BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The proposed amendments would update the terms for achievement level titles, the cut scores used to determine proficiency by grade, and the sub scores used to determine the accountability growth indicator.  The percentage of students meeting the different levels of achievement will inform the accountability system.

The State Board of Education and Early Development proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 4 of the Alaska Administrative Code dealing with assessment cut scores in 4 AAC 06.739 (b) and (c), achievement levels for English Language Arts, Math, and Science: 4 AAC 06.822 (b) and (e), accountability cut scores; and 4 AAC 06.899 (24), “alternative school” definition.

A copy of the proposed regulation changes are available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System, at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm, and by contacting Janell Andrews at (907) 465-2800 or at deed.commissioner@alaska.gov.

The Department of Education and Early Development invites the public to submit written comments during the written comment period, which begins with the date of this notice and ends on August 18, 2022, at 4:30 p.m. The written comment period closes in advance of the meeting of the State Board of Education and Early Development at which the board will consider the adoption of the proposed regulation change. This allows the Department of Education and Early Development an opportunity to prepare changes based on written comment and to distribute any proposed changes to the board for its consideration prior to the meeting.

You may comment in writing on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to the Commissioner’s Office, Department of Education and Early Development, Attn: Regulations Review, 333 Willoughby Avenue, P.O. Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500. You also may submit written comments by electronic mail to deed.commissioner@alaska.gov, and online at the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. Written comments also may be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system and using the comment link.

All written comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on August 18, 2022.

After the written comment period has ended, you may submit oral comments to the State Board of Education and Early Development at a hearing to be held by the board on September 7, 2022 at 8:30 a.m., by audio-conference or in person, at the Mt. Edgecumbe High School Library, 1330 Seward Avenue, Sitka, Alaska 99835. The public comment period will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. but may be extended to accommodate those present before 8:35 a.m. who have not had an opportunity to comment before 9:45 a.m.

You may submit oral comments at this hearing, during this time only, via the Legislative Information Office streaming by calling 1-844-586-9085 if you are outside of Juneau or Anchorage. For participation from Juneau, call (907) 586-9085. For participation from Anchorage, call (907) 563-9085.

You also may submit oral comment by visiting your local Legislative Information Office (LIO) and submitting your oral comments through the LIO during the hearing. The following LIO’s will participate: Anchorage, 1500 W Benson Blvd; Bethel, 460 Ridgecrest Drive, Suite 215; Fairbanks, 1292 Sadler Way, Suite 308; Juneau, Room 111 Terry Miller Bldg.; Kenai, 145 Main St. Loop, Suite 217; Ketchikan, 1900 First Ave., Suite 310; Kodiak, 305 Center Ave., Suite 1; Mat-Su, 600 E Railroad Ave.; Nome, 103 Front St.; Seward, 302 Railway, Suite 119; and Sitka, 201 Katlian St., Suite 103.

This meeting will be streamed through the Legislative Information Office’s YouTube channel.  The direct stream link is https://youtu.be/e__pA49CMsA beginning at 8:30 a.m. on September 7, 2022 (audio only).  The general Legislative Information Office’s YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCieOj8YUaEFHWuiDVVhNvRA.

You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Janell Andrews at deed.commissioner@alaska.gov or the Department of Education and Early Development, Attn: Regulations Review, P.O. Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500. If a question is relevant to the proposed change in the regulations and the question is received by August 9, 2022, which is ten days before the end of the public comment period, the department will make a good faith effort to answer the question before the end of the public comment period. The Department of Education and Early Development will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the website of the Department of Education and Early Development at https://education.alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. The Department of Education and Early Development may, but is not required to, answer written questions received after the ten-day cut-off date and before the end of the comment period.

If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Janell Andrews at (907) 465-2800 or deed.commissioner@alaska.gov not later than August 26, 2022, to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.

After the public comment period ends, the Department of Education and Early Development will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected. Written comments received are public records and are subject to public inspection.

Statutory authority: AS 14.03.015, AS 14.07.020, AS 14.07.030, AS 14.07.060, AS 14.50.080

Statutes being implemented, interpreted, or made specific: AS 14.03.123

Fiscal information: The proposed regulation change is not expected to require an increased appropriation.