In April 2023, nearly 1,000 in-person and 800 virtual attendees gathered in Anchorage, Alaska, to dive into the science behind teaching children to read.
The second annual Alaska Science of Reading Symposium brought together educators and administrators to explore evidence-based approaches to reading instruction. This symposium was jointly hosted by Region 16 Comprehensive Center and the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED).
Alaska’s goals for improving reading scores across the state are ambitious. The state has identified the goal of supporting all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade as a top priority for DEED. Region 16 supported the symposium as part of a multi-faceted campaign to provide educators with the tools they need to implement evidence-based approaches to reading instruction.
“There’s more of an energy around the science of reading. Instead of people having to really face the data, know what the science of reading is, it’s like we’ve moved to a new level of: we know what it is, and we need to know more. We’re hungry,” says Susan McKenzie, Director of Innovation and Education Excellence at DEED.
Learn more about the Alaska Science of Reading Symposium in our new video: