SB 42 - Alaska Reading and Virtual Education Act

• Establishes statewide reading intervention programs for students in kindergarten through grade three, including assessment tools, intensive intervention services, and individual reading improvement plans for students with reading deficiencies.

• Creates a virtual education consortium administered by the Department of Education and Early Development to provide virtual courses for grades 6-12, teacher training in virtual instruction, and professional development resources accessible to all school districts.

• Expands early education programs for four and five-year-old children with department-approved standards, grant funding for districts in a phased rollout from fiscal year 2021-2026, and establishes a "Parents as Teachers" program for children under five.

• Modifies kindergarten eligibility to June 1 (instead of September 1), allows students to earn course credit for out-of-school activities in career/technical education and arts, and increases school operating fund reserve limits from 10 to 25 percent.

• Requires elementary education teachers to complete three credit hours in evidence-based reading instruction and establishes a teacher retention working group to review challenges and make recommendations for improvement.