January 25, 2008
Friday

Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell filed regulations Thursday from the State Board of Education relating to the Alaska Career Ready transitional skills curriculum and assessments. This program represents collaboration between the Department of Education and Early Development and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and will provide more workers for Alaska's workforce better suited for skilled or professional careers. Alaska Career Ready is a job skills assessment program that teaches practical, real-life applications necessary for career success. The program includes job profiling, skills assessment, and gap analysis for further instruction.

"Alaskans face many exciting opportunities in our economy in the coming years and we must be prepared to seize those opportunities," said Governor Sarah Palin on Thursday. "The Alaska Career Ready program will help students and job-seeking adults, at no cost to themselves, improve in the foundational skills that are needed to enter many jobs and postsecondary institutions. The program's online assessments and courses can be taken at the participant's own pace, whether it's in school, at home, or at a state job center. Alaska Career Ready shows our students that what they learn is relevant to what they will do in life, as well as equipping adults for the workforce. We can't afford to leave any Alaskans behind."

Beginning in the 2009-2010 school year, 6th and 8th graders will be required to take benchmark assessments in the three main areas of Applied Math, Reading for Information, and Locating Information, by using the WIN (Worldwide Interactive Network) software placement tests. Additionally, 11th graders will be tested on the same three subject areas using the state-funded WorkKeys® assessments.

"The Governor and I are confident that the Alaska Career Ready program will yield great rewards for Alaska's students and for all of Alaska," Lieutenant Governor Parnell said on Thursday. "Ensuring a strong foundation for students' middle and high school education is the first step toward providing this and future generations with hope and opportunity."

On the Web:

Alaska Career Ready program
http://www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/CTE/workready.html

Source of News:

Office of the Lt. Governor
www.ltgov.state.ak.us

 

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