On behalf of the 155 members of the Alaska Council for Exceptional Children, or AkCEC, statewide, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of this Legislature to support early childhood education, reading instruction and intervention, support for struggling schools and parent connection.
As you may or may not know, the Council for Exceptional Children, which includes the Alaska state unit, is our nation’s oldest advocacy agency for students with special needs and special education teachers. AkCEC has been in existence since 1989. As such, we would like to express our cautious support for Senate Bill 6, the Alaska Reads Act. We do have a few concerns about the bill.
There is a lack of provisions for cultural relevancy for our rural Alaska students. As you know, students in rural Alaska villages face many challenges and disadvantages, largely due to location and limited access to educational resources and services. Thus, they often score lower than the state and national average on state testing. With approximately 30% of Alaska’s children attending village schools, and 32% of AkCEC membership employed by rural school districts, we want to ensure that any interventions mandated by the state are accessible and relatable to all of Alaska’s students.
The bill is prescriptive, particularly under Section 18, “Reading Intervention Programs.” We feel the methods addressed in the bill are very specific, which does not lend itself to differentiation easily. As special education teachers, we know firsthand that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work. We urge you to trust teachers’ knowledge and decisions while simultaneously providing big-picture guidance. Additionally, it appears to take away the choice for home school families.
The possible retention rate could lead to larger class sizes and, by extension, larger caseloads for special education teachers. The aforementioned prescriptive nature of the bill could lead to more students unnecessarily referred for special education services. According to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development, approximately 19,500 students in our state are already receiving disability diagnosis. Students of color, including Alaska Native students, are at a high risk for disproportionality for retention and special education referrals.
As a whole, we support the passage of the Alaska Reads Act. We particularly appreciate the exemptions provided for students with IEPs and special needs, and for the creation of a Teacher Retention Working Group. We strongly suggest that, while putting this bill through the legislative process, you actively seek out teacher, including special education teacher, guidance and advice every step of the way.
— Lisa Villano
Shishmaref
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