AK HB361

Requires each Alaska school district to establish a comprehensive reading program for kindergarten through grade three that includes universal screening assessments within the first 30 days of school and nationally standardized assessments for students scoring in the lowest 20 percent.

Mandates retention of first-grade students who fail to meet minimum reading standards established by the state board, unless parents request an exemption with teacher and principal recommendations and documentation of qualifying circumstances (limited English proficiency, disability, prior intensive remediation, or alternative assessment completion).

Requires intensive reading interventions for retained students including at least 90 minutes daily of small-group instruction based on scientific reading research, summer reading camps, reduced pupil-teacher ratios, and extended school days or years.

Requires school districts to annually publish on the Internet and report to the board information on student progress, retention policies, numbers and percentages of retained and promoted students, and policy revisions.

Allows districts a temporary waiver not exceeding three years to implement the reading program if they demonstrate necessary steps toward establishment, with potential extension for delays caused by extreme circumstances beyond district control.