Alaska Reads Act Summary

• Establishes early education programs for children ages 4-5 with state funding through three-year grants to school districts, with department oversight and approval based on established standards

• Requires school districts to implement intensive reading intervention services for kindergarten through grade 3 students with reading deficiencies, including individual improvement plans and parent notification every two weeks

• Creates statewide reading screening and assessment tool administered three times yearly to identify reading deficiencies and monitor student progress using evidence-based intervention methods

• Authorizes department reading specialists to provide direct support to lowest performing 10 percent of schools, with assigned reading specialists to coach teachers and implement intervention programs

• Requires teachers seeking elementary education endorsement to complete three credits of evidence-based reading instruction coursework and establishes teacher retention working group to report on classroom staffing challenges by January 15, 2021