Alaska: Alaska will pursue new statewide educational assessment options, again By MARY KAUFFMAN - The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development will be replacing the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) assessment for the 2016-2017 school year. “After careful consideration, I believe that it is in the best interest of Alaska to consider new assessment structures that better align to instructional needs and are allowable due to changes in federal law,” said Alaska Education Commissioner Mike Hanley.

The new Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) assessment was first administered in the Spring of 2015. Beginning in Spring 2005, the Standards Based Assessment (SBA) was instituted for grades 3 through 9 replacing the Benchmark used for many years at grades 3, 6, and 8, and cut scores were reestablished in 2005 for the new SBA exams. The Standards Based Assessment was a test based on Alaska state standards and compliant with state and federal statutes and administered for the final time in spring 2014.

According to the Alaska Department of Education, while the first administration of the new computer-based assessment went smoothly last spring, multiple issues since then have resulted in increasing frustration among Alaskan educators. These issues included delayed reports, reports needing to be corrected, and an insufficient level of information regarding student performance. The Alaska Department of Education say that although they have been engaged in problem-solving with school districts to improve the 2016 AMP administration and reports, there have been a growing lack of confidence among educators statewide in the assessment.

The recent passage of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) by Congress and signed by President Obama provides new flexibility to states in designing their assessment system. “I believe that Alaska needs to take full advantage of the opportunity the new ESSA provides,” said Commissioner Hanley, “and I believe time is of the essence for moving in a direction that better serves Alaska’s students.”

In order to meet current state and federal requirements, the Alaska Department of Education said it will be necessary for the Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) assessment to be given again this spring (2016). However, the Alaska Department of Education noted they will immediately begin collaborating with stakeholders to determine the assessment approach that will work best for Alaska’s students, and to inform a request-for-proposal process.

“I sincerely appreciate the efforts of Alaskan educators in helping to develop the AMP assessment,” said Commission Hanley, “and I am confident that the lessons learned from AMP will serve us well as we move forward together.”

The Alaska Measures of Progress assessment was originally designed for Alaska and its standards, which prepare students to enter postsecondary training and education without needing remediation in English and math.

Although there has been increasing frustration among Alaskan educators over the assessment, over 900 Alaskan educators reviewed the test questions prior to implementation to be sure the assessment questions adequately measured the state’s standards, were free of bias, and were appropriate for Alaskan students. Test questions are only about reading, writing, and math. - More...
Thursday AM - January 28, 2016

Tuesday, Ketchikan Chief of Police Alan Bengaard announced that Ketchikan Police Officers responded to a residence in the 2400 block of Hemlock Street to a report by an elderly man who said he had money stolen from his bank account. Officers spoke with the victim who told them he had discovered his nephew, Norman A. Arriola, age 69, had taken approximately $2,700.00 out of his bank account. According to information given to the police by the victim, the money was taken while Arriola was accompanying him on a trip to Washington State for medical treatment.

Ketchikan Police Officers conducted the investigation which revealed that Arriola allegedly made multiple unauthorized ATM withdrawls from the elderly man's account. During the investigation Officers discovered that Arriola also allegedly made multiple unauthorized withdrawls in Ketchikan between October and November 2015 totaling $2,800.00.

Officers interviewed Arriola, who admitted to "taking the victim’s debit card and stealing money from the account".

Arriola was served a summons to appear in court, charging him with Theft in the Second Degree and Fraudulent Use of an Access Device. Theft 2-Value $750-$24,999 (Class C Felony).

During the investigation, Ketchikan Police Officers also discovered that the elderly man was missing a large coin collection valued at approximately $4,300.00. Officers reported they discovered that Margaret Edais-Yeltatzie, age 62, had allegedly taken the coins from the victim’s home.

Edais-Yeltatzie had been going to the elderly man’s residence to assist him with daily living tasks. Edais-Yeltatzie was served a summons to appear in court, charging her with Theft in the Second Degree -Value $750-$24,999 (Class C Felony) - More...
Thursday AM - January 28, 2016