• Secretary's Column
• New tool allows students to create personal learning plans
• New round of laptop funding available
• Teacher Shortage Areas designated
• State to develop RTI model for special education

• Grants available to fund community learning centers

• New guidelines help child care providers, teachers and parents as they care for young children
• Upcoming Events

Secretary's Column

Measured progress

If there is anything that has been consistent over the past few years, it has been the desire for accountability in education. All of our customers – parents, business leaders, legislators, education advocates and community members – want to know the same thing: “How do we know that the students of our community are getting a good education?”

Educators have embraced the need for accountability and have responded with a variety of indicators that illustrate academic success or failure. A term that has become more common among educational organizations is metrics.

Metrics are a way for organizations to measure their progress. Metrics are specific, measurable devices that give observers an opportunity to note progress in identified goal areas. Districts around the country are beginning to adopt metrics to communicate academic progress to their stakeholders.

The Department of Education is beginning to review the concept of metrics to measure our mission, which is Learning, Leadership and Service. We are working through specific metrics that will help us measure our progress in the three areas identified in our mission.

School districts also could identify specific metrics that would measure areas of importance. Some examples are listed below.

• Reading proficiency  – “The Anytown School District will have 85 percent of its tested students proficient or advanced on the Dakota Step reading exam.”

• Math proficiency – “The Anytown School District will have 77 percent of its tested students proficient or advanced on the Dakota Step math exam.”

• ACT – “The Anytown School District will test 80 percent of its students on the ACT exam, and the total composite will be an average of 21.8.”

• Attendance rate – “The Anytown School District will establish an attendance rate of 97 percent for students in grades K–8.”

• Graduation rate – “The Anytown School District will graduate 95 percent of its students over a four-year period.”

I am excited about our department’s efforts in the area of metrics development. I think it will help us remain focused on the importance of our work. I wish you the best as you do the same in your districts and educational agencies.

From the staff of the Department of Education, we wish you a safe and happy 2007!

High school students across South Dakota now have access to a powerful academic and career planning tool. The Department of Education and the Education Assistance Corporation have teamed up to provide high school students with an online tool that allows them to create their own personal learning plan. The effort is part of the Governor’s 2010 Education Initiative.

“One of our major goals with 2010E is to increase the number of students who graduate from high school and go on to postsecondary education,” said Secretary of Education Rick Melmer. “This tool supports that goal by helping students, and their parents, create a plan that fits the student’s unique goals and helps to ensure a smooth transition from high school to higher education.”

The online software package, called Guidance Central, consists of three components. The first component introduces students to a variety of careers through video clips, quizzes and blogs. The second gauges the student’s skills, interests and values. It allows for side-by-side comparisons of careers, considering elements such as academic preparation and potential career earnings. The third component features practice tests to prepare students for college entrance exams.

“Too often we see students enter higher education unprepared for a specific academic path,” Melmer said. “It’s not that their high school preparation wasn’t adequate. It’s more about making sure students’ academic experience in high school aligns with their postsecondary goals. This package pulls it all together.”

Students use the software to identify possible career paths, postsecondary schools that offer programs in the chosen area, and high school courses necessary to meet entrance requirements into a particular postsecondary program. All are key components of a personal learning plan.

The online software package is being provided free to schools by the Education Assistance Corporation in Aberdeen. “Education Assistance Corporation is committed to helping students and their families have access to the information and tools they need to make postsecondary education possible,” said Clark Wold, EAC’s president. “We’re pleased to partner with the Department of Education on this important project.”

To date, more than 165 schools and multidistricts have been trained to use the software package with their students. Private schools, tribal schools and schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in South Dakota also have access to the program.

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The Department of Education has announced a second round of applications for South Dakota’s Classroom Connections. Part of the 2010 Education Initiative, the project provides school districts with matching funds – $1 for every $2 invested by the local district – to purchase laptops for every student in grades 9-12.

Last year, 20 schools serving 5,000 students were selected to participate as pilot sites. The number of schools selected for the 2007-08 school year has yet to be determined.

Grants provide for the initial investment of laptop computers and warranties, basic software and training. Districts apply for the grant and demonstrate that they can meet certain criteria (outlined in the application) related to capacity, professional training, anticipated instructional impact, and community commitment.

An informational meeting for schools interested in the Classroom Connections project will be held Jan. 17, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (CST), at the Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room in Pierre (800 W. Dakota Avenue). Presenters will include representatives from schools currently participating in the project.

To access South Dakota’s Classroom Connections Year 2 application:

1. Log onto the K-12 Members Site at https://members.k12.sd.us.

2. Click on the Classroom Connections 2010E Laptop Initiative Year 2 Application link in the Announcements section.

3. Applicants can save and update responses to the application questions, then submit prior to the Feb. 21, 2007, deadline.

For more information, contact Wade Pogany at the Department of Education at (605) 773-3282 or wade.pogany@state.sd.us. For technical assistance, please contact the K-12 Data Center at (605) 256-5292 or Help@k12.sd.us.

Teacher Shortage Areas designated

The U.S. Department of Education has designated the areas below as teacher shortage areas for the 2006-07 school year. This federal designation enables borrowers who had no outstanding Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) on July 1, 1987, but who had an outstanding FFEL on July 1, 1993, to qualify for deferment of loan repayment under the Federal Stafford Program anytime within the life of the borrower’s loan(s). Questions should be directed to the Federal Student Aid Hotline at 1-800-4FED-AID.

Federal Perkins Loan borrowers who are full-time teachers of mathematics, science, foreign languages, bilingual education, or special education also may qualify for cancellation of up to 100 percent of their loan. Perkins Loan borrowers should direct questions to the school where they received the loan.

Designated teacher shortage areas for South Dakota

All subjects at the elementary and secondary levels in the following areas: 

• Bennett County

• Corson County

• Jackson County

• Mellette County

• Shannon County

• Todd County

• Cheyenne River Indian Reservation

• Crow Creek Indian Reservation

• Lower Brule Indian Reservation

Academic discipline at all elementary and secondary levels statewide:

• Special education

Eligible borrowers must provide documentation, signed by the school principal, confirming that the borrower is teaching in a designated shortage area.

For more information, contact Roxie Thielen, South Dakota Department of Education, (605) 773-4669 or roxie.thielen@state.sd.us.

Due to changes in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school districts must offer an option for determining Specific Learning Disabilities other than the discrepancy model, which has been in place for 20 years. This option is Response to Intervention. 

Response to Intervention, or RTI, is the practice of high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs, using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important decisions. With its focus on scientifically based instruction, frequent progress monitoring, and decisions driven by child response to instruction, RTI has a strong connection to No Child Left Behind and School Improvement.

South Dakota’s Special Education Programs has organized a group of stakeholders to develop a statewide RTI model and technical assistance guide. The South Dakota model will emphasize early intervention services for reading difficulties, classroom management, and scientifically based instruction for all students. The model and technical assistance guide will include a service delivery plan and implementation plan for grades K-12. However, Special Education Programs recommends beginning with grades K-3 in the first year of implementation.

The discrepancy model has been criticized as a “wait to fail” model (waiting for the gap between ability and achievement to meet eligibility criteria), which leaves children, families and schools with few options when services are necessary. With RTI, interventions are provided for all students not making gains toward benchmarks. Students get immediate help through general education, and therefore, their needs are met sooner. Parents also are involved in this process.  

Currently, half of all students identified in the United States are identified as Specific Learning Disability. There are 12 other disability categories.  

For more information about RTI, contact Ray Tracy in the Department of Education’s Special Education Programs. Call (605) 773-3219 or ray.tracy@state.sd.us.

Grants available to fund community learning centers

Schools and organizations that support youth education may apply for 21^st Century Community Learning Center grants. Eight applicants could receive $50,000 to $100,000 per year for five years. The purpose of the grants is to strengthen programs that support student learning outside of regular school time. 

Organizations chosen to receive the grants provide academic enrichment activities, which may include tutoring, help with homework, and hands-on learning. In addition, they provide services such as youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs, recreation programs, or character education programs. They also must serve the families of eligible students by providing opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

In order to apply for a grant, applicants must serve school districts in which 40 percent or more of the students qualify for free and reduced meals. The center must be located in a public school or similarly accessible facility. Applicants may include schools as well as faith- or community-based organizations.

Applications are available on the Department of Education’s Web site at http://www.doe.sd.gov/oess/21cent/appprocess.asp  Applications are due Feb. 23, 2007.

For more information, contact Sue Burgard at the South Dakota Department of Education, (605) 773-5238 or sue.burgard@state.sd.us.

Early Learning Guidelines have been developed for South Dakota by a panel of early learning professionals. These guidelines are designed to help teachers, caregivers, and parents understand what research says 3- to 5-year-old children are able to learn, whether at home or in a preschool or child care setting. The panel, which included South Dakota preschool, Head Start, and kindergarten teachers, child care providers, parents, and administrators, stresses the importance of helping children learn through play, which research confirms is the best way for children to learn.

Also known as preschool standards and benchmarks, the guidelines are voluntary and research-based. They include suggestions for encouraging learning through play, as well as suggestions for setting up the home or childcare environment to promote play and learning.

The South Dakota Board of Education has approved the Early Learning Guidelines, which were developed in keeping with the 2002 Bush administration initiative, "Good Start, Grow Smart," that mandated that each state develop voluntary early learning guidelines that align with state K-12 standards. The mandate is a result of research that clearly shows that children do better later in school if they get a good start in the early years. Throughout the three-year development of the guidelines, the panel sought feedback from preschool teachers, home day-care providers, and parents, distributing drafts at conferences, posting them on the Department of Education and Office of Child Care Services Web sites.

The guidelines describe knowledge and skills children can learn; they do not contain requirements or regulations that programs must follow. They cover all areas of children’s development in keeping with research that shows the importance of all areas of children's growth. Not all children are expected to reach each of the benchmarks.

Each of the benchmarks begins with the phrase: “By the end of their preschool years, most children will…” and includes such things as:

• Ask questions to find answers and wonder why;

• Recognize their own first name in print;

• Count by ones to 10 and higher;

• Demonstrate increasing coordination when pedaling, throwing, catching, and kicking.” 

An appendix contains a chart showing how the guidelines relate to the South Dakota kindergarten standards, as required by the Bush administration, in addition to resource books for parents and childcare providers, and a list of recommended children’s books.

Research shows that the early years of life are critical to children’s later development. Experiences children have in the first years of life help form connections in the brain that form the foundation for future learning. The South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines can help parents, teachers, and childcare providers understand what children at this age can be learning and how to help them learn through play and enjoyable experiences.

A copy of the guidelines and appendix is available at http://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/index.asp. For information on the guidelines and training opportunities involving the guidelines contact Dr. Gera Jacobs at Gera.Jacobs@usd.edu.

Upcoming Events

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

• Trainings to tackle bullying, sexual harassment issues
• GESA works!

• High Schools That Work/ Middle Grades That Work Orientation workshop to be offered

• State Conference for Early Childhood

• School Health Matters offered via DDN

Trainings to tackle bullying, sexual harassment issues

• Jan. 23-24, 2007, Lake Area Technical Institute, Watertown

• Feb. 13-14, 2007, Southeast Technical Institute, Sioux Falls

The training is provided by Colorado State University – Interwest Equity Assistance Center. It is appropriate for superintendents, principals, special education directors, school nurses, school counselors and others interested in these topics.

Pre-registration for the events is required. Cost is $35 per person, which includes materials, supplies and lunch. CEU credits are being arranged. Registration is available online at www.southdakotapd.comm.

For more information, contact Jerry Sauer at (605) 773-4740. jerry.sauer@state.sd.us.

GESA works!

Generating Expectations for Student Achievement, or GESA, is a successful research-based program, and it’s coming to South Dakota.

GESA examines five areas of disparity in the classroom and encourages teachers to use proactive instructional strategies to eliminate the disparities and support high expectations. GESA identifies equity issues related to instructional materials and curriculum, differential treatment, and specific behaviors used by teachers.

Research findings from classrooms using the GESA system show consistently that all students gain, and students with the greatest need gain the most. Teachers learn to coach each other on equitable teaching strategies.

GESA workshops will be held in two locations: 

• Jan. 25, 2007 -- Mitchell Technical Institute, Technology Center, Mitchell
• Jan. 26, 2007 -- Ramkota RiverCentre, Lake Sharpe Room, Pierre

Both sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $40, which covers materials, lunch and breaks. Download a registration form at www.doe.sd.gov/octe/training/docs/GESA.pdf.

Sponsors of this event include the South Dakota Department of Education, Mitchell Technical Institute, and South Dakota Women Work.

High Schools That Work/ Middle Grades That Work Orientation workshop to be offered

Schools interested in joining the High Schools That Work/Making Middle Grades That Work network are invited to a two-day orientation tentatively set for Jan. 29-30, 2007. 

Both initiatives focus on key practices designed to prepare students for further education and careers by improving curriculum and instruction at the middle- and high-school levels. A number of South Dakota schools already participate in this national reform effort.

Expected results include: increases in the number of students taking higher-level courses; improved attendance and graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment; decreases in dropout rates and discipline referrals; and more students with a focused plan of study in a career cluster.

The workshop will be held at Mitchell Technical Institute. Please contact Marsha Kucker at (605) 280-0650 or mkucker@edec.org for information.

State Conference for Early Childhood

“Soaring Over the Rainbow to Early Success” is the theme of the 2007 State Conference for Early Childhood. The conference will take place March 1-3, 2007, in Aberdeen. 

Highlights include:

• Keynote speaker Sharon MacDonald, M.Ed., will demonstrate how to use music and movement to teach children of different abilities, needs and temperaments. Participants will learn how to use inexpensive materials to deal with the often chaotic and confusing classroom, while building confidence, interest and preserving the child’s self-esteem.
• Keynote speaker Jean Feldman has been actively involved in education for more than 35 years. Dr. Feldman is the author of “A Survival Guide for Preschool Teachers,” “Transition Tips and Tricks,” and “Wonderful Rooms Where Children Can Bloom.” Some of her recordings include: “Dr. Jean Sings Silly Songs,” “Dr. Jean and Friends,” and “Kiss Your Brain!”

For an agenda and registration information, go to http://www.sdaeyc.org/ and click on “Conferences.” You can also contact Betsy Pollock, Department of Education, at (605) 773-4640 or betsy.pollock@state.sd.us.

A new course, School Health Matters, will be offered via the Dakota Digital Network in 2007. The course will consist of eight sessions held on Tuesday afternoons. Sessions will be held 4:20-6:30 p.m. (CST) on each of the following dates: 

• Feb. 20 and 27
• March 6, 13, 20 and 27
• April 3, 10 and 17 (make-up day, if necessary)

Topics include: online predators, methamphetamine use, obesity, South Dakota health standards and assessment, developing and implementing school policy, asthma and allergies in kids, and teen alcohol use.

Sites for this course include the following locations: Beresford School District, Bon Homme School District, Brandon Valley School District, Brookings School District, Children’s Care Hospital & School (Sioux Falls), Colman-Egan School District, Colome School District, Hanson School District, Harrisburg School District, Howard School District, Huron School District, Lake Area Multi School District (Watertown), Lead-Deadwood School District, Madison School District, Marty Indian School, Menno School District, Parker School District, Pierre School District, Redfield School District, Sioux Falls School District, Sisseton School District, Spearfish School District, Webster School District, Willow Lake School District, Winner School District, and Woonsocket School District.

Course registration begins January 16. To register, visit: http://www.doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/SHM/index.asp. Registration deadline is Feb. 9.

Coordinated School Health is providing the course. School Health Matters is free; however, any fees for college credit are the responsibility of the participant.