Teacher shortages continue to be a challenge for state policymakers, and while national media coverage paints a picture of widespread shortages, a closer examination reveals that shortages tend to be concentrated in specific subjects and schools. The primary policy response to shortages is often to recruit more teachers, but research demonstrates…

REL Pacific at McREL, 1 of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories (RELs) funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), serves educators in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap), Guam, Hawai'i, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic…

For a long time it was felt that the Tanana Native high school student needed a course of study in "cross-cultural" education emphasizing the Athabascan culture. Therefore, a course of study was developed to aid teachers of Athabascan high school students. The course was primarily to: (1) develop an awareness and appreciation of the…

The primary purpose of this program guide is to help school districts deal directly with these issues: (1) lack of school counseling program efforts that reach 100 percent of the student population; (2) lack of a programmatic approach to school counseling; (3) lack of accountability; (4) overabundance of non-counseling tasks that lead to counselor…

There are virtually no social studies materials on Alaska Native cultures available throughout the state which are prepared in a suitable form for elementary level students. Federally funded programs emphasizing Native culture fall into 2 general categories: (1) arts and crafts programs and (2) high school culture-history courses. However, a…

This document presents a rationale and procedures for a series of workshops on land use planning. It was developed initially as a response to the need for information and materials for land use planning in rural Alaska. A four cycle planning model is provided and a suggested format is offered for an individual workshop session. Each session…

This pamphlet is designed to provide guidelines which will enable formal and community educational systems to make better use of the total learning environment, including natural, man-made, and human resources and to further the concept of harmony between man and the environment. The guidelines were drawn up in response to the increasing…

Written to comply with Article 3, Chapter 30, Alaska Statutes--which mandates that all exceptional children in Alaska have a right to an appropriate education at public expense, the handbook provides information for designing instructional programs and strategies that will most effectively serve the needs of all exceptional children in Alaskan…

The Alaska Educational Program for Intercultural Communication (AEPIC) brought together teachers to share their practical methods of incorporating community-oriented, multicultural components into their daily teaching schedule. Designed as regional in nature to allow for a sharper focus on the area's Athabascan culture, the workshop was attended…

This manual outlines crisis policy development, specifically targeting students at risk for life threatening behaviors. Its stated intent is to present a consistent message to all school districts so that they can create adequate and prudent standards for the care of their young people. The materials in this manual are intended to help school…

The purpose of this guide is to furnish school districts with process guidelines for community participation in the planning of educational programs and school facilities. The information to be developed includes: (1) a prioritized set of the community's educational goals--individualized for each community; (2) the resources, both physical and…

Provided are regulations for establishing the basic program parameters necessary to implement Article 3, Chapter 30 of Alaska Statutes requiring school districts and regional attendance areas to provide special services for exceptional children. Seven chapters cover the following areas (sample subareas are in parentheses): authority and…

The social studies unit presented in this paper is intended to continue for one semester. Its purpose is to develop a greater understanding of the student's: (1) own history and cultural heritage and (2) self growth. Designed so that the students themselves are the researchers and explicators of their own cultures, the unit allows the students to…

The publication, a training manual for rural advisory school boards, was developed by the Alaska State-Operated School System (ASOSS) and the Center for Northern Educational Research. It is a tangible demonstration that educational officials and policy makers at the State level are actively seeking ways to encourage local village residents to…

Regulations adopted in 1977 by the Alaska State Board of Education governing bilingual-bicultural education in Alaska are presented. The procedure for the initial identification of language dominance in students is set forth. Obligations of school districts toward their non-English-speaking students are detailed. Parental and community involvement…