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State’s standards and assessment system
focus of review
A recent federal review found that South Dakota’s standards and
assessment system under No Child Left Behind needs additional
work. Like many states across the nation, South Dakota was told
by the U.S. Department of Education that approval of its system
is pending, as long as the state adheres to several conditions.
“We knew that our system would not receive
full approval,” said Dr. Rick Melmer, secretary of the South
Dakota Department of Education. “We recognize that we have a lot
of work to do, but we are confident that we can make the
necessary improvements by the end of next school year.”
The state's assessment used for
accountability purposed is the Dakota STEP (State Test of
Educational Progress). Students in
grades 3-8 and 11 take the test, which currently covers math and
reading. The Dakota STEP-A is an alternate assessment for
students with significant cognitive disabilities. “A number of
states are just getting to the point of offering the test at the
required grade levels,” explained Stephanie Weideman, the
department’s director of curriculum, technology and assessment.
“South Dakota has been offering the test to the required grades
since 2003.”
While progress has been made on the state’s
standards and assessment system, department officials know that
certain areas require attention. Staff members are working to
address the issues as quickly as possible. “The federal review
pointed to several areas of concern, which were on our radar
screen,” Melmer said. “This review will speed up our timeline
for making adjustments.”
The federal review identified the following
areas of work:
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Ensure rigor of state’s content
standards
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Ensure alignment of assessment to
content standards
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Ensure technical quality of assessments
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Develop aligned, parallel forms of
assessments
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Examine extent to which the IEP and other
student accommodations on assessments are congruent
In order to move into an “approved” status,
South Dakota is working with the U.S. Department of Education to
develop specific actions needed to address the issues outlined
in the evaluation. All items must be addressed by the end of the
2006-07 school year. If they are not, the state may face a 10
percent withholding of its Title I, Part A administrative funds.
To review USDOE decision letters sent to
states, visit
www.ed.gov/admins/lead/account/nclbfinalassess. Click
on “South Dakota” or any other state.
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