Section 14.07.180 - [Effective 7/1/2025] Curricula approval and review; pilot program; incentives(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board shall establish standards and a procedure for the review, ranking, and approval of mathematics and English and language arts curricula for school districts to use in each grade level as provided in this section. The board may include curricula delivered through virtual education in the standards and procedure established under this subsection. Standards established for the review, ranking, and approval of language arts curricula for early education programs and grades kindergarten through three must be based on phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency, oral language skills, and reading comprehension.(b) The department, in consultation with school districts, shall review mathematics and English and language arts curricula used in schools in the state and in other states and countries and may include in the review curricula delivered through virtual education. Not later than July 1, 2019, the department shall identify the best mathematics and English and language arts curricula and the best teaching practices for each of the curricula. The department may identify the best mathematics and English and language arts curricula delivered through virtual education.(c) The department shall submit the curricula and teaching practices that the department identifies as the best under (b) of this section to the board for approval, including evidence supporting the department's selection, if the department concludes that the curricula and best practices (2) are in compliance with the nondiscrimination standards established under AS 14.18.060 (b);(3) are aligned with state education standards; and(4) result in improved academic achievement for students.(d) The board may approve curricula submitted under (c) of this section if the curricula are consistent with the standards established by the board under (a) of this section. The department shall place the curricula approved by the board into two categories as follows:(1) incentivized curricula for the best curricula for each subject, based on evidence provided to the department; the department may place not more than two curricula in this category for each subject;(2) designated effective curricula for the curricula for each subject that are not incentivized curricula but that the department finds appropriate and effective based on factual and other evidence provided to the department.(e) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (f) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (g)[Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (h) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (i) The department shall publish on the department's Internet website and make available to the public(1) all curricula used by school districts in the state for all subjects, whether or not the curricula are approved; and(2) the curricula approved under (d) of this section.(j) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (k) Each school district shall submit to the department the relevant information needed for the department to carry out its duties under this section.(l) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (m) [Repealed by 2018 amendment.] (n) Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, the department may distribute incentive payments to school districts that use curricula reviewed and approved by the board under AS 14.07.165 (c). The department may provide incentive payments, subject to appropriation, to school districts based on the readiness and capacity of the school district as determined by the department.(o) In this section,(1) [Repealed by 2018 and 2019 amendments.](2) "school district" has the meaning given in AS 14.30.350;(3) [Repealed by 2018 and 2019 amendments.](4) [Repealed by 2018 and 2019 amendments.](5) "virtual education" means instruction delivered through telecommunications or other digital or electronic methods.Amended by SLA 2022, ch. 40,sec. 24, eff. 7/1/2023.Amended by SLA 2019, ch. 13,sec. 102, eff. 10/17/2019.Amended by SLA 2018, ch. 73,sec. 11, eff. 7/1/2025.Added by SLA 2018, ch. 73,sec. 3, eff. 10/28/2018.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.