Upcoming Events

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

• NCLB conference targets teachers

• Driver's ed: Ride, Sally, ride!

• PD for new teachers

• Jump into good nutrition

• DOE provides free AP Institutes for teachers

NCLB conference targets teachers

Plans are underway for the first South Dakota No Child Left Behind Conference in several years. The conference, which is aimed at Title teachers and directors, will be held April 18-19 at the Crossroads Hotel in Huron.

Dr. Rick Melmer, secretary of the Department of Education, will address the group on April 19. Keith Moore, the department’s Indian education director, will discuss the state’s GEAR Up program for Native American students on April 18.

Breakout sessions will cover a variety of topics including the Achievement Series, Response to Intervention, students in poverty, parent involvement, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In addition, sessions will be presented on Title III – Limited English Proficiency; Title I Part D – Delinquent and Neglected; Title I Part C – Migrant; and the education of children experiencing homelessness.

One DOE renewal credit is available. Register online at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/index.asp.

For more information, call the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Services and Support at (605) 773-6400.

Driver’s ed: Ride, Sally, ride!

Interested in getting an endorsement in driver’s education? Northern State University is offering the coursework this summer.

DRED 460 will be held June 4-8, and DRED 480 will be held June 11-15. Times will be from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. IE 450 is offered per correspondence, and students can begin at any time. All are three-credit courses. Cost will be approximately $200 per credit.

For more information, contact Northern State’s Extended Studies Office at (605) 626-2568 or Terry Richardson at (605) 225-9042.

PD for new teachers

First- and second-year teachers are invited to attend one of the 2007 Governor’s New Teacher Academies. The first takes place June 6-8 at Black Hills State University in Spearfish. The second will be held July 11-13 at Dakota State University in Madison.

During the Governor’s New Teacher Academy, teachers will have opportunities to:

• Celebrate the accomplishments of their initial years of teaching.
• Reflect on their progress as a teacher and the resulting influence on student achievement.
• Develop professional relationships to achieve common educational goals.
• Participate in activities that demonstrate their commitment to the teaching profession.

The deadline to register for either event is April 13. The Governor’s New Teacher Academy is designed for South Dakota classroom teachers who are new to the teaching profession and completing their first or second contract year.  

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

For more information, contact Lanette Johnston at the Department of Education, (605) 773-8415. lanette.johnston@state.sd.us.

Jump into good nutrition

Registration is now open for the 2007 Certification Institute, which provides 30 hours of training in one week for those who work with child nutrition programs. The event is scheduled for June 24-29 at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.

Click here to view the agenda.  New this year is online registration, which is also available at this link.  If you are unable to register online, a paper registration form is available. 

For more information about the 2007 Certification Institute, please contact Amy Richards or Janelle Peterson, Child and Adult Nutrition Services, at (605) 773-3413.

DOE provides free AP Institutes for teachers

The Department of Education is funding teachers in public school districts across the state to attend Advanced Placement Institutes this summer. AP Institutes are a weeklong institute where teachers of a specific subject area come together to learn, in detail, about teaching an AP course.

By attending an AP Summer Institute, teachers will receive help in understanding content, choosing texts, supplementary materials, and a host of contacts that can help them as they teach their specific AP course. Public school teachers attending an AP Institute will receive a $50 per-day stipend and will be reimbursed for room and board.

The following AP Institutes will be offered this summer:

• Composition and Literature, June 18-22, University of South Dakota
• Human Geography, June 25-29, South Dakota State University
• Chemistry, July 9-13, South Dakota State University

For more information, contact Michelle Mehlberg with the South Dakota Department of Education at (605) 280-3614.