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).
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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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Bodø (High North News): The High North Hero of 2023 is Professor Diane Hirshberg of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage. She thanks her mother for her commitment to social changes and has a burning engagement for the Arctic Youth.
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Bodø (High North News): The High North Hero of 2023 is Professor Diane Hirshberg of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage.
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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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"Guidelines for Culturally-Responsive Reflective Practice in Birth – Five Settings" is a new publication developed to help early childhood educators reflect on culturally-responsive practices in order to identify strengths and areas for continuous improvement. They were developed collaboratively between Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC) and faculty from UAA’s Department of Psychology and Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) as a component of the “Improving Childcare Outcomes Research” project.
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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.