User:AKMentor/sandbox

The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project (ASMP) was founded in 2003, modeled after the [|New Teacher Center] (NTC) framework. This research-based program has been shown to develop reflective teachers who are responsive to the diverse cultural backgrounds of all students. Founding members of the Alaska Statewide Mentor Project incorporated the tools, and systems of NTC, tailoring the program to align more precisely with Alaska's unique school systems.

[|Teacher Retention] challenges in America are an ongoing issue and efforts to improve retention are in part, believed to be helped with " />>

[|Alaska] is the largest state, about two and half times the size of [|Texas] and about one-fifth the size of the entire lower 48 states. Alaska has about 736,100 residents occupying 572,000 square miles. Most of the population is centered in the metropolitan areas of [|Anchorage], [|Matanuska-Susitna valley], [|Fairbanks], and [|Juneau].

The Anchorage school district, for example, is one of the 100 largest school districts in the nation, with 3,000 teachers and 50,000 students. Most of Alaska's 54 school districts are located in the [|"bush"] places isolated from each other and off the road system, accessible only by air, boat, dog sled, or all-terrain vehicle. Of Alaska's 512 schools, 135 schools have fewer than 50 students and 82 schools enroll 25 or fewer students. The distances between rural schools, coupled with their isolation, create gaps in many aspects of the education system.

In addition to geographic isolation, many school districts in Alaska suffer from high teacher turnover; up to 85% turnover in some schools. High turnover rates not only result in loss of continuity and cohesiveness within the school community, but are also correlated with low quality of teaching and poor student performance.

ASMP's Vision Statement: Every student in Alaska has the benefit of a great teacher. Great teachers help our children to learn, grow, and thrive. They make learning exciting and tap into the knowledge, skills, and resources of local communities to help students achieve both personal and academic success.

ASMP's Mission Statement: Give new teachers the support they need to succeed. The Alaska Statewide Mentor Project exists to lift up and support the profession of teaching in Alaska. The project provides individualized support to first- and second-year teachers, developing an effective teaching force that is responsive to the diverse academic needs and cultural backgrounds of all students.

ASMP is housed under K-12 Outreach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Natural Science and Mathematics Department. K-12 Outreach is the umbrella organization for three other teacher support programs: Educators Rising Alaska, Alaska Teacher Placement and Place-based Curriculum aka TASK (Teacher Ambassadors Sharing Knowledge).