Governor signs Alaska Reads Act, aimed to move Alaska out of 50th place among states in children's’ third reading skills

Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed the “Alaska Reads Act” into law last Wednesday, June 7.Several years in the making, the bill lays the groundwork to improve young children’s reading skills through through establishment of a statewide pre-kindergarten program and additional resources to help children who are struggling.

The signing of the bill, with Democratic and Republican legislators attending, was held at Turnagain Elementary School in Anchorage. The Alaska Reads Act was passed in House Bill 114 and included three key elements: the Alaska Reads Act itself; a public-school funding “technical” fix solve a problem for a rural school in southwest Alaska and an enhancement of Alaska’s student loan program.

The governor and Senator Tom Begich first introduced the Alaska Reads Act in January 2020. “Two and a half years ago, Senator Begich, Commissioner (Micheal_ Johnson, and I first shared our mutual vision of improved educational tools, resources, and outcomes,” Dunleavy said at the bill signing.

“Today, we again come together to celebrate the historic combination of investment and ‘accountability’ (meaning results have to be shown for additional state funds)sx. Improving outcomes won’t happen overnight, but other states have proven it can be done with determined, focused efforts. We can’t, and we won’t, accept that last place is the best we can do,” the governor said.

The education package showed that legislators and the executive branch can come together around common goals, in a bipartisan fashion, to achieve good things, Dunleavy said.

Sen. Tom Begich (D-Anchorag, said the bill combines universal, voluntary pre-K coupled with an evidence-based and a culturally responsive approach to reading ensures those early gains are retained. “This is how we move the needle to improve education outcomes for Alaska,” Begich said.

“The Alaska Reads Act begins a new chapter in Alaska’s public education journey. It is more than just funding. It is an expectation,” said Dr. Michael Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development. “On behalf of Alaska’s students, I thank Governor Dunleavy, legislators, and those educators who were brave enough to abandon the status quo and supported this student-centered policy.”

Sen. Shelley Hughes (R-Palmer), another supporter of the bill, said, “Proficient reading by third grade is key to unlocking future doors to rewarding careers and productive citizenship. I am grateful my bill was one of two used as the basis for this transformational policy and am proud of the bipartisan coalition that came together to make it happen.”

“The Alaska Reads act is the most important piece of education legislation that has been passed in the last 20 years,” said Rep. Mike Cronk (R-Tok). “It fulfills the number one strategic goal for the DEED in reading. Empowers students, parents, and teachers. It modestly increases the BSA to help combat inflation and establishes a grant program for highly qualified pre-k programs. This legislation is the first step towards accountability in education and benefits the children of Alaska.”

“The Alaska Reads Act has the potential to transform our education system. By putting significant investment in our classrooms, focusing on reading proficiency, and expanding pre-K across the state, this legislation will set up generations of Alaska’s children for success in life,” said another supporter, Rep. Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage), the House Minority Leader.

HB 114 contains the Alaska Reads Act, which creates four new programs within the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED): an early education program, a comprehensive reading intervention program, a school improvement reading program, and a virtual education consortium. This portion of the bill addresses the number one priority of Alaska’s Education Challenge, “support all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade.”

The bill includes language that requires the Department of Education to ensure its regulations and policies to implement the bill are culturally responsive and will meet the needs of rural and Alaska Native students. The bill aims to retain local control to avoid pushing statewide policies in smaller communities. Each community will have control over implementing programs that meet the needs of the students in a way that best serves the unique needs of the community and its culture. The bill also requires an annual convention, including representation from rural Alaska, that will facilitate conversations with the Department of Education on how the bill is meeting, or not meeting, the culturally responsive standards outlined in the bill.

The bill remedies a technical problem in the State’s public school funding formula which only affected the Hooper Bay School within the Lower Yukon School District (LYSD). The problem occurred when the district, which is a single school with more than 425 students, opened a charter school, and cost them about $1 million per year in formula funding.

Additionally, the bill responds to requests from Alaska’s students and higher education community, including current student loan borrowers repaying their loans, by enhancing the ability to meet the financial aid needs of borrowers. The Governor originally introduced this portion of the bill through HB 114 and Senate Bill 94. It allows the state to assist more Alaskans in their educational needs while expanding the market for the student loan program.