Annual Report • 2016 Alaska’S First Choice Saint Mary’S for Educational School District Solutions Success Story

ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS ANNUAL REPORT • 2016 ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE SAINT MARY’S FOR EDUCATIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT SOLUTIONS SUCCESS STORY

BOARD OF When I began as Superintendent of the Saint Mary’s We use SERRC’s special education monitoring to A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR DIRECTORS 2016-2017 City School District, the community was very ensure that our training and records are up-to-date. In fiscal year 2016, SERRC was called upon to expand services, start new programs, SERRC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of school welcoming, and the School Board had a clear vision. The federal programs cooperative has helped and meet the growing needs of hard-working school districts and students in other district superintendents Saint Mary’s had a long-standing tradition of high us access needed resources for Saint Mary’s. ways. In all of our work, SERRC helped educators and students across Alaska create Mr. Tim Bauer quality education and had excellent The TechOps team makes sure our schools and lives of which they can be proud. Annette Island School District local teachers, but staff turnover was technology supports teachers and SERRC positively impacted Alaska’s educators and students through more than 19 Mr. Robert Boyle Ketchikan Gateway Borough high and the facilities were in dire learning, through on-site and programs in FY16 and through the heart and soul of staff who care deeply about “I am thankful to School District need of repair. remote support, software updates, student success. Mr. Lauren Burch be working with management of user names and SERRC: Hydaburg City School and Our buildings were constructed Southeast Island School the Saint Mary’s access codes, and more. • Served more than 76,500 Alaskan educators and students across 92% of Alaska Districts in 1971 and 1986, and they were in community and In a unique local project, Saint Mary’s school districts Dr. Joshua Coughran need of upgrades. From the time we school district. • Offered adult education and job training in 12 Southeast Alaska communities Skagway School District decided to modernize our facilities, worked with Colorado-based • Partnered with 118 agencies and organizations Mr. Bernie Grieve support from SERRC was vital. The people in hydrologists to deploy four weather Chatham School District • Awarded or continued 23 local, state, and federal grants Together, we secured state funding Saint Mary’s, stations in the watershed surrounding Dr. PJ Ford Slack Saint Mary’s. Once the weather stations • Fulfilled 163 contracts with school districts, nonprofits, and others Hoonah City School District for a new gym at the Andreafski High students, and School, and construction was finished were installed, SERRC’s TechOps helped As Alaskan education needs change, so does our assistance. In FY16, we rose in Mr. Ralph Crosslin staff make this Yakutat City School District in summer 2016. SERRC assisted our the stations to communicate with each service to: a great place to Mr. Tony Habra district from the beginning — from other, set up and configured a server at the • Provide technology infused and culturally responsive professional development Haines Borough work, and SERRC for educators, using theories of connection and methods of enlivening School District selection of the design team to writing school, and wrote a custom script to port education that could have impacts across the nation Mr. Jim Holien the CIP application and project helps us run data to the district website. Students and • Offer shared services in technology, special education, business administration, Klawock City School District administration. smoothly.” teachers installed the weather stations and facilities, and other areas for Alaskan school districts Ms. Erica Kludt-Painter are using them to learn more about our Petersburg City School District I’ve worked with the SERRC staff for • Broaden the availability of post-secondary transition services, including in local watershed and weather. Mr. Patrick Meyer years now and have developed strong youth correctional facilities Wrangell Public relationships. We are a small, single-site school I am thankful to be working with the Saint Mary’s School District • Extend adult education to rural Southeast Alaska communities community and school district. The people in Dr. Mark Miller district without any specialized staff. However, Thank you for your support and partnership. Together, we are helping Alaskans build Juneau School District we have the same reporting and regulatory Saint Mary’s, students, and staff make this a great a better life through education. Mr. Kevin Shipley requirements as larger districts. These requirements place to work, and SERRC helps us run smoothly. Kake City School District can be overwhelming, and having a resource like Dr. Dave Herbert, Mr. Larry “Woody” SERRC is very helpful. Wilson Saint Mary’s City School District Superintendent Pelican City School District Ms. Janelle Vanasse Sheryl Weinberg Mount Edgecumbe Executive Director High School Mr. Jack Walsh Craig City School District SERRC’S FY16 AUDITED BUDGET Dr. Mary Wegner Sitka School District District Contracts $3,246,895 ADVISORY BOARD Federal Grants $2,484,049 Ms. Thérèse Ashton Tanana City School District State Grants & Contracts $361,242 Mr. Stewart McDonald Interest and Other $118,197 Kodiak Island Borough School District SERRC is a private, nonprofit agency that does not receive dedicated funding from the State of Alaska or Mr. Jim Nygaard the federal government. SERRC’s funding is derived primarily from grants and contracts. Valdez City School District

1 SERRC – ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS BUILDING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION 2 SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS Supporting Teacher Excellence and Culturally Relevant Education SERRC is proud to be on the national forefront of PASSAGES for Academic Success. SERRC teamed providing educators with technology-rich and with 8 school district, Tlingit culture bearers, culturally relevant professional development. and technology partners to design a blended Culturally responsive teaching practices can assist learning professional development model that educators in bridging differences in language, includes virtual coaching of culturally responsive heritage, race, socio-economic status, teaching strategies. trauma history, and ability. These SERRC’s professional development practices can help reduce teacher trainings in FY16 were varied and turnover and improve teacher robust and were delivered via satisfaction. customized face-to-face and In FY16, SERRC’s Project CREATE digital mediums. published Culture in the Classroom, which matches Alaska’s Cultural Standards for Educators with SERRC OFFERED measurable indicators of teacher and A WIDE VARIETY student behavior. SERRC also offered OF PROFESSIONAL guidance for embedding cultural DEVELOPMENT standards into existing teacher evaluation models. IN FY16 Culture in the Classroom and the The Art and Science of Teaching Instructional Framework associated professional learning SERRC’s Instructional Rigor modules apply to all teacher PASSAGES evaluation frameworks and have been partners Alaska Cultural Standards aligned with the Danielson, Marzano, Inter-Rater Reliability Sealaska CEL, and School Improvement iObservation Heritage Institute Network evaluation models. Implementing Cultural Standards When teachers use culturally Culture in the Classroom garnered Modern Teacher into Evaluation relevant teaching practices, students attention across the nation in FY16, Teaching Channel Professional Growth Plans and it was showcased in a variety Tracking and Monitoring are authentically connected, motivated, of venues including the National Craig, Hoonah, Student Progress Indian Education Association and Kake, Klawock, Student Engagement and engaged in the learning process. Kodiak, Sitka, Association of Education Service Transition Planning Skagway, Students improve performance, teachers Agencies conferences. Accessing Federal Funds and Wrangell for Libraries are more engaged and satisfied, and learning Also in FY16, SERRC won a highly competitive three-year Alaska Native School Districts Special Education Compliance transcends classroom hours and walls. Education Program grant, called Adult Education Strategies

3 SERRC – ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS BUILDING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION 4 SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS Raising Student Achievement With a commitment to strengthen instruction and improve student achievement, SERRC offers a variety of teaching and learning support services. SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES ALL-ALASKA ACADEMY Provided itinerant related services for 27 districts Served 99 students & chaperones from 11 districts Assisted 7 districts with special education To connect rural Alaskan youth to careers and administration higher education and to prepare them for the future SERRC remained the largest provider of special workforce, SERRC brought middle and high school education services in Alaska, offering: students to Juneau to explore job options, job- • Itinerant related services shadow, and intern in the legislature. • Program administration • Special education instruction STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS • Student reporting 76% average monthly payment reduction • Technical assistance $63,485 average loan balance forgiven • Professional development In FY16, SERRC partnered with Innovative Student • IEP meeting facilitation Loan Solutions to provide loan forgiveness to full time public sector or government employees with federal student loan debt.

“I was able to OUT-OF-SCHOOL PROGRAMS TRANSITION SERVICES secure almost $150,000 Held summer camps for 68 students in 2 school Held 9 transition camps for school districts districts and youth correctional facilities, serving more than 100 students in federal student loan 89% of students with 50+ ALL hours showed academic growth Assisted 25 Juneau students in learning forgiveness through SERRC’s critical job skills, career planning, and finding “Pre-Employment Transition 98 students joined 21CCLC, which held 99 after job opportunities partnership. Thank you! I found school sessions and 21 special events Services helped me see that I 97% of 21CCLC students showed reading gains, SERRC provided secondary transition services to the company to be professional 53% showed reading gains of 10+ points on the districts, oversaw the Alaska Transition Outcome needed some other qualifications and helpful – not only in helping MAP assessment, and 91% believe the program Project grant, and trained educators at the Alaska made them better students for my career goals, like job skills Statewide Special Education Conference. In FY16, me to secure the federal student In collaboration with local schools, SERRC operates SERRC also partnered with the State of Alaska and my driver’s license.” loan forgiveness but also in helping Alaska Learning Labs (ALL) programs across to offer expanded transition services to youth JUNEAU STUDENT ENROLLED IN Alaska and a 21st Century Learning Community to answer my questions and in juvenile justice facilities. Through a separate PRE-EMPLOYMENT TRANSITION SERVICES Center (21CCLC) in Kotzebue to provide students program in Juneau, Pre-Employment Transition understand the process.” with literacy instruction, physical activity, cultural Services (PRE-ETS), SERRC began offering job activities, and family events after school and in exploration, workplace readiness training, and paid DR. MARY WEGNER, SITKA SCHOOL DISTRICT the summer. job placements to eligible youth. SUPERINTENDENT

5 SERRC SERRC – ALASKA’S ALASKA’S FIRST EDUCATIONAL CHOICE FOR RESOURCE EDUCATIONAL CENTER SOLUTIONS SERRCBUILDING ALASKA’S A BETTER EDUCATIONAL LIFE THROUGH RESOURCE EDUCATION CENTER 6 SERVICES FOR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS Operational Support SERRC provides technical assistance and operational partnerships that help school districts maximize education dollars, realize cost savings, and improve efficiency and effectiveness.

FEDERAL PROGRAMS FACILITIES SERVICES Submitted 17 grants for 6 districts for $778,315, Served 68% of Alaska school districts impacting 1,800 students Wrote 78% of the applications on School SERRC submitted formula grants to the Alaska Construction lists “The E-rate Department of Education and Early Development, Wrote 56% of the applications on the Major the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Office of Maintenance List, the top 3 projects, 80% of program is vital to the top 20 projects, and 59% of the applications Indian Education, produced a monthly NCLB submitted statewide helping us meet the newsletter, assisted with school-wide planning, Prepared 3 districts for DEED maintenance visits and completed pre-compliance monitoring for needs of our students, and helped 2 districts get recertified school districts to help ensure compliant program Managed maintenance for 23 districts with 600+ but it is complicated, time- implementation. buildings and more than 500,000 work orders Assisted 5 districts in administering design and consuming, and stressful to construction projects do without proper expertise. BUSINESS SERVICES Performed asbestos reinspections for 2 districts Kela Halfmann, SERRC’s expert, SERRC provided business services to two school Facilities Services assists districts in securing districts and one nonprofit agency in FY16. building and maintenance funding, reducing has helped us get the most for Contracted business services result in significant energy and facility costs, keeping schools clean and our students out of the program cost savings to customers. safe, and complying with state regulations. with excellent communication and timely meeting of all E-rate TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS deadlines. Given E-rate’s Served 17 school districts and nonprofit agencies “SERRC serves as a Saved 50% on average over a full-time on-site complexity and the consequences E-RATE employee cornerstone for our Reduced on-site visits by nearly 1/3 for most of missing deadlines, we are Served 12 districts, filing 76 funding requests for districts by deploying and managing computers more than $9.6 million financial services to our grateful for SERRC’s expertise in a hands-free, remote, co-op-style manner Guided Nenana City School District through members. SERRC is responsive Eliminated on-site visits for one customer to ensure we get full funding a year of difficult program integrity reviews, resulting in Nenana gaining the ability to apply and reliable, and we continue SERRC’s expert technology team offered school and keep our program for all E-rate eligible services to work with them to achieve districts and nonprofits cost saving and reliable compliant.” By increasing E-rate management services technology planning, training, and consultation in FY16, SERRC helped schools and libraries gain unqualified annual financial services. In FY16, SERRC focused on reducing ERIC GEBHART, NENANA funding for telecommunication and internet technology overhead for customers. CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT statements.” services and for technology infrastructure SUPERINTENDENT upgrades. SERRC helped districts to maximize DR. LISA SKILES PARADY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF funding, meet critical deadlines, and comply with THE ALASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS regulatory requirements.

7 SERRC – ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS BUILDING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION 8 EDUCATION AND DAWN HOUSTON WORKFORCE ADULT EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS STORY

The Learning Connection staff made it easy to have The Learning Connection fun. You know they’re caring, and they went out of Under the banner of the Learning Connection (TLC), SERRC provided opportunities for Southeast their way to make sure I was prepared for my math Alaskans to learn new skills and build a better life through education. In FY16, TLC greatly expanded test. rural tutoring services across the region. Students use a variety of programs to achieve their career and I came into TLC to improve my math skills. I am educational goals. over 50 years old and didn’t have a job. I thought, 1,213 SE Alaskan residents received education and employment services who would hire somebody my age, with a 6th grade 24 volunteers donated 348 hours math level? I wanted to find a stable career and be part of the workforce. ADULT EDUCATION AND GED JUNEAU CONSTRUCTION I’m a recovering alcoholic and suffered anxiety so severe that I couldn’t leave my house. It was Instruction in reading, writing, and math ACADEMY devastating because I’m a strong woman. I raised GED(R) preparation and testing Free training opportunities in construction and two kids as a single mom. I knew I could make it, trade careers Education and career mapping but I needed help. Networking with employers On January 1, 2016, I took my last drink. I walked Connections to apprenticeships JOB ASSISTANCE FOR YOUTH into The Learning Connection a week later. I was AGED 16-21 (JOBX) greeted warmly, and the teachers sat me down to ENGLISH AS A SECOND learn about me and help me plan how to reach my Education support goal. We figured out when I could come for student Career and job readiness training LANGUAGE AND CITIZENSHIP orientation and which classes I needed. I took classes 4 days a week, for several hours a day. Job search assistance PREPARATION When I came to orientation, I met a woman who The Math Boot Camp was especially fun! The Paid internships English classes and tutoring is now a dear friend. With such a strong bond, teacher, Jeff, said he’d do a push-up for every teachers and friends who felt like family, and additional student who came after the first day of the JOBS FOR ADULTS AGED 55+ COMPUTER TRAINING mutual respect among all of us in classes, TLC camp. I pulled in all kinds of students, saying “it’s ok, it’s not like high school. Here, we have a good time, (MASST) Beginning and intermediate computer classes gave me the perfect gradual steps from leaving my house to getting back working. it’s not so much pressure.” I think Jeff ended up Job training and resume building Job placement assistance and paid job training doing more than 20 push-ups at one class! Open computer labs The teachers here have been incredible, understanding, and nurturing in each step of DRIVER’S TRAINING (AK DRIVE) teaching – not just me, but everybody. I think TLC Classroom, simulator, and behind-the-wheel has made a huge impact on my life. I’m so thankful training for all the TLC staff. They gave me a lot of confidence and reassurance, not only emotionally but mentally. FAMILY LITERACY I feel my life is just beginning. I am so filled with new knowledge and confidence in myself. I did go Adult education on to pass my math test, and get a job with the Tribal Family nights Court system. I’m always learning something new in Toddler and preschool programs this job, and it’s very exciting. In-school support for K-3 children Dawn Houston, After school and summer school programs The Learning Connection Adult Education Student

9 SERRC – ALASKA’S FIRST CHOICE FOR EDUCATIONAL SOLUTIONS BUILDING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION 10 SERRC – Alaska’s Educational Resource Center is a nonprofit agency that provides educational services to every school district in the state and adult education/family programs in Southeast Alaska.

SERRC maintains an extensive network of partnerships with other educational agencies, the State of Alaska, Native organizations, schools and school districts, businesses, and other educational entities throughout the country.

With 40 years of providing educational services, SERRC has the personnel, infrastructure, and experience to create, deliver, and sustain programs that improve student achievement in Alaska.

JUNEAU (907) 586-6806 • 210 Ferry Way • Juneau, AK 99801 ANCHORAGE (907) 349-0651 • 805 W. Third Ave. • Anchorage, AK 99501