In Alaska, school equality elusive

The state must improve education in rural areas before requiring students to pass the state exit exam, a judge recently ruled.

from the August 3, 2007 edition

Page 2 of 2

Page 1 | 2

State officials see the decision as a defense of Alaska's overall funding approach, as well as a call to employ some more creative educational styles. But they still struggle to ensure that children in remote areas get an education that conforms to state and federal standards.

Educators have cited several reasons for rural schools' woes: poor language skills among students, a dearth of early education opportunities, alcohol abuse and other social problems in the communities, and a difficulty in attracting and retaining teachers. The last is probably the biggest challenge, said Eric Fry, spokesman for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development. "If you don't retain teachers, you get, by definition, inexperienced people," he says.

The state is making progress on retention through a Department of Education mentoring program now in its fourth year, Mr. Fry says. The program, pairing about 400 new teachers and 80 new principals with experienced educators, is starting to result in better longevity, he says. "That should be reflected in student performance," he says.

The legislature, meanwhile, has formed a task force to review and possibly rewrite the state school-funding system to help address rural education. Recommendations from the task force, which was established before Gleason issued her ruling, are due Sept. 1.

Unlike other states, where schools are funded locally, Alaska considers school funding to be a state responsibility. It uses a per-student formula, adjusted by a cost-of-living multiplier.

While the overall idea is accepted, many see the formula as outdated and simplistic. A 2004 cost-differential study by the University of Alaska Anchorage's Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) concluded that it is wildly inaccurate. Spiking fuel prices have made energy and transportation costs highly volatile, affecting rural districts more dramatically.

Some of the most persistent complaints come from the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the local government for the mountainous, forested coastal district south of Anchorage. The borough has economized as much as can be expected, closing some schools, reducing programs, slashing bus routes, and filling gaps with hikes to local taxes, says superintendent Donna Peterson. If the formula were adjusted to the ISER report's recommendations, "it would fix it," she says.

Meanwhile, other state efforts, too recent to have been in the evidence that Gleason considered, have started to bear fruit, Fry says. The state won some flexibility in the No Child Left Behind Act mandates and launched initiatives, including an Alaska-specific reading program.

1 | Page 2