May 2004 DOE Administrative Memorandum

In Every Issue:
Secretary's Column
CANS

In This Issue:
Nominate 2006 Teacher of the Year, win big!
Looking for education’s best and brightest
Trainings to address reauthorized IDEA
Preparing for Dakota STEP and special accommodations
Hagen-Harvey Scholarships for American Indian students available now
Huron to host Special Education conference
Guide on childhood illness coming your way
Roll-out of math standards continues
Birth to 3 recognizes outstanding providers
Conference for after-school programs to be held in Pierre
Counselors: Resources available for students with deployed parents
Math and science workshops offered by CAMSE

Secretary’s Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
South Dakota Department of Education

What does our business community think?

During the 2005 legislative session, I had a chance to be involved in the “Business Day Luncheon,” which included about 200 business leaders from across South Dakota.

Rather than having a guest speaker at the luncheon, David Owen, the state chamber director, chose to have the audience react to a series of questions on topics such as taxes, unemployment and education. The answers were entered electronically using devices donated by US Bank, and the responses were immediately displayed on a screen for the entire audience to see. I thought I could share a few of the responses relating to educational questions that were posed to the group.

Direction: Give a letter grade to South Dakota’s K-12 schools.

A - 9%
B - 54%
C - 30%
D - 4%
F - 3%

Direction: Give a letter grade to your school district.

A - 21%
B - 54%
C - 21%
D - 3%
F - 2%

Question: Of the 2010 Education Initiative topics, which is the most important?

High school reform - 38%
Administrator/teacher quality - 32%
Pre-school education - 17%

Question: Would you support a special levy for schools, if you knew specifically what the levy would be used for?

Yes - 62%
No - 38%

Question: Do you think that teachers’ salaries should be improved in South Dakota?

Yes - 73%
No - 27%

Question: How should the money be used to improve salaries?

Across the board increases - 13%
Minimum teacher salary - 17%
Performance pay - 59%
Extra work for extra pay - 3%
Market value (pay more for specific positions) - 13%

As I viewed the results, it was apparent that the business community was supportive of education. At the same time, a prime focus on education spending involved results. Overall, I felt that the business community recognizes the quality of our educational program and wants to support our efforts.

CANS

March is National Nutrition Month

Don’t forget that March is National Nutrition Month. It’s an excellent opportunity to promote the importance of nutrition as a key component of good health. Use this national observance as a way to showcase healthy eating in your school!

Step up to the plate for child nutrition

Child and Adult Nutrition Services’ annual Certification Institute will be held June 19-24 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. This year’s theme is “Step Up to the Plate for Child Nutrition.” Participants choose from a total of eight tracks – each consisting of 30 hours.

One track may be completed each year. After completion of track four, participants graduate with a certificate. All tracks qualify for 30 hours of continuing education credits from the School Nutrition Association.

Track one includes ServSafe and Child Nutrition Program Basics. It must be completed before any other tracks can be taken.
Track two covers Healthy Edge 2000, Menu Planning, Commodities and People Skills for Managers.
Track three includes Quantity Food Production.
Track four is for participants who have completed the first three tracks. It teaches administrative details such as ordering and receiving, record keeping, menu planning, storage procedures, quality food production and scheduling.
Track-five content varies from year to year. This year, it will cover the Basics of Implementing HAACP, the new Wellness Policy Requirements, the HealthierUS Challenge, the new Dietary Guidelines and Blowing Your Own Horn.
Additional tracks include baking, entry-level computers and advanced computers.

Registration information will be forthcoming soon. Contact Amy Richards at (605) 773-4718 or Janelle Peterson at (605) 280-4278.

Training sessions for Summer Food Service Program scheduled

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) will conduct three training sessions in March.

The first is slated for March 29, 9-10 a.m. (CST), via the Dakota Digital Network (DDN). This session is for SFSP Seamless Summer or “waiver” participants only.

The second session also will be held March 29, 10 a.m.-noon (CST), via the DDN. This session is for experienced sponsors from 2004.

The third session is for new sponsors that have not participated in the program or have new staff responsible for its operation. This session will be held March 31 at the State Library Conference Room in Pierre. The session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CST).

Packets will be mailed to all interested sponsors the first part of March. Child and Adult Nutrition Services must receive a completed agreement – contained in the packet – by April 10 to be considered. This agreement also must be approved before a sponsor can begin to serve meals at its site.

For more information, contact Cassandra Rupe at (605) 773-3110. cassandra.rupe@state.sd.us.

Dollars available to food service workers

The School Nutrition Association – through its Child Nutrition Foundation – offers scholarships and financial assistance to food service and nutrition staff to achieve their professional and educational goals. In addition, the association has research grants available to its members to conduct research related to food service.

For more information, visit www.asfsa.org/continuinged/assistance/.

Update: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization law mandates that all school food authorities must implement a food safety program using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. The original implementation deadline of July 1, 2005, has been expanded, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) expects implementation during the 2005-06 school year.

In the meantime, HACCP assessments at 20 districts in South Dakota have been completed. HACCP assessments looked at basic standard operating procedures relating to sanitation. In addition, a questionnaire was left for employees to fill out – in an attempt to gauge experience level, attitudes and general knowledge of food service staff.

The assessment project will aid Child and Adult Nutrition Services in planning training needs for school food authorities. USDA expects to have HACCP training material available in early spring. Training for school food authorities will begin in early summer and continue throughout the end of the year.

Update: Fresh fruit and vegetable program

After a successful pilot program in 2002-03, Congress approved $9 million in the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 to expand the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. This act made it a permanent program.

Last year, schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation were selected to participate in the program. In some cases, food-service staff members deliver the fruit and/or vegetable for the day to the classrooms, as either a morning or afternoon snack. Some schools have added items to their salad bars at noon. Others have a variety of fruits and vegetables sitting in designated areas around the school, so that students and teachers have access to healthy snacks anytime during the school day.

One school even reported vending machine sales down – a sure sign that students are choosing a healthy snack when it is offered to them!

Nominate 2006 Teacher of the Year, win big!

The nomination process for the 2006 South Dakota Teacher of the Year is now open. Each year, the Department of Education recognizes one outstanding South Dakota educator. That educator goes on to represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

As South Dakota’s 2005 Teacher of the Year, Jensi Kellogg-Andrus of Watertown received numerous prizes, including:

One year’s use of a new vehicle from Sharp Chevrolet in Watertown;
$14,000 package of electronic equipment for her classroom;
$2,500 from Citibank;
$2,500 from the South Dakota Community Foundation; and
$1,000 from the Board of Regents; and
$200 from the South Dakota Retailers Association.

Districts can participate in the 2006 Teacher of the Year program by selecting a local winner. Districts are asked to form a selection committee of 9 to 11 people to review nominations, which can be made by fellow teachers, parents, students and members of the community. A sample “Local TOY Nomination Form” is available online. The deadline to announce your local winner is May 20.

Following the local announcement, winners have until July 1 to submit their application for the state competition. A panel of educational professionals reviews applications at the state level, and the South Dakota TOY is announced in November.

A TOY candidate should demonstrate the following qualities:

Be an exceptionally skilled and dedicated teacher from a state-approved or accredited school, preK-12;
Be planning to continue in an active teaching status (supervisory and administrative responsibilities are secondary considerations);
Have the respect and admiration of students, parents and colleagues;
Play an active and useful role in the community as well as in the school;
Be poised, articulate and have the energy to withstand the demanding schedule that would accompany selection as the state TOY; and
Have a superior ability to inspire students of all backgrounds and abilities to learn.

For further information, contact Nicole Kranzler at the Department of Education, (605) 773-3426. nicole.kranzler@state.sd.us.

Looking for education’s best and brightest

The Department of Education seeks the names of outstanding educators for its “Emerging Classroom Leaders Pool.” Nominees should exhibit strong leadership and an inspiring presence. The department hopes to use these educators as future resources for special recognition programs, as well as advisory boards and task forces. For this reason, recommendations must be confidential. The deadline for recommendations is May 1.

Eligible educators must:

Be classroom teachers, specialists or principals (building-level personnel);
Have served in education for at least five years;
Exhibit strong potential for professional leadership and an inspiring presence that impacts students, colleagues and communities;
Be recognized by peers and supervisors as unique because of their local contributions, and
Have not previously received other recognition.

To recommend an educator:

Download a recommendation for each nominee with confidential, succinct and specific information. All questions must be answered;
Write a one-page recommendation that addresses how the nominee meets the criteria outlined above; and
Obtain a copy of the candidate’s resume, if possible.

Send a packet containing items 1, 2 and 3 to Nicole Kranzler at 700 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501 no later than May 1, 2005. nicole.kranzler@state.sd.us

Trainings to address reauthorized IDEA

Discover the impact of the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) on South Dakota schools, students and families. The department’s Special Education Programs will host training sessions at locations across the state. All trainings will be held from noon to 4 p.m. A list of dates and locations follows:

March 16, Pierre, Ramkota RiverCentre
March 23, Sioux Falls, Holiday Inn City Center
April 5, Watertown, Watertown Event Center
April 12, Aberdeen, Best Western Ramkota
April 26, Rapid City, Hampton Inn

IDEA has several main themes. These include:

Protecting the civil rights of students with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education;
Making IDEA work for students, parents, teachers, school administrators and school districts;
Providing quality services and instruction at all stages, from early childhood through high school graduation;
Improving discipline and ensuring safety;
Integrating of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;

To register for one of the training sessions, visit www.southdakotapd.com. Click on the date of the session you wish to attend.

Preparing for Dakota STEP and special accommodations

Test dates for the Dakota STEP are quickly approaching. In exceptional circumstances, there may be a student whose disabilities are such that the allowable accommodations listed in the Testing Coordinators Handbook will be insufficient to provide access to the Dakota STEP. In these cases, the district will need to complete the Dakota STEP Special Accommodation Consideration Request Form. The form is available online.

Upon receiving a Dakota STEP Special Accommodation Consideration Request Form, the Department of Education and Harcourt will determine whether the request is for an accommodation or a modification. Based on that determination, instructions will be e-mailed to you on how to properly code the student answer document.

An allowable accommodation does not invalidate the student’s score and can be coded as a standard allowable accommodation. A modification does invalidate the student’s score and must be coded as a non-standard accommodation, which will yield a below basic score.

The U.S. Department of Education expects most students with disabilities to participate in the regular statewide assessment. Students participate in one of two ways: 1) without accommodations or 2) with accommodations that are consistent with those provided during regular instruction.

Forms must be returned to the department by March 11. For more information, contact Linda Turner at (605) 773-3678.

Hagen-Harvey Scholarships for American Indian students available now

American Indian students who plan to pursue higher education in South Dakota may apply now for a Richard Hagen-Minerva Harvey Memorial Scholarship. Scholarship amounts start at $1,000 for the first two years of attendance and reach $2,500 for the fourth year of attendance.

“One of our goals is to see more students graduating and going on to higher education, whether it’s a four-year institution or a technical institute,” said Gov. Mike Rounds. “This is a great way for the State of South Dakota to support students who choose to do just that. A student may receive up to $6,000 over four years to pursue a degree.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must:

be an enrolled member of a tribe whose reservation is located – in part or whole – in South Dakota.
graduate from an accredited South Dakota high school.
attend a public or non-public accredited university, college or technical institute located in South Dakota.
apply within five years after high school graduation or within one year after release from active military duty (if that release is within five years of high school graduation).

Once a recipient has been approved for the scholarship, the student is authorized to receive up to four years of funding. The student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5.

The Hagen-Harvey scholarship program was established in 2003, after Minerva Harvey left the proceeds of her estate to the South Dakota Department of Education to develop a scholarship program for American Indian students. Richard Hagen was a legislator from Pine Ridge who served in the State House and Senate.

An application form and guidelines are available online or by calling the Department of Education at (605) 773-3727. Application deadline is April 15, 2005.

Huron to host Special Education conference

The 2005 Statewide Special Education Conference will be held March 13-15 at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron. This year’s theme is “Bright Futures for All Children.”

The conference will highlight exciting developments in the areas of behavior, social skills and communication for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

The conference is sponsored by the Department of Education’s Special Education Program, South Dakota Council for Exceptional Children and the Center for Disabilities.

For more information, visit www.usd.edu/cd/core/sped2005.cfm or contact the Center for Disabilities at 1-800-658-3080.

Guide on childhood illness coming your way

The Departments of Education and Health have collaborated to purchase a valuable new resource for all school buildings. It’s a guide called “Managing Infectious Diseases in Child Care and Schools.”

The guide will assist out-of-home caregivers to prevent, identify and respond to the most common childhood infectious diseases. Written in concise, non-technical language and spiral bound for easy use, the handbook provides guidelines for managing childhood illness and communicating with health care professionals.

A guide will be mailed to all school buildings within the next few weeks. When received, it should be placed in the hands of whoever will most benefit from its use (e.g., school nurse, office staff, etc.).

Roll-out of math standards continues

The last two – in a series of five – workshops to roll out South Dakota’s new mathematics content standards will be held this spring. The workshops will cover the measurement and geometry strands.

A schedule is below:

Location:	Strand:
	Measurement	Geometry
Rapid City	March 7 Rushmore Plaza	April 25 Ramkota
Aberdeen	March 9 Ramkota	April 20 Ramada Inn
Sioux Falls	March 10 Ramkota	April 21 Oaks

Participants will examine a framework for instructional practice that aligns standards to instruction, curriculum and assessment. They will engage in self-analysis and reflection to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of their work.

Credit is available through Northern State University, Black Hills State University, Dakota State University, University of South Dakota or South Dakota State University. One graduate credit will be based on attending any three of the series; two credits will be based on attending all five in the series.

Participants may register online at southdakotapd.com. On the calendar, click the date of the course you wish to attend to pull up the information and registration. For more information, contact Anne Thompson at the Department of Education, (605) 773-3247. anne.thompson@state.sd.us.

Birth to 3 recognizes outstanding providers

Two providers have been recognized by the Birth to 3 Connections Program for their work with infants and toddlers with developmental delays or disabilities. The two providers are Kathy Wollmann, special education director for the Menno School District, and Dr. Steven Benn, a pediatrician at Black Hills Pediatrics in Rapid City.

Each year, the program’s service coordinators nominate one physician and one early intervention provider.

Nominator Marilyn Kokesh, service coordinator for River Birth to 3, said of Wollmann: “She goes above and beyond the call of duty for families. Kathy is an advocate for families, making them feel at ease during meetings and setting up services. She especially makes the transition process smooth for families who have children moving from Part C to the Part B program.”

Nominator Bonnie Christensen, service coordinator for Black Hills Birth to 3, said of Dr. Benn: “He takes time to discuss the needs of his patients and develop solutions when they arise. We get many referrals from Dr. Benn, and he invites the service coordinator to be part of the hospital team for care conferences.”

The department’s Birth to 3 Connections Program thanks Kathy Wollmann and Dr. Steven Benn for their hard work and dedication!

Children ages 0-3 who may be experiencing developmental delays or disabilities can be referred to the Birth to 3 program. If a family is referred to Birth to 3 and it is determined that the child in question requires early intervention services, Birth to 3 Connections provides services at no cost to the family.

Early intervention services offered through the program include: audiology; assistive technology; family training, counseling and home visits; health services; medical services for evaluation; nursing; nutrition; occupational therapy; physical therapy; psychological services; social work services; service coordination; special instruction; speech and language therapy; transportation; vision; and other services as identified.

Conference for after-school programs to be held in May

The 21^st Century Community Learning Centers After-School Programs Conference will be held May 3-4 at the Ramkota RiverCentre in Pierre. After-school program administrators, teachers and staff, as well as counselors, are invited to attend this free event.

Keynotes speakers include Bridget Gothberg and Dr. Keith Polette. Gothberg is a community educator with 27 years of experience. She also has served as a consultant to the National Center for Community Education. Dr. Polette is a specialist in children’s literature and the director of the English Education Program at the University of Texas, El Paso.

Breakout sessions will cover topics such as children’s mental health, healthy snack ideas, great books for kids, and care of children with special needs.

For more information, contact Sue Burgard at the Department of Education, (605) 773-5238. sue.burgard@state.sd.us. To register, contact Mary Giddings at (605) 773-3261 or or mary.giddings@state.sd.us. Deadline for registration is April 8.

Counselors: Resources available for students with deployed parents

Students with parents who have been deployed through the National Guard have special concerns. The South Dakota National Guard Family Readiness Program offers a wealth of resources for counselors and school personnel to help youth with deployed parents. For information, contact Kristi Palmer, South Dakota National Guard, at 1-800-658-3930. kristi.palmer@sd.ngb.army.mil.

Math and science workshops offered by CAMSE

Math Curriculum Showcase

CAMSE will host a Math Curriculum Showcase May 5-6 at the Rushmore Plaza Holiday Inn, Rapid City. The center is one of only three sites nationwide to be selected by the Education Development Center to host this showcase.

Designed to support districts interested in considering the use of new, standards-based math curriculum materials, the showcase features 12 National Science Foundation-funded comprehensive curricula. These programs are being widely used around the country with excellent results.

Elementary Programs:

Everyday Mathematics (K-6)

Investigations in Number, Data and Space (K-5)

Math Trailblazers (K-5)

Middle School Programs:

Connected Mathematics (CMP) (6-8)

Mathematics in Context (MiC) (5-8)

MathScape (6-8)

MATHThematics (6-8)

High School Programs:

Contemporary Math in Context (Core-Plus) (9-12)

Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP) (9-12)

Math Connections: A Secondary

Mathematics Core Curriculum (9-12)

Mathematics: Modeling Our World (ARISE) (9-12)

SIMMS Integrated Mathematics (9-12)

Throughout the conference, participating teams will learn about effective methods for selecting, piloting and implementing the programs. They also will consider how programs at different grade levels fit together.

Space is limited, so register as early as possible. Visit www.camse.org/mathshowcase to register. For more information, contact Vicki Kapust at Black Hills State University, vickikapust@bhsu.edu.

Science On The Move

Science On The Move provides South Dakota students with high-quality science lab experiences. Mobile Science Labs (MSLs) – equipped with a broad range of equipment, from powerful microscopes to molecular biology tools – travel to schools across the state. Students can use equipment inside the trailers, or the equipment can be brought into classrooms for use.

Professional development summer workshops for the Mobile Science Labs are scheduled for the following dates:

June 6-10 - South Dakota State University, Brookings
June 20-24 - South Dakota State University, Brookings
July 18-22 - Black Hills State University, Spearfish

Teachers who are selected to attend one of these workshops will:

receive extensive training on the lab activities and use of the equipment aboard the MSLs;
receive a $250 stipend;
be guaranteed a MSL visit to their school during the 2005-06 school year;
receive free room and board for the week;
have the opportunity for two graduate credits at reduced tuition (approximately $60/credit).

Each of the three workshops is dependent on sufficient applicants.

To apply for one of the workshops, download an application at www.camse.org/scienceonthemove/. Return it by March 11 to CAMSE, 1200 University St, Unit 9005, Spearfish, SD 57799-9005. Fax: (605) 642-6871 or e-mail: cathybergey@bhsu.edu. Please do not rank a workshop if the dates or location are not acceptable to you. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application no later than March 31.