News and Announcements
Recording now available from April 8, 2024 webinar titled: Building Indigenous and Inclusive Education Across the Arctic
Across the Arctic, schools struggle to meet the needs of all students, especially Indigenous students and those who have learning disabilities. Education systems are needed that allow students to study in institutions grounded in their own cultures and languages, regardless of whether they are newcomers or Indigenous, and that prepare them to succeed regardless of learning differences. In this seminar, participants discussed initiatives to create more Indigenous and inclusive learning environments and prepare teachers to be successful in these primary and secondary education settings in Alaska, Canada, Norway, and Greenland. Building Indigenous and Inclusive Education Across the Arcitc webinar recording.
Vic Fischer Undergraduate Research Award
APPLICATIONS DUE APRIL 1, 2024 The Vic Fischer Undergraduate Research Award provides $2500 to an exemplary UAA undergraduate in the social sciences or other applicable fields interested in researching public policy issues in Alaska or the Arctic in Fall 2024. The student will participate in active research and contribute analyses to projects and publications under the guidance of researchers at the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER). Learn about Vic Fischer’s career at the University of Alaska and ways to honor his legacy
Are Alaska teacher salaries competitive?
In this new ISER report, ISER economist Matthew Berman and CAEPR director Dayna DeFeo explore how Alaska teacher salaries compare to the national average, adjusted for cost of living differences. They also examined trends in salaries of Alaska and US teachers adjusted for inflation over the past several decades, and how the salary differentials have changed over time. Please see Are Alaska teacher salaries competitive? for the article. Teacher desktop image.
The recording of the ISER & UAS School of Education policy forum on education funding from February 8, 2024
The public is invited to an education policy forum titled: “Funding Education in Alaska: Lessons and Insights from Local and National Research” on February 8, 2024, at 5:00 pm in the Egan Lecture Hall room 112 on the UAS campus in Juneau. This free event, co-sponsored by the UAS School of Education and the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), features Dr. Lawrence Picus, an internationally recognized expert on school finance, alongside ISER researchers and the UAS Interim Dean of Education Carlee Simon. The panel will be followed by a reception at 7:00 P.M. with snacks and refreshments in [...]
Formerly used defense sites on Unalaska Island, Alaska: Mapping a legacy of environmental pollution
Unalaska Island, Alaska, served as a US military base during World War II. The military installed bases on Unalaska and nearby islands, many of which were built adjacent to Unangan communities. The military used toxic compounds in its operations and left a legacy of pollution that may pose health risks to residents and local wildlife. The goals of this study were to identify hotspots of contamination remaining at Unalaska formerly used defense (FUD) sites, evaluate the risk posed by arsenic, and examine “no US Department of Defense action indicated” (NDAI) status determinations for FUD sites near communities. We compiled soil chemistry [...]
Research on school finance, the teacher workforce, and related topics in Alaska
This is a list of recent publications and reports by CAEPR and ISER focused on school finance, teacher workforce issues (recruitment, retention, and turnover),and related topics. This represents only a small portion of the education-related products from CAEPR and ISER. All CAEPR/ISER reports are available on the web at Scholarworks@UA, and you can see many of our peer-reviewed journal publications on journal websites or via the UAA/APU Consortium Library. For more information, please contact Dr. Dayna DeFeo at djdefeo@alaska.edu.Equitable compensation to attract and retain qualified teachers in high-need Alaska public schools. Matthew Berman & Dayna J. DeFeo. (2023). Educational Policy. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048231174883Adaptation [...]