Secretary's Column
By Dr. Rick Melmer
Department of Education

We know what they know, but what can they do?

There have been few events that have changed the shape of public education as much as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Over the past three years, school districts across the nation have been focused on identifying specific content standards and developing teaching strategies to reinforce those standards. Statewide exams also have been developed to test students’ knowledge of those standards.

What has this effort produced? It has helped to define what students should know as well as a specific way to measure that knowledge. South Dakota educators and students have responded to this challenge in a very positive way, and our scores reflect that effort.

As we become acclimated to this new accountability system, there has been increasing discussion about a concept called “21st century skills.” These skills are essentially what employers are looking for in future employees. Ironically, many of these skills do not reflect what we are focusing on with the No Child Left Behind accountability system. 21st century skills include such skills as problem solving, team work, civic engagement and global literacy. In the past, these skills were called “soft skills,” but they appear to be taking on a life of their own.

What does this mean for schools? Most educators would acknowledge that the demonstration of knowledge should be a staple for our academic programs. I fully expect that we will begin a movement to add another type of assessment to our current list of tests. This new assessment would be more of a demonstration of learning that is designed, at least in part, by the student. It might include traditional academic areas, but would more likely involve other areas such as the arts as a part of that presentation.

In closing, there have been numerous studies conducted about the importance of a well-rounded education for all high school students. The South Dakota Department of Education remains committed to our current testing program and exploring other assessment options that may demonstrate what our students can do.