• Secretary's Column
• Preparing for an accreditation visit:
  It’s easier than you think
• Board of Education approves TCAP rules
• Tracking childhood obesity
• CTE grants now available
• QZAB may finance facility repairs, new equipment and more
• Teacher Leadership Conference set for September
• Recognize outstanding and retiring bus drivers
• Hot Topic
• Upcoming Events

Secretary's Column

The Burger King Philosophy

I had an opportunity to work on my doctorate program through the University of Wyoming between the years of 1988 and 1991. When the program began, they were experimenting with an “executive program” that allowed people to take classes on weekends to satisfy the residency requirement. The program was unique in that you did not have to take a year off from your work to complete the doctorate program. It was controversial with some instructors. In fact, one instructor refused to teach a course due to his objections. However, as I reflect back on the program, the University of Wyoming was on the forefront of offering graduate programs in a more convenient way for its students.

If you look at the graduate programs offered today, many are offered with virtually no time required on campus. Often, the programs are completely online, which allows students to take courses at a time and location that works for them.

As I reflect on this trend, I am reminded of the Burger King motto, “Have It Your Way.” Burger King made its mark by trumping the McDonalds one-size-fits-all approach. Burger King allowed you to order a burger the way you wanted it prepared. In many respects, our educational programs are beginning to take on those same characteristics.

In this sense, higher education has paved the way that K-12 education needs to follow. What started as a one-size-fits-all approach to graduate and undergraduate programs, now has become a “Have It Your Way” approach. I am even being told that at some universities, at the undergraduate level, online courses are filling up faster than traditional courses.

How much longer will it be before our high school students are insisting that we look at our high school programs in a different way? How much longer will it be before online programs are going to be in greater demand than the face-to-face classrooms that we have all enjoyed in the past? The South Dakota Virtual High School is beginning to open that door, but I believe our customers – our high school students – will demand that the door be wide open within the next few years.

Online education isn’t how I have learned, and it is likely that I will never fully grasp the benefits of this type of educational programming. However, our customers are prepared for this type of service and will expect it, much like we have grown to expect to get a burger prepared just the way we like it. Frankly, I am encouraged about the direction we are moving and believe that it is necessary for us to better meet the needs of our customers. Preparing the educational menu for our customers can be looked at as a burden or an opportunity. Together, let’s embrace the changes and begin to imagine a high school of the future that loo

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.

The South Dakota Board of Education put its stamp of approval on the proposed rules for the new Teacher Compensation Assistance Program at a special meeting May 3. TCAP is a major component of the education funding package approved by the 2007 Legislature.

Gov. Mike Rounds introduced TCAP as a resource for school districts to begin to address teacher salaries. The state will match $4 for every $1 that the local district invests to enhance teacher pay. The concept is part of the Governor’s 2010 Education Initiative, which was introduced in January 2006.

Based on feedback from school superintendents, the board decided to allow TCAP funds to be used to pay for standard benefits – social security and retirement – as a deduction from the stipend.

The TCAP rules now must be approved by the Legislature’s Rules Review Committee. That committee is expected to meet on May 15.

Tracking childhood obesity

Last school year, 33.8 percent of South Dakota’s students were considered overweight or at risk for being overweight. Tracking these trends is crucial to the fight against obesity, and schools play a critical role in the process.

Each year, schools across South Dakota provide information about their students’ height and weight. The data is compiled in the South Dakota Department of Health’s School Height and Weight Report, which details the rate of children considered overweight or at risk of being overweight. The data is very useful, at both the local and state levels, when writing grant applications and trying to secure funding to support physical activity and nutrition efforts. It also tells us whether our joint efforts to address childhood obesity are having an impact.

The voluntary program has been in effect since 1998.

Please consider collecting data on your students for this very important report. All data is due to the South Dakota Department of Health by June 15. Data is typically submitted electronically. The Department of Health provides instructions and sample forms for the data-gathering process. These are available at www.state.sd.us/DOH/SchoolWeight. 

For more information, contact Kristin Biskeborn at the South Dakota Department of Health, (605) 734-4551.

CTE grants now available

The grant application process for $1.5 million in career and technical education funds is now open. The 2007 Legislature appropriated the $1.5 million for secondary CTE projects, a $500,000 increase over last year’s funding.

Funds may be used to enhance, expand and develop new programs and opportunities in secondary CTE. The grant seeks to infuse more rigor and relevance into career and technical education. Applicants are encouraged to collaborate in combining resources to provide secondary CTE opportunities in a regional or cooperative approach. Funds will be awarded on a competitive grant basis.

Applications are due to the Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education on May 18, 2007.

To view the Request for Proposals and application, go to http://doe.sd.gov/CTEGrant/index.asp. 
 

QZAB may finance facility repairs, new equipment and more

The South Dakota Department of Education announces that it has $1.8 million in Qualified Zone Academy Bond (QZAB) authority. Public school districts may apply for up to $250,000 in QZAB authority for its eligible school(s) during the current allocation cycle.

QZABs are bonds the federal government subsidizes by providing tax credits in lieu of cash interest payments to bondholders. As a result, school districts are generally responsible for repayment of just the principal. QZABs may be used at an eligible school to finance repair of school facilities, purchase of new equipment, curriculum development, and staff training, but not for new construction.

The primary eligibility requirement is that a public school must have a reasonable expectation that at least 35 percent of its students will be eligible for free or reduced-price lunch under the National School Lunch Act. The school also must comply with the other criteria detailed in the QZAB application. Schools experienced with the QZAB program should note that there are some changes to the program due to new tax laws enacted in 2006.

If the amount of QZAB requests exceeds the available dollar amount for the state, applicants will be selected by lottery with priority given to school districts that have not previously received a QZAB allocation.

The deadline for submission of the QZAB application is July 2, 2007. Applications received or postmarked after this date will not be considered during this application cycle. To download an application, or to learn more about the QZAB program and the 2006 tax law changes, please visit http://doe.sd.gov/ofm/grants/qzab/index.asp. 

For more information, please contact Rob Huffman or Cody Stoeser at the South Dakota Department of Education, (605) 773-3248.

Recognize outstanding and retiring bus drivers

Each year, the South Dakota School Transportation Association recognizes one Bus Driver of the Year. This year’s announcement will be made at the group’s summer meeting July 13 in Huron. School districts that are members of SDSTA are invited to nominate one of their drivers for this award. To request a nomination form, contact Tim Steichen at (605) 882-6235 or Tim.Steichen@k12.sd.us. The deadline is May 31.

SDSTA also recognizes retiring bus drivers throughout the year. Superintendents are invited to submit the names of their retirees to SDSTA at any time, and the organization will issue a certificate of recognition. For information, contact Tim Steichen at (605) 882-6235 or Tim. Tim.Steichen@k12.sd.us.

How’s our service?

Providing quality service to schools is one of our major goals at the Department of Education. If you’re a South Dakota school superintendent, please take few minutes to fill out this survey (http://doe.sd.gov/secretary/survey/index.asp). We will use your feedback to determine how we can better serve schools. Thank you!

Upcoming Events

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

• Regional PD: Learn from your peers

• Aligning Health and Reading with a HEAP of Books

• New event addresses laptops and learning

• Trainings address health education standards and assessment

• LifeSkills curriculum training to be held

• Healthcare Workforce Summit planned

• Save the date:
  2007 South Dakota Infinite Campus Interchange

Regional PD: Learn from your peers

This summer, the U.S. Department of Education is sponsoring 19 Teacher-to-Teacher regional workshops for teachers to learn from fellow educators who have had success in raising student achievement. Each workshop focuses on a specific subject or subjects (math and science, history, art, etc.) Registration is free, and meals will be supplied during scheduled activities. However, participants are responsible for transportation and lodging.

To learn about these opportunities, visit http://www.t2tweb.us/Workshops/Schedule.asp.  Registration is already under way for several venues.
 

Aligning Health and Reading with a HEAP of Books

You know how important health education is for students. But it’s no secret that finding time for it is difficult. Aligning Health and Reading with a HEAP of Books, June 4-6, is a practical solution for elementary and secondary teachers, school counselors, nurses and others for getting it all done in the little time you have!

The training, sponsored by Coordinated School Health, will be held at Black Hills State University in Spearfish.

Aligning Health and Reading with a HEAP of Books is designed to help teachers make connections between the health knowledge and skills their students should achieve in order to become health literate and the books they integrate into their daily lessons on reading and writing.

Participants will be eligible to receive one graduate credit through BHSU ($62) or one Department of Education renewal credit at no charge. Participants also may take the course for no credit.

For information, visit http://doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/training/index.asp.  Call Coordinated School Health at (605) 773-3261 or e-mail karen.keyser@state.sd.us or april.hodges@state.sd.us. 

 

New event addresses laptops and learning

The first-ever Laptop Institute will take place June 10-13 in Mitchell. The event will focus on using technology as an effective tool for learning. All educators are welcome to attend, not just those participating in the South Dakota Classroom Connections project.

Keynote speakers will include:

• David Warlick, author of several books on instructional technology and 21st century literacy
• Pamela Livingston, author of “1 to 1 Learning: Laptop Programs that Work”
• Tom Farrell, Dakota State University

To find out more about the Laptop Institute, please visit http://www.sddial.org/events/laptop_institute_07.htm. 

The event is hosted by DIAL, Dakota State University, the South Dakota Department of Education, and TIE.
 

Trainings address health education standards and assessment

Coordinated School Health will host two South Dakota Health Education Standards and Assessment Trainings this summer. The first will take place June 19-20 at the Holiday Inn Express in Fort Pierre. The second will be an online training June 1-29.

Participants will explore South Dakota’s health education standards, including the core concepts and skill categories. They will learn to align standards, assessment and instructional activities, as well as obtain practice in scoring students’ work. Participants will learn to differentiate between assessment for the purpose of accountability and assessment for the purpose of instructional improvement.

This training is appropriate for elementary teachers, curriculum directors, health education teachers, administrators, school counselors, school nurses, extension educators, and other interested individuals.

One hour of graduate credit through Augustana College ($50) or one Department of Education renewal credit (no charge) is available. Participants also may take the course for no credit.

For information, visit http://doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/training/index.asp.  Call Coordinated School Health at (605) 773-3261 or e-mail karen.keyser@state.sd.us or april.hodges@state.sd.us. 
 

LifeSkills curriculum training to be held

LifeSkills is a proven, highly effective, substance abuse prevention program designed to provide students with the necessary skills to resist social pressures to smoke, drink and use drugs; to help them develop greater self-esteem, self-mastery, and self-confidence; to enable children to effectively cope with social anxiety; and to increase their knowledge of the immediate consequences of substance use.

A LifeSkills training for teachers is set for June 25-26, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day, at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma.

Participants will be eligible to receive one graduate credit through Augustana College ($50) or one Department of Education renewal credit at no charge. Participants also may take the course for no credit.

For information, visit http://doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/training/index.asp.  Call Coordinated School Health at (605) 773-3261 or e-mail karen.keyser@state.sd.us or april.hodges@state.sd.us. 

Healthcare Workforce Summit planned

The South Dakota Healthcare Workforce Summit, “Preparing for the Challenge,” will be held July 24 at the Ramkota in Pierre. The summit is sponsored by the South Dakota Departments of Education, Health and Labor together with the South Dakota Board of Regents.

“The challenges facing South Dakota’s healthcare workforce are immense,” said Sandi Durick, assistant administrator of rural health for the South Dakota Department of Health. “At the same time the healthcare workforce in our state is aging and nearing retirement, we’re looking at a shrinking pool of potential replacements.”

As of June 2006, at least 50 percent of registered nurses, LPNs, pharmacists, dentists and physicians in the state were age 46 and over. In addition, the South Dakota State Data Center projects the numbers of South Dakotans of retirement age will increase 58 percent between 2005 and 2025. The result is that South Dakota is projected to need an additional 13,000 healthcare workers between 2004 and 2014.

For more information about the summit, visit the Department of Health’s Web site at http://ruralhealth.sd.gov or call 1-800-738-2301. Online registration for the summit is available.

Save the date:
2007 South Dakota Infinite Campus Interchange

Mark your calendars now for the 2007 South Dakota Infinite Campus Interchange, Oct. 2-3, 2007, at Cedar Shore Resort in Chamberlain.

Last year’s event drew an impressive 348 attendees, including technology coordinators, principals, teachers, and school secretaries. More information will be e-mailed this summer, including a link to register online.

This year’s event will feature more hands-on training, new presentations and a unique opportunity for you to network with state officials and colleagues from districts across South Dakota.