Senate Bill 7 "An Act relating to the legal age for attending school; and providing for an effective date."
Click for PDF: http://www.akdemocrats.org/sponsor/SB007_ss_sen_davis.pdfAlaska has performance standards for students aged 5 to 7, yet school attendance is not mandatory. The movement in education at this point in time is to have children start learning as quickly as possible in order to meet the mandated performance standards and pass mandatory tests at the high school level. Although children learn with different styles and at different rates, educational and brain research consistently shows that six-year old children are not only ready and eager to learn, but have a tremendous capacity to learn. Research concludes that early reading success in the primary grades is the single biggest indicator of future school success. If Alaska is focusing on meeting standards at the end of a student’s education, it is only logical to look at the beginning. It is time our state policy reflects our beliefs about this critical learning period.