Mission
It is the mission of the Alaska Comprehensive Center (ACC), in partnership with the Northwest Regional Educational Lab (NWREL), to assist the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development fill technical assistance needs through research-based strategies, technical assistance expertise, and resources to enable students to meet both Alaska's high standards, and those of NCLB. By linking with the Content Centers and collaborative partners within Alaska , the state will have access to expertise not only in topics critical to high quality research- based, reading, writing, math and science instruction, but also a deep knowledge of materials and teaching strategies that are appropriate for the unique cultural contexts of Alaska schools and communities.

Work Plans: Year One (PDF)

Advisory Board
The ACC has assembled a 14 member Advisory Board consisting of Alaska’s Commissioner of Education and Early Development, school superintendents from the state’s largest and smallest urban and rural school districts, parents, teachers, cultural leaders, representatives of business and higher education, and legislative policy makers.

Ray Barnhardt, Director Alaska Rural Systemic Initiative	Ed McLain, Ed.D. College of Education, UAA
Steve Bradshaw, Superintendent Sitka School District	Dee Parsons, President Alaska PTA
Rich Carlson, Superintendent Klawock City School District	Trena Rose, Teacher Bayshore Elementary School
Carol Comeau, Superintendent Anchorage School District	Roger Sampson, Commissioner Department of Education & Early Development
Kirby Day, Director of Shore Operations Princess Tours	Bunny Schaeffer, Member State Board of Education & Early Development
Linda Evans, Superintendent Yukon Flats School District	Robbin Stockton, Secondary Math Instructor Akiachak School
Mitzi Garrison, Principal Chief Ivan Blunka School	Peggy Wilson Alaska State Legislature

Staff
The Alaska Comprehensive Center will draw on the strengths and capacities of the applicant organization, SERRC, and of NWREL, both highly knowledgeable and experienced Alaskan educational service providers.

Jerry Schoenberger – Alaska Comprehensive Center Director
Mr . Schoenberger has a career-long commitment to improving student achievement. As the Director of the Alaska Regional Comprehensive Assistance Center (AKRAC), Mr. Schoenberger's management and leadership resulted in improving the quality of instruction, curricula, assessment and other aspects of school reform in Alaska, plus expanding the involvement and participation of parents in the education of their children. He brings 20 years of site level experience as both an elementary and K-12 principal, and has worked in both rural and urban schools. Mr. Schoenberger's experience includes the design and implementation of innovative technology in elementary schools, and strategic planning at the district and site level. His most recent area of emphasis has been in the area of improving school climate, and the process of developing safe, caring, and supportive learning environments. He is currently a trainer for the Tribes TLC® process, which supports developing a safe and caring school culture. Mr. Schoenberger has also serviced as the President of the Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals and Alaska Council of School Administrators.

Teri Regan – Professional Development Coordinator and Content Center Liaison
Ms. Regan is a highly regarded educator in both urban and rural contexts in Alaska. She presents skilled leadership at all levels of learning, from classroom and school administration as a principal to leading data driven instruction and school-wide planning. Ms. Regan holds Alaska certification as a K-12 Special Education teacher, K-8 Administrator/Principal, and K-12 Special Education Administrator. Her Bachelor's Degree is in K-12 Special Education with her Master's Degree in Public School Administration. She is an experienced “trainer of trainers” and is well versed in all aspects of NCLB. In 2004 and 2005, Ms. Regan coordinated the state approved supplemental education services (SES) program offered by SERRC providing services to eight schools in five districts throughout Alaska. For the last year and a half, Ms. Regan has also worked with the Statewide Mentoring Project as a Principal Coach with new principals in both rural and urban schools.

Kela Halfmann – Webmaster/Design & Communications
Ms. Halfmann has over 20 years in public relations, marketing, and communications design. Her experiences have ranged from developing and implementing community outreach and youth education programs to designing and producing comprehensive information packages including website design and development, print productions, and film media for public information. As the Site Designer and Webmaster for the umbrella agency (SERRC) and the ACC, she has developed and launched interactive websites/forums and designed cutting edge multi-media and print presentations for both the agency and for programs specific to educators, parents, and students. She is also involved in the design and production of a three-year report by the Alaska Native Justice Center for presentation to the U.S. Congress, Alaska policy makers, and law enforcement entities throughout the state. Ms. Halfmann also provides professional development and technology instruction in computer skills training, software applications, and also offers in-service training to districts on website construction.

Deborah Davis - School Audit Design Coordinator (NWREL)
Ms. Davis is Project Director in the Center for School and District Improvement at NWREL and will serve as Audit Design Team Coordinator for the ACC. In her current role she provides leadership for the research and development of products and services related to school improvement for schools not making Adequate Yearly Progress. As part of this effort, she has developed an onsite review process that uses literacy and mathematics as a lens for school improvement. She joined the NWREL staff in September of 1995, and after four years as an independent consultant, and returned to the Lab in September of 2003. During the time away from NWREL, Ms. Davis worked with a number of clients on school improvement projects, including work with the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, ESD 112, the Multnomah Commission on Children, Families, and Community, and the Portland Public Schools. Ms. Davis has a MA in Developmental Reading and an Administrative Credential.

Jacqueline Raphael - Research Advisor (NWREL)
Ms. Raphael is a Research Associate with the Center for School and District Improvement at the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Her current responsibilities include serving as Editor of the online Catalog of School Reform Models and a member of the R&D team developing and field-testing a process for facilitating professional learning teams at K-12 schools. Ms. Raphael has spent over ten years studying and writing about educational programs. Topics of published work include standards-based reform, use of technology, educational program evaluation, professional development, and pre-service teacher training. She has published in journals such as Educational Leadership, Change, Journal of Science Teacher Education, and the peer-reviewed Journal of Research in Science Teaching , and has presented papers at AERA. Ms. Raphael co-authored two volumes on student testing innovations in postsecondary science and a book on creative writing groups. She has provided grant writing, program development, and evaluation services to community- and university-based education programs at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary levels. A published poet, she has also served as a guest writing instructor in the Tucson and District of Columbia public school systems and has taught composition at the community college level.

Dr. Richard Smiley - Evaluation Advisor (NWREL)
Dr. Richard Smiley joined the Center for Research, Evaluation and Assessment at NWREL in November 2004, and currently works as a program evaluator on Reading First, an implementation of scientifically-based reading instruction in grades K-3 and the Alaska Comprehensive Center. Before joining NWREL, Dr. Smiley worked at the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development for 18 years in both the special education and assessment and data management units. He has extensive experience in evaluating district programs for compliance with state and federal regulations as well as providing technical assistance to rural and urban school districts. He was instrumental in implementing Alaska 's standards-based large-scale assessment system including a high-stakes graduation examination and the Department's first electronic state-wide student tracking system. Additionally, Dr. Smiley was the Department's State Coordinator for Gifted Education for 8 years as well as a program manager, staff trainer, supervisor and mediator. Dr. Smiley's early career included work as a school psychologist and vocational evaluator. In these roles he conducted applied research, implemented career education programs in schools, and adult education.