Education department spokesman Eric Fry said the proposal would overhaul the existing system. Under the current system, standards stop at the 10th grade, aligning with testing requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
One of the major complaints about the federal law is that it's a one-size-fits-all approach to education, and Alaska is considering seeking waivers from some of the law's provisions. The Obama administration will let states avoid certain requirements under No Child Left Behind, like children showing they're proficient in reading and math by 2014, if the states meet other conditions.
Those conditions include imposing their own standards to prepare students for college and careers and setting evaluation standards for teachers and principals.
Education Commissioner Michael Hanley has said the steps the state is taking to revamp standards and create a "next generation accountability system" should line up with what's needed to seek a waiver, if the state decides to go that route.
Fry said the proposed standards were created by Alaskans and are comparable in rigor to standards being adopted nationally.
The department will ask the state Board of Education and Early Development this week to release the proposals for extended public comment. Students would not be assessed on the new standards until spring 2016.
The board begins two days of meetings in Anchorage today.
According to the proposal, the standards "do not tell teachers how to teach, nor do they attempt to override the unique qualities of each student and classroom. They simply establish a strong foundation of knowledge and skills all students need for success after graduation."
The revision would apply only to classes on the English language and math, which were last updated in 2005. Fry said those are fundamental to achievement in other school subjects and in the workplace, and they are used daily.
History and science standards would remain the same.
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