Eric Fry
Information Officer
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
907-465-2851


Alaska is preparing to apply for a waiver from many aspects of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly called No Child Left Behind. That federal law created a complex accountability system for public schools. If Alaska is granted a waiver, the state would implement its own accountability system for public schools, subject to some federal conditions.

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is preparing a draft of its waiver proposal. The department is asking interested Alaskans to comment on the draft no later than August 21, 2012, using an online form at http://education.alaska.gov/nclb/esea.html.

That webpage currently contains an overview of the waiver process and presentations about Alaska’s proposals for the three principles the federal government requires states to address:

Principle 1 – College and Career Ready Standards and Assessment;
Principle 2 – Accountability and Support; and
Principle 3 – Supporting Effective Instruction and Leadership.

By early next week, the webpage will contain a draft of the full application for a waiver.

The following webinars/audio conferences will explain Alaska’s draft proposal and invite stakeholder input. Click on the link to join a specific webinar online. You can participate by audio-only by calling 1-800-315-6338 and entering passcode 2970#.

Monday, August 13, 2:00-3:30 p.m.
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2010175&password=M.227641196DBD9879D51290CFC48F29

Wednesday, August 15, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2010175&password=M.08D5F2A34519F748BDFC03C31B486D

Thursday, August 16, 3:00-4:30 p.m.
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2010175&password=M.7552BCF66C4F893408D2B17A88D9A2

We invite you to distribute this e-mail to your organization’s members and to encourage anyone interested in school accountability to participate in the webinars and enter comments about Alaska’s draft proposal. Thank you for your consideration.

If you have questions, please contact Eric Fry at 907-465-2851 or eric.fry@alaska.gov.