HB 164 - Alaska Reads Act

• Establishes early education programs for 4-5 year olds in school districts with department approval and provides three-year grants to lowest-performing districts for program development.

• Creates statewide reading intervention services for kindergarten through grade 3 students, including mandatory screening three times per year and individual reading improvement plans for students with deficiencies.

• Requires grade 3 students to demonstrate sufficient reading skills to progress to grade 4, with limited good cause exemptions and parent notification requirements.

• Establishes a Department of Education reading program with reading specialists in lowest-performing schools to provide intensive intervention support and professional development.

• Creates a virtual education consortium to provide virtual courses and professional development resources to school districts statewide, with required teacher training on virtual instruction methods.