K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in Alaska

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See also: K-12 education content standards in the states

This page features information about K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Alaska.

Background: What is curriculum development?

See also: K-12 education content standards in the states

State or local education officials develop K-12 curriculum for classroom instruction that generally includes lessons and materials used in a particular course of study.[1] Depending on the state, K-12 curriculum may reflect or incorporate state content standards—educational learning and achievement goals that state education officials either require or recommend that local schools satisfy in K-12 instruction.

K-12 curriculum development in public schools varies across the 50 states. State-level entities (such as state boards of education and state education agency leaders) or local entities (such as school districts and local schools) may play a role in the development and approval of K-12 curriculum.

If a state-level entity is tasked with developing a K-12 curriculum, state statutes or regulations may either require or recommend that local schools or districts use the state-developed curriculum in the classroom. Other states allow local schools or districts to develop their own K-12 curriculum.

K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Alaska

The following table provides information about K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Alaska as of December 2023. The statutes provided may not be comprehensive. The statutory text is provided below the table.

State K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes
State Entity If state-developed, is curriculum recommended or required for local schools? Statute or regulation
Alaska Local school districts N/A 4 Alaska Administrative Code 04.010, 4 Alaska Administrative Code 05.080


4 Alaska Administrative Code 04.010:

Purposes and responsibilities


(a) This chapter sets out statewide goals for public education, and adopts, by reference, content standards for several subject areas.

(b) The purposes of the goals are to

(1) encourage the school districts to envision and develop local educational plans that are unique to each district's culture, geography, and climate, and that will graduate world-class students;
(2) empower the public with the knowledge that the skills and subjects included in this chapter are of great importance to education so that the public can participate in local educational planning with more authority and effect; and
(3) set standards against which the public, school districts, teachers, and students can measure the quality of education that students receive.

(c) The content standards and goals referred to in this chapter identify student abilities that evidence mastery of a subject area. The content standards are not graduation requirements or components of a curriculum, but they establish what constitutes excellent educational results. The content standards and goals are intentionally broad to allow a school district to tailor its curriculum to the conditions, goals, and expectations of its community. A school district board, working with the public, teachers, and students shall choose and implement effective teaching strategies so that its students will achieve high performance in a subject area. These strategies should be reflected in

(1) the development, selection, and implementation of the school district board policies;
(2) the curriculum and assessment required by 4 AAC 05.080; and
(3) teaching methodology, textbooks and instructional materials, and management practices.[2]

4 Alaska Administrative Code 05.080:

School curriculum and personnel


(a) The curriculum of a local school may be supplemented through the use of correspondence course materials approved by the commissioner. This use is not grounds for shortening the day in session, as prescribed by AS 14.03.040, for any student.

(b) The governing body of a district shall comply with the statutes and regulations of the state in providing the district's educational program to students in the district...[2]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. The Glossary of Education Reform, "Curriculum," accessed July 26, 2022
  2. 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.