Early childhood educators are uniquely positioned to advance equity by providing culturally-responsive early learning environments and developing respectful and reciprocal relationships with families. Culturally-responsive teaching practices recognize the diverse cultures of children and families as strengths and empower children through cultural values of their family heritage (Gay, 2010).
ISER researchers have a long history of studying education issues in Alaska, and in 2009, to emphasize ISER’s commitment to education research, the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR) was established as part of ISER. Examples of education research at ISER include assessing turnover rates among teachers and readiness of high-school students to go on to college. Another focus at CAEPR is looking at education issues that Indigenous peoples face in Alaska and the broader Arctic. ISER researchers also evaluate Alaska education programs.
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ISER Diane Hirshberg was lead editor of a book published in January 2023 titled Education, Equity and Inclusion: Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable North. This book, a project of the UArctic Thematic Network on Teacher Education for Social Justice and Diversity, explores the provision of education in the Arctic, focusing on challenges and innovations in meeting the needs of diverse learners in remote and rapidly changing contexts. Hirshberg also was lead author for the chapter titled “Adaptation Isn’t Just for the Tundra: Rethinking Teaching and Schooling in Alaska’s Arctic.”
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Researchers with ISER study a number of important topics related to education, including what the state spends per pupil and how it invests in school facilities. Two legislative briefs from 2021 analyzed the cost for school districts in providing basic but critical needs: internet access and energy.
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This 2022 update to a 2019 report analyzes Alaska’s per-pupil spending compared to that of other U.S. states, using 2019 and 2017 figures respectively. After adjusting for Alaska’s higher living costs, and accounting for differing per-pupil spending costs across the state, the figures show that Alaska’s 2019 per student spending was only 93% of the national average, compared to 98% in 2017.
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"We are in a perfect storm where we don't have enough teachers," said Dayna DeFeo, director of the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research (CAEPR). DeFeo and ISER director Diane Hirshberg discussed CAEPR's research on teacher turnover issues in rural Alaska with Steve Heimel, of KYUK Bethel.
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New research from ISER’s Trang Tran and Dayna DeFeo examined how relationships influence rural Alaska students’ transitions from home communities to postsecondary institutions. Their analysis identified characteristics of the transition processes that seem particular to rural students—in navigating urban places and cultural norms, seeking institutional supports, advocating for self, and forming new social relationships. In all of these experiences, rural identities and community-oriented values emerged as a guiding force for students’ goal-setting, decision-making, interactions, and adjustment.
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A team of researchers at UAA and UAF led by Dr. Dayna DeFeo will collaborate on a four-year project funded by the National Science Foundation to learn more about factors that contribute to retention of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) teachers in high-need schools. The project, “Sufficient COmpensation for Retention and Equity” (SCORE), will examine how compensation, working conditions and other factors encourage teachers to stay.
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A new analysis of Alaska’s K-12 Capital Spending shows that the state is not spending what is needed to maintain, renovate, and renew its K-12 school buildings. The study, authored by ISER research professor Bob Loeffler, reviews historical K-12 capital spending from state and local sources from Fiscal Year 2000 through Fiscal Year 2020. It details the funding sources Alaska uses for large school maintenance, renovation, and construction projects for both municipal and rural areas. The study illustrates the decline in spending after the current budget crisis hit in 2014, and shows how Alaska’s K-12 capital spending falls short of recommended industry guidelines.
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The National Science Foundation has awarded Dr. Sarah Gerken and Dr. Dayna DeFeo a three-year grant to research the role of the introductory biology lab in the general education curriculum. The new project, Identifying the Learning Objectives of Biology Laboratories in the General Education Curriculum and Exploring Gaps Between Objectives and Practice (NSF # 2044101) was awarded through the Division of Undergraduate Education’s Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program.
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How will the Biden administration tackle issues facing education? Dr. Diane Hirshberg, professor of education policy at ISER, provides some insight into the nation’s challenges and possible solutions.