performance and progress of Alaska students.

Resources

  • The state provides and funds teacher and principal mentor programs that are aligned to the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state sufficiently funds literacy efforts across the state to provide the following:
    • Access to text and online resources to support literacy and content area literacy.
    • A state literacy center that provides access to a variety of literacy research and resources for educators.
    • Professional development on literacy instruction, intervention, and assessment.
    • Dissemination and implementation of state resources such as standards, guidelines, and plans.
  • The state develops and fosters effective partnerships and collaboration between and among professional associations, consortia, foundations, libraries, school districts, community agencies, and universities on professional development, literacy instruction, intervention, and assessment for diverse learners.
  • The state analyzes data to make resource allocation decisions to districts based on identified needs.
  • The Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint contains built-in technological support features such as mouse-over definitions of key vocabulary and concepts with supporting modeling video clips within the body of the document.

Aligned and Coherent

  • State leadership continually develops knowledge about the following:
    • Literacy development.
    • \
    • Current research on effective practices.
    • Understanding of assessments and skills in data analysis.
  • State leadership teams provide technical support to guide the implementation of literacy plans.
  • The state provides districts with tools, processes, and ongoing technical support to ensure alignment between state initiatives and district practice, including the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state provides coordinated professional development with statewide entities such as Southeast Regional Resource Center (SERRC), Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN), Special Education Service Agency (SESA), and Education Northwest. The professional development is aligned to the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint which includes facets of multi-lingual and multi-cultural approaches shown to be effective in literacy instruction.

Building Capacity

  • The state establishes and funds a state literacy position.
  • The state aligns resource allocation to the priorities and outcomes of the Alaska Birth to Graduation State Literacy Blueprint.
  • The state ensures high-quality professional development for all educators, provides access to technical assistance providers, and encourages reflective practice and inquiry.