Like everything else in Alaska, the state's education problem is big. Despite being one of the richest states in America (CNN News), Alaska has one of the lowest graduation rates in the country (U.S. Department of Education).

Ann Hall is 24 credits, less than a year's worth of classes, away from finishing a bachelor's degree in Human Services.

FAIRBANKS (AP) - The U.S. Department of Education has approved Alaska's request for a one-year freeze on state targets under the No Child Left Behind Act. Under the Bush-era law, the number of students needed to pass standardized tests to achieve adequate yearly progress increases each year. The one-year waiver will allow Alaska to use 2010-11 proficiency targets when calculating its progress in the coming school year. The frozen targets will require that 83 percent of students be proficient in English and 75 percent of students be proficient in math.

Communication is essential to breaking the cycle of bullying. For example, tell your children their options for dealing with a bully, said Carla Abild, parent navigator with Stone Soup Group.

Project Grad Kenai Peninsula has been awarded a $128,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to continue the program.

Keith Hamilton, president of Alaska Christian College (ACC) joined his staff, students and members of the community last week to give thanks, officially open, and dedicate the beautiful new Student Success and Learning and Resource Center at their Poppy Lane campus. "When we started this project we had no idea that we would end up with the magnificent facility that this has turned out to be for the cause of educating our native Alaskan students.

Steve Atwater, Kenai Peninsula School District superintendent, said he would like to see Alaska join the list of states seeking relief from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act. In an announcement last September, President Barack Obama offered states the opportunity to apply for a waiver that would free them from certain provisions of NCLB, most notably the 100 percent proficiency by 2014 clause.

Alaska Christian College was granted accreditation by the Association for Biblical Higher Education last week. "We are approved by the U.S. Department of Education through our accrediting agency as a fully accredited institution of higher learning," ACC president Keith Hamilton explained. "It's that official stamp of approval from the federal government that we are meeting all the criteria necessary to be an accredited college."

The state of Alaska will accept $23.5 million in federal Education Jobs Fund money aimed at preventing teacher layoffs, despite a lack of budget-driven layoffs.

For the first time in three years the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District did not make Adequate Yearly Progress.