New Teacher-Focused Program Launched to Drive Literacy Results for Alaska Students

100 AK educators will have the opportunity to strengthen their science of reading instructional practices 

Portland, Ore., Oakland, Calif., Juneau, Alaska – February 3, 2022 – NWEA, CORE® and Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN),  in partnership with the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED), announced today a new learning, collaboration, and coaching program that will empower 100 literacy specialists, instructional coaches, and teachers to enhance their instructional practices, ultimately driving better outcomes for Alaska’s elementary students. The program will utilize federal funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act, Title II and feature CORE’s Online Elementary Reading Academy (OERA), as well as individualized coaching sessions for each participating teacher.

“Better outcomes for Alaska students start with access to teachers utilizing research-grounded, evidence-based instructional practices in the science of reading,” said Jason Mendenhall, President of State Solutions Division at NWEA. “We’re excited to partner with DEED, CORE and ASDN to offer this program to Alaska’s teachers and support their efforts to continuously hone their professional skills in service to their state’s children.”

CORE’s OERA course is a 10-week intensive professional learning experience rooted in the science of reading and focused on accelerating reading achievement. Participants access learning via textbooks, video clips, interactive learning tasks, and webinars and have opportunities to practice skills via weekly online discussion forums, webinars, collaboration activities, self-check exercises, and homework assignments. Instructors will provide support to participants through feedback and dialogue.

“CORE is thrilled to partner with NWEA and Alaska educators to provide our Online Elementary Reading Academy,” said Dale Webster, Vice President of Language & Literacy, at CORE. “We have a long history of partnerships with Alaska school districts and are happy to continue those partnerships to provide high-quality professional learning to improve teaching and learning.”

Beyond the course, NWEA will provide coaching and consultation opportunities for teachers who want to go deeper into the material and individually discuss how to effectively implement the learning into their practice. The not-for-profit organization will also host live events connecting participants with literacy experts to cultivate discussion and community.

Under the coordination of ASDN, which is the professional development arm of the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA), teachers who complete the program will receive a stipend as well as be eligible for continuing education credits through the University of Alaska.

“ASDN looks forward to collaborating with these excellent education organizations to bring innovative professional development and support to Alaskan educators while improving reading and student achievement in our state,” said Lisa Parady, the Executive Director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA).

Details about the new program are available at https://dpdol.nwea.org/pl/sa/AK/AK_Literacy_Handout_ProjectFlyer_FY22.pdf

About ASDN

Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) is a statewide partnership initiated in 1983 with a mission to improve student achievement by providing researched-based professional development programs for Alaska’s teachers and school administrators. Our offerings expand the professional development opportunities available to all educators across the state. The ASDN is the professional development association of the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ACSA).

Contact: Dr. Lisa Parady – Executive Director, lparady@alaskaacsa.org, (907) 586.9702

About CORE

CORE works with school leaders and teachers to design and implement a customized professional learning plan grounded in (1) the science of reading and (2) best practices in math. CORE offers a combination of workshops, job-embedded professional learning, curriculum implementation, and support so that evidence-based instruction takes root and leads to lasting change.

CORE is a subsidiary of Pivot Learning.

Contact: Clay Willis, Director, Marketing & Communications, cwillis@corelearn.com

About NWEA

NWEA^® (formerly known as Northwest Evaluation Association) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators in more than 146 countries through research, assessment solutions, policy and advocacy services, professional learning and school improvement services that fight for equity, drive classroom impact and push for systemic change in our educational communities. Visit NWEA.org to learn more about how we’re partnering with educators to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Sr. Manager, Public Relations, simona.beattie@nwea.org or 971.361.9526