• Secretary's Column
• Y2K all over again? - Highly qualified deadline nears
• New accreditation process gets underway
• State to subsidize AP test fees
• Time to select Teachers of the Year

• Survey assesses students' health risk behaviors

• Nominate your classroom leaders

• Severe Weather Preparedness Week coming

• Hot Topic
• Upcoming Events

Secretary's Column:

Have it your way!

This may date me a bit, but I can remember when the fast food wars were at their peak and Burger King released an ad that featured the slogan “Have it your way.” This was Burger King’s way of personalizing your order, dramatically different than McDonalds’ style of a one size fits all approach to customer service. Since that time, customer service has become the norm in fast food restaurants and all businesses alike. It is clear that the customer drives the agenda in today’s business climate.

Historically, that has not been true in public schools across America. In some respects, we have been spoiled. Our customers arrive each year in late August and stay with us until the end of May. When school dismisses, we could feel confident that the customers would return again in the fall. However, since these early days, there have been some changes. We have seen open enrollment emerge, along with options that students never had before such as home schooling and private schools. Today, it is more necessary than ever for schools to be focused on the needs of the customer.

It seems that customer service is now beginning to focus on the high school arena. High school reform across this country appears to be adopting the Burger King adage of “Have it your way.” More and more states are looking at flexible graduation paths that allow students to pursue learning in a way that best fits their styles.

The Governors’ 2010 Education Initiative also features a personalized approach to the high school curriculum. Here are some of the components that we are strongly urging school districts across South Dakota to consider as we attempt to personalize our high school curriculum.

• Personal learning plans The Department of Education is encouraging school districts to develop personal learning plans for each student beginning in grade eight. As the student registers for high school, the student and parent, along with a school representative, should begin to draft a plan that will outline the course expectations for that student throughout the high school experience.

• Internships It is becoming clear that employers want young people to understand the value of work. There is no better learning opportunity than to tailor an internship that may meet the needs of the student. We are challenging schools to offer creative career and tech ed courses, and many of those courses could feature short internships to help students gain a better knowledge of the world of work.

• Senior projects Senior projects are a great way for students to demonstrate their learning. Several districts across the state are beginning to require senior projects before students graduate. The Department of Education believes that senior projects are critical in helping students to reflect on their learning and demonstrate learning by actually applying concepts. 

Over the next few years, the Department of Education will be engaging with leaders across this state to determine how we can better personalize our high school curriculum. It is our hope that you will apply these principles as you consider the high school curriculum in your school district.

Y2K all over again?

Highly qualified deadline nears

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) calls for 100 percent of all classes to be taught by highly qualified teachers by the end of the 2005-06 school year. As this deadline approaches, many are asking: “What happens if we don’t make it?”

“There’s no easy answer to that question,” said Melody Schopp, director of the Office of Accreditation and Teacher Quality. However, she notes that guidance from the federal government “leads us to believe that reasonable, good faith efforts to reach this goal will be accepted.”

In 2003, the first year South Dakota was required to publish a report card under NCLB, the percent of classes not being taught by highly qualified teachers was 11.3 percent. In 2004, the percent dropped to 7.3. It remained steady at 7.3 percent in 2005.

At the state level, the Department of Education has been working aggressively to help school districts and individual teachers reach the 100 percent requirement. Content testing was implemented as one way for teachers to validate content knowledge. A passing score on the Praxis II is now required for certification in South Dakota. The department also developed HOUSSE rules for existing teachers – both regular and special education – to demonstrate content knowledge.

“We believe that most school districts also have taken an aggressive approach to reaching the highly qualified goal,” Dr. Rick Melmer, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education, said. “But, we realize that changing staff and circumstances, as well as isolated rural locations, may prevent a district from reaching the 100 percent requirement.”

According to Melmer, the state Department of Education plans to follow the federal government’s lead in addressing the highly qualified issue. In other words, “good faith” efforts to achieve the standard will be recognized.

Schopp recommends that school leaders focus on the following key areas:

• Districts must continue to make reasonable efforts to reach the 100 percent requirement. District leaders should take steps to support teachers in achieving the highly qualified designation.
• Districts must accurately report their staff and teaching assignments.
• Schools that receive Title I funds must notify parents that they may receive information regarding the professional qualifications of their children’s teachers upon request.
• Schools that receive Title I funds must notify parents if their children have been assigned to or taught by for four or more consecutive weeks a teacher who is not highly qualified.

“These are some of criteria that we will be judged on at the state level, so we need the cooperation of school districts to be sure that we, as a statewide education system, are taking this reasonable approach to implementation,” Schopp said.  

The big question, of course, is what constitutes a “reasonable” approach. The U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) offered guidelines in a letter from Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on Oct. 21, 2005.

According to that letter, USDOE will look at four key areas in determining whether a state is implementing the law and making a good-faith effort to reach the 100 percent requirement. USDOE will consider:

1. the state’s definition of a “highly qualified” teacher;

2. how the state reports to parents and the public on classes taught by highly qualified teachers;

3. the completeness and accuracy of Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) data reported to the U.S. Department of Education; and

4. the steps the state has taken to ensure that experienced and qualified teachers are equitably distributed among classrooms with poor and minority children and their peers.

To answer questions regarding the highly qualified issue, the South Dakota Department of Education has a number of resources posted on its Web site. Go to doe.sd.gov/oatq/ and look under “Administrators.” For more information, contact Deedra Gesinger, Office of Accreditation and Teacher Quality, at (605) 773-6934.

New accreditation process gets underway

 
As charged by the 2004 Legislature, South Dakota is embarking on a new accreditation process for school districts.

This new model uses the existing system of mandatory checks as its foundation. It also adds a performance-based element, in the form of a district improvement plan, which many districts already have. In addition, the new process will require an onsite visit by peer review teams every five years.

“The current accreditation process requires that schools submit a set of data regarding staffing, school safety and other issues,” explained Jennifer Neuhauser, assistant director, Office of Accreditation and Teacher Quality. “While those safeguards are necessary, they do not address performance.”

By requiring an improvement plan, the new accreditation process helps to ensure that districts constantly plan for the future and monitor their progress. “Many of them already do this on a regular basis,” Neuhauser said.

Some districts that currently have improvement plans in place have expressed concern about having to start from scratch. The department typically will not ask districts to re-create the wheel when it comes to improvement plans. In fact, the department is developing a list of models currently being used (eg., North Central Association) that will fit the improvement plan requirement. Currently, 156 schools and 75 districts across the state are approved through North Central Association.

The South Dakota Board of Education approved administrative rules regarding the new accreditation process in March 2005. As the state moves forward with implementing the new process, school leaders can expect guidelines from the Department of Education. Please watch for a mailing regarding this issue in the next few months.

To view the administrative rules regarding school district accreditation, go to the Legislative Research Council’s Web site Click on “Administrative Rules” and type in “24:43” in the Rule box.

For more information about accreditation, contact Jennifer Neuhauser at (605) 773-4774. jennifer.neuhauser@state.sd.us

State to subsidize AP test fees

For the 2005-06 school year, the state of South Dakota will once again subsidize Advanced Placement test fees for qualified students through the federal Advanced Placement Incentive Program (APIP).

The APIP expands the Advanced Placement Fee Reduction Program currently offered by the College Board. This year, the Advanced Placement test fee is $82 per test. The administering school waives its $8 administration fee; the College Board waives $22 of its total fee; and the South Dakota Department of Education will pay the remaining $52 to the College Board.

The APIP enables eligible South Dakota students to take advanced placement exams at no expense to themselves. Eligible students are identified as those who qualify for free and reduced meals as defined by the National School Lunch Program. Eligible students from public, private and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools may participate in this program. 

Get more information on the department’s Web site or contact Michelle Mehlberg at michelle.mehlberg@state.sd.us or via phone at (605) 280-3614. 

Too often, we don’t take time to celebrate our successes and honor those who do an outstanding job. South Dakota’s Teacher of the Year program provides administrators with a vehicle for recognizing outstanding educators. (See sidebar on 2006 South Dakota Teacher of the Year Barbara Dowling.)

The Department of Education is currently accepting nominations for the 2007 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. Each district should select a local Teacher of the Year by May 12. These nominations are forwarded to the Education Service Agency for the region. Each ESA is responsible for selecting a final candidate for its region, and these final seven candidates will vie for Teacher of the Year at the state level.

Beyond the sense of professional accomplishment this award brings to teachers, the recipient also receives some great gifts. South Dakota’s 2006 Teacher of the Year Barbara Dowling received the following:

• $17,000 technology package from the SMARTer Kids Foundation

• Use of a vehicle for one year, Billion Automotive, Sioux Falls

•  $3,000 cash award, South Dakota Community Foundation

• $3,000 cash award, Citibank, Sioux Falls

• $1,000 honorarium for Teacher of the Year to present a series of professional development seminars, South Dakota Board of Regents

• $200 gift card, South Dakota Retailer’s Association

• $50 gift certificate, Empire/Empire East, Sioux Falls

• $50 gift certificate, Downtown Sioux Falls 

To learn more about the Teacher of the Year program in South Dakota, visit the department’s Web site or call Nicole Kranzler-Gacke at (605) 773-3426. nicole.kranzler-gacke@state.sd.us.

Survey assesses students' health risk behaviors

Results of the 2005 South Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey were presented at the Board of Education’s March 27 meeting. Conducted every two years, the survey assesses high school students’ participation in behaviors considered a risk to their health. It focuses on six priority health risk behavior areas.

Rather than comparing this year’s results to the 2003 survey, school leaders, parents and students are encouraged to focus on specific responses, especially those that they have the ability to impact or change. Highlights from each of the six areas are noted below.

• Behaviors that Result in Intentional and Unintentional Injuries and Violence

  • Thirty-two percent indicated that, during the past 30 days, they rode in a car driven by someone who had been drinking alcohol.

• Tobacco Use

  • Fifteen percent indicated that they believe smokeless tobacco is safer than cigarettes.

• Alcohol and Other Drug Use

  • Seventy-seven percent have had at least one drink of alcohol during their life, while 7 percent reported using methamphetamines at least once during their life.

• Sexual Behaviors that Result in HIV Infection, Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Unintended Pregnancy

  • Forty-four percent reported having had sexual intercourse.

• Dietary Behaviors

  • Seventeen percent indicated that they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day during the past week.

• Physical Activity

  • Sixty-two percent reported that they participated in 20 minutes of physical activity that made them sweat in three of the past seven days. Twenty-four percent indicated that they watched television for three or more hours per day on an average school day.

The South Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey is a joint project of the South Dakota Departments of Education, Human Services and Health. Surveys are distributed to a random sample of high schools across the state. They are completed by students in grades 9-12. Participation in the survey is voluntary, and parents are given the opportunity to exclude their children from the process.

A complete copy of the 2005 South Dakota Youth Risk Behavior Survey is available on the Department of Education’s Web site.  Printed versions of the survey also can be ordered online or by calling (605) 773-3261.

Nominate your classroom leaders

Do you know an educator – someone relatively new to the field – who represents the state’s best? Whose lessons provide models for others? Who has distinguished himself or herself above the top-quality professionals in many of our schools? If so, we want to hear from you!

The Department of Education maintains a list of Emerging Classroom Leaders, which consists of a cadre of distinguished teachers and principals. These educators may be considered for membership on advisory boards and task forces, as well as candidates for special recognition programs.

While our pool currently includes a solid base of veteran educators, we need representation from educators relatively new to the profession who demonstrate unusual instruction and leadership ability as well as an inspiring presence.

So, who should you recommend for this prestigious pool? Candidates must have a minimum of five years of experience in education. Candidates are building-level personnel. They are typically classroom teachers, as opposed to specialists, and are recognized by peers and supervisors as unique in their growth. Occasionally, a principal or specialist is considered. Previous recognition is not required.

To nominate someone for our Emerging Classroom Leaders Pool, visit our Office of Accreditation and Teacher Quality online. In addition to filling out the form, we ask that you include a one-page narrative, which addresses how the candidate meets the criteria mentioned above, and a resume if possible. Please keep your recommendation confidential and do not share it with the individual.

Complete nominations must be sent by May 1, 2006, to Nicole Kranzler-Gacke, South Dakota Department of Education, 700 Governors Dr., Pierre, SD 57501. Questions can be directed to Nicole at (605) 773-3426 or nicole.kranzlergacke@state.sd.us.

Severe Weather Preparedness Week coming

Severe Weather Preparedness Week is April 24-28. South Dakota’s Office of Emergency Management is encouraging teachers and students to prepare for any natural disaster that may occur. Material to assist preparedness efforts is available online at www.oem.sd.gov and will be mailed to each school principal. 

A statewide tornado drill will be held Wednesday, April 26.  The test watch will be at 10 a.m. (CDT) and 9 a.m. (MDT). The test warning will be at 10:15 a.m. (CDT) and 9:15 a.m. (MDT). The cancellation will be at 10:30 a.m. (CDT) and 9:30 a.m. (MDT). 

For specific questions, contact the Office of Emergency Management at (605) 773-3231.

Hot Topic: Department to review Dakota STEP administration

As schools across South Dakota administer the 2006 Dakota STEP, the Department of Education will review the process. It’s the first time in the test’s brief history that the department will monitor its administration.

In a memo to school superintendents, Secretary of Education Rick Melmer explained the department’s reason for reviewing the process. “Our goal is not to police the testing process,” he wrote. “Rather, our goal is to work with school districts to be sure that we have effective, uniform procedures in place around the state.”

Staff from the Department of Education will be visiting a number of school districts during the testing window, which is April 3-21. Testing coordinators at each of these schools will be notified at least 24 hours in advance of the visit.

Department staff people will not be going into individual classrooms to observe test taking. Instead, they will meet individually with testing coordinators. They also will try to visit with an administrator and teachers at each site. They will ask questions about the testing process; for example: Where are the testing materials located when not being used? Have you covered up any inappropriate wall displays? The department also hopes to gain valuable feedback from the people that are the closest to the process: the test administrators.   

To review a copy of the monitoring form that department staff will be using, go to http://doe.sd.gov/octa/assessment/dakSTEP/index.asp and click on “Monitoring Form.” At this URL, you also will find a link to the Test Coordinator’s Handbook 2006. This handbook outlines all of the important issues related to administration of the Dakota STEP.

For more information, contact Stephanie Weideman, director of the Office of Curriculum, Technology and Assessment, at (605) 773-3783, or Gay Pickner, assessment director, at (605) 773-3247.

Upcoming Events

For a more complete list of professional development opportunities, visit www.southdakotapd.com.

• DDN sessions address Consolidated Application

• New teachers invited to targeted pd sessions

• Writing to Win© workshops set for June

• Plan to attend Certification Institute 2006

DDN sessions address Consolidated Application

Workshops for those involved in completing the Consolidated Application will take place April 10, 11, 19 and 20 via the Digital Dakota Network (DDN). There is no cost to participate. During these sessions, Department of Education staff will cover specifics of filling out the Consolidated Application, including proper processes for completing a needs assessment and allowable use of funds. They also will provide an introduction to the e-grant system, including how to log in and how to maneuver through the grant.

Session schedule
All times listed are Central Daylight Time.

• Monday, April 10, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 11, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 11, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

• Wednesday, April 19, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

• Thursday, April 20, 12:30-4:30 p.m.

For the participating site nearest you, contact Janet Haraldson at the Department of Education, (605) 773-3218.

New teachers invited to targeted pd sessions

Teachers planning to attend one of the 2006 Governor’s New Teacher Academies need to register by April 14.

First-year teachers are invited to attend the Governor’s New Teacher Academy on either June 7-9 or July 12-14. The June Academy will be held in Madison at Dakota State University. The July Academy will be held in Spearfish at Black Hills State University.

Second-year teachers are invited to attend the Governor’s New Teacher Academy on either June 5-7 or July 10-12. The June Academy will be held in Madison at Dakota State University. The July Academy will be held in Spearfish at Black Hills State University.

Online registration and further details are available at doe.sd.gov/oatq/newteacher.asp. 

Questions concerning the Governor’s New Teacher Academies can be directed to roxie.thielen@state.sd.us.

Writing to Win© workshops set for June

Writing to Win© workshops will be held this summer in Mitchell. Phase One: Journal Writing for Critical Thinking Across the Cur­riculum will be held June 13-15 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center. Phase Two: Process Writing for Informing and Creating will be held June 11-13 at the same location. Those who already have taken Phase One are invited to attend the Phase Two workshop. Both sessions will be led by Dr. Warren Combs.

Writing to Win is designed for teams of teachers from each participating school. These participants will be trained to serve as writing coaches in their local schools. In two and a half days, participants will learn the keys to teaching effective writing.

Phase I presents the tools needed for energizing instruction in short writing across the curriculum. The objective is writing fluency. Researchers agree that young writers must write fluently before teachers can help them become refined creators of reports, essays and extended fiction. Through Phase One, you will learn to train students to be fluent thinkers in a dozen critical thinking strategies.

Phase II presents the tools needed for giving students the power to make good choices about writing at each step of the writing process. Research shows that clearly defined teacher expectations for each step of the process assure authentic and articulate writing from students. Through Phase Two, you will learn to train students to be confident users of tools, such as advance organizers and rubrics, in their writing.

The cost of each workshop is $65. Travel, lodging and meal costs are the responsibility of participating schools. Register online at www.southdakotapd.com. Registration is limited to 25 schools (each school has a team of three). Registration deadline is May 26, 2006.

For more information, contact Marsha Kucker at (605) 367-7680, mkucker@edec.org, or Faith Ellis at (605) 773-7030, faith.ellis@state.sd.us.

Plan to attend Certification Institute 2006
“Feeding the Future for a Healthy Tomorrow” is the theme of the 2006 Certification Institute. The event is slated for June 18-23 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. Food-service directors and staff should plan to attend this exciting event!

Once again, one of the institute’s tracks will be devoted to Healthy Schools. It will feature topics related to school wellness, including strategies to address the childhood obesity epidemic. 

At the institute, participants will learn about incorporating whole grains, dried beans and fresh fruits and vegetables into their meals. Participants also will learn about discretionary calories, nutrient dense foods and energy balance. 

More information regarding the Certification Institute will be available soon from the department’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services. Questions can be directed to (605) 773-3413.