Alaska Dropout Prevention Summit
November 13, 2008 to November 14, 2008
Convener: Department of Education & Early Development
Estimated Attendance: 450
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/edsummit/home.html
Highlights:
State Education Commissioner Larry LeDoux convened 450 education and state leaders to help create the "Alaska Education Plan" which will be publicly vetted and then presented to the AK Board of Education and the University of Alaska Board of Regents for adoption.
- Presenters at the summit included representatives from early education, higher education, state board of education, Alaska Association of School Boards, the state commissioner of labor, and the Alaska Native community.
- The day following the summit US Senator Lisa Murkowski held a HELP Committee field hearing in Anchorage with a focus on improving education/reducing dropouts.
Alaska's Dropout Prevention Action Plan
Progress Since the Summit:
- In March 2009, the state board approved the Alaska Education Plan which was the direct result of the Statewide Education Summit, attended in November 2008 in Anchorage by nearly 450 educators, parents, students, businesspeople, legislators, and others. Prior to the summit, nearly 3,000 Alaskans submitted their ideas about education.
- As of August 2009, state graduation working group of 15-20 people has met four times since the summit. The working group is organized around the three goals of the Alaska Education Plan: World-Class Schools; Community, Culture and Family; and Student Health and Safety. The working group is cataloguing what’s already in place within each of those goals, what needs to be done, and by whom and when. It hopes to create an online resource list and best practices database, preferably interactive so state residents can submit additional items as they’re developed.
- One of the working group’s first efforts is the start of a public relations campaign. Based on the slogan “Raising a Graduate – It’s Everyone’s Business”, the campaign promotes 15 no-cost things that everyone can do to support students’ successful graduation
- Alaska’s new governor, Sean Parnell, has launched a new “stay in school” PSA campaign with NBA star Carlos Boozer, who grew up in Alaska.
- There is also a current proposal before the legislature to increase the state’s compulsory attendance age to 18.
- Summit participants wrote a vision statement for education in Alaska, a mission statement, goals for high school graduates, and goals and action steps for key areas of education. The public commented on the draft plan, and some of those comments were incorporated in the plan. The State Board of Education & Early Development amended the plan and approved it.
- The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development is continuing to work with committees of Alaskans to develop more detailed action plans to build on the ideas and dreams generated by the summit and the public.
Contact:
Cynthia Curran
Director, Teaching and Learning Support
Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
801 West 10th Street, Suite. 200
P.O. Box 110500
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500