Only one in four Alaska fourth grade students are reading on grade level. But there is a prescription for this problem.
Debra Van Dyke was formerly principal at Fort Yukon School in the Yukon Flats School District, where nearly all students are Alaska Native and most qualify for free-or-reduced lunch based upon family income. She worked with families and brought in reading experts during her tenure, and saw big improvements in student reading performance during that time. She knows how important it is for students to “Read by 9” and she supports efforts underway to reform Alaska’s early literacy policies. Read more about this policy reform here.