Nearly 20 school districts have hosted an onsite visit as part of the state’s new district accreditation system. Currently, the Department of Education is focusing its visits on districts in ESA 1. Read on to learn more about what to expect of your onsite visit. And, remember, even though your district may not be slated for a visit anytime soon, ALL districts must submit evidence of their school improvement plan in the fall of 2007.

Onsite visits are now a major piece of South Dakota’s accreditation system. These visits allow Department of Education staff the opportunity to ensure that districts have proper documentation of compliance with state laws and rules.

“Basically, that means we are checking to see that districts have the proper items on file – birth certificates and immunization records for students, criminal background checks for teachers, a written plan for the safety of students, and so on,” said Jennifer Neuhauser, assistant director of the department’s Office of Accreditation and Teacher Quality.

During the onsite visit, the department looks for a list of nine items that are required by state statute or rules. These items include:

• Birth certificates for all students
• Immunization records for all students
• School calendar
• Course guidelines for language arts, mathematics, science and social studies – demonstrating that they meet state content standards
• Information related to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
• Criminal background checks of current employees and student teachers
• Written plan for safety of students
• Permanent, and cumulative, academic and attendance record for each student
• Certificate or authority to act for each staff member required to be certified

One item – a record of a physical exam for all first-year staff – has been eliminated as a requirement for accreditation. After completing a number of onsite visits, the department realized the practice was obsolete. The department asked the 2007 Legislature to repeal the requirement, which it did.

The other major piece of the new accreditation system is the requirement for a school improvement plan. “This plan should not be confused with a school improvement plan required for schools not making adequate yearly progress under NCLB,” Neuhauser said. “Improvement plans for NCLB are focused on specific, pointed areas for improvement, while the plan required for district accreditation is about developing a long-range vision and goals for the entire district,” Neuhauser said.

The Department of Education recognizes several models for school improvement. These include, but are not limited to, NCA, High Schools That Work, and Title I Schoolwide Plans.

All school districts, regardless of whether or not they have an onsite visit scheduled, must submit evidence of a school improvement plan in the fall of 2007. The submission period will open mid-August and continue through mid-October. The department will not require districts to submit their actual plans, but rather, provide basic information as to which type of plan they have in place.

For more information regarding the district accreditation process, please contact Jennifer Neuhauser at (605) 773-4774.

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