• Secretary's Column  
• Beef served through school lunch placed on hold
• It’s testing time in South Dakota
• Schools can earn $5,000 for healthy habits
• Fresh fruits and vegetables program to expand
• Stickney Elementary receives national recognition
• National Youth Science Camp delegates needed
• Regents diploma offered in 2007-08
• Comments on five-year Perkins plan welcome
• Grants support learning outside of school time
• Hot Topic
• Upcoming Events

Secretary's Column

I heard it in the hallway

Each year, the legislative session takes on specific themes. These themes represent topics that seem to appear early in the session and have the staying power to be around for the duration of the legislative calendar. In education, most of the themes are familiar and appear on an annual basis. This year is no exception. Here are the most commonly heard words in the hallways of the Capitol in 2008.

Index factor – As is true every year, the discussion is about the size of the increase for K–12 education. Education is assured of an increase each year, but the bulk of the discussion focuses on how large that increase should be. 

Teacher pay – I have been in my current position for five years. I have heard more about teacher pay this year than in the first four years combined. There seems to be a strong political will to improve teacher pay in our state. Questions abound regarding the proper way to address this important issue. Is the answer in a minimum pay or a more systemic approach? The challenge is creating the system and the money to make this happen.

Reorganization – Last year, the legislature passed a bill that created a minimum district size of 100. This year, there are a number of bills that are challenging that decision or trying to modify the decision made by the 2007 legislature.

Taxes, taxes, taxes –  This should come as no surprise. Taxes are the foundation of our educational funding system. This year, there has been discussion about monitoring the pension and capital outlay funds, doing the annual adjustment of the uniform levies, and finally the critical discussion of the 150 percent rule. There are multiple solutions brewing related to that issue, and it will probably be debated well into the wee hours of the current session.

Our legislators are working hard to provide the best educational package that our state can afford. Their intentions are honorable, and their jobs are challenging. I’m grateful for the chance to be a part of the legislative process.

Beef served through school lunch placed on hold

On Jan. 30, the U.S. Department of Agriculture directed that schools participating in the National School Lunch Program hold any ground beef received from the Westland Meat Packing Company. USDA announced that it was investigating the company, which is a supplier for the federal food program, for serious allegations regarding the treatment of cattle.

South Dakota has received shipments of ground beef from this company since September 2006 for schools that receive commodities through the National School Lunch Program. To date, there have been no reports of sickness linked to the product from Westland Meat Packing Company.

According to USDA, the product should be clearly labeled that it is from Westland. The hold does not affect ground beef from other companies.

Schools that receive commodities through the National School Lunch Program are asked to report to Elaine Scott, with the state’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services Program, as to whether or not they have ground beef from Westland Meat Packing Company on hand. If you have not already done so, please contact Elaine at (605) 773-3413.

As soon as USDA issues any new directives, the South Dakota Department of Education will communicate with all school districts. We will send updated information to school food service representatives and superintendents. You can also check our Web site (doe.sd.gov) for updates. Look under “Recent Additions.”

Questions regarding the ground beef hold should be directed to the department’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services Program at (605) 773-3413.

For answers to frequently asked questions regarding this issue, click here. This resource was compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which ultimately oversees the National School Lunch Program.

Schools can earn $5,000 for healthy habits

Applications for the 5th annual Governor Rounds’ Healthy School Awards are now being accepted. The awards, which come with a $5,000 cash prize, recognize public schools for their leadership in school health programming. Health programming covers areas such as nutrition services, health services, health education, physical education, counseling services, family and community involvement, and health promotion.

Awards are given to schools at four levels: 1) elementary, 2) middle/junior high, 3) high school and 4) district-wide. In addition to the $5,000 cash prize, each winner receives a banner to display at the school. Selected schools serve as models for schools around the state. Last year’s winners included Eureka Elementary School, Spearfish Middle School, Eureka High School, and Colman-Egan School District.

Public school superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals or assistant principals may apply on behalf of their schools or district. An application is available on the Department of Education’s Web site at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/schoolhealth/index.asp. Applications are due April 15.

For more information, contact Kari Senger, Coordinated School Health, South Dakota Department of Education, at kari.senger@state.sd.us or (605) 773-4257.  

Fresh fruits and vegetables program to expand

South Dakota will expand its Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program for the 2008-09 school year. Currently, 10 schools are participating in the federally funded program designed to provide fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks to children throughout the school day. Twenty-five schools will be added for 2008-09.

Selected schools will receive funding to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables to be used outside of the regular school breakfast and lunch programs. They may use 10 percent of the allocation for administrative costs. Guidelines allow schools to be somewhat creative in implementing the program.

In order to be eligible, schools:

• Must participate in the National School Lunch Program;

• Must agree to make fresh fruits and vegetables available at no charge to all children at sites identified in the approved grant;

• Must let the children and parents of the school know about the program;

• Must comply with guidelines including procurement rules;

• Should have a high number of low-income children;

• Must submit implementation plans that include outside support or collaboration with state, local or private partners;

• Must submit monthly claims for reimbursement showing actual expenditures for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

For more information about the program, go to http://doe.sd.gov/oess/cans/FFVP/index.asp. An application is available at this site. Questions can be directed to Janelle Peterson at (605) 280-4278.

Stickney Elementary School has been named a Distinguished Title I School by the National Association of State Title I Directors. The announcement came during the organization’s annual conference Jan. 31-Feb. 3 in Nashville, Tenn.

Pictured from left to right: Janis Miller, Kate Clites, Ferra Kemp, Joy Rabenberg

Stickney was one of 71 schools representing 36 states and the District of Columbia that received the recognition. These highlighted schools, which have a 35 percent or higher poverty rate, have demonstrated significant sustained academic improvement. The schools are selected in one of two categories: 1) Exceptional student performance for two or more consecutive years, or 2) Closing the achievement gap between student groups.

Title I is the largest federal aid program in K-12 education. The Title I program has served more than 150 million children in need of extra academic support in reading, writing and math since 1965.

According to the NASTID, the Distinguished Schools demonstrate strengths in the following areas: opportunity to meet proficient/advanced levels of performance; strong professional development; coordination with other programs; curriculum and instruction to support achievement of high standards; and partnerships among schools, parents and communities.

National Youth Science Camp delegates needed

Two South Dakota high school seniors will receive a full scholarship to attend the 2008 National Youth Science Camp, June 29-July 26, in West Virginia.

Students chosen to attend the camp will spend nearly one month studying with scientists and other professionals from the academic and corporate worlds. The experience includes lectures and hands-on research projects facilitated by scientists from across the nation. Participants will make overnight expeditions into the nearby Monongahela National Forest, and they will visit Washington, D.C. The camp is held at Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia.

Regents diploma offered in 2007-08

Regents Scholar Diplomas will be offered again in 2007-08. The program, which is a partnership between the Department of Education and Board of Regents, recognizes graduating high school seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence.

Students must meet minimum academic requirements to be eligible for the Regents Scholar Diploma. High school administrators – usually a counselor or principal – are responsible for requesting the special certificates for those students who qualify. School districts often chose to present the certificates during graduation ceremonies.

Requirements for the Regents Scholar Diploma can be found online at www.doe.sd.gov/secretary/regents.asp. You also will find instructions on how to submit names for this designation. Please note that April 1, 2008, is the deadline to submit names for certificates to be presented in May 2008.

For more information, contact Pam Hoepfer, Department of Education, at (605) 773-3426 or pam.hoepfer@state.sd.us.

Comments on five-year Perkins plan welcome

The department’s Office of Career and Technical Education is preparing the South Dakota Perkins Five-Year State Plan. The plan describes the department’s vision for secondary and postsecondary education and addresses all elements required by the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.

The draft state plan is available on our Web site at http://doe.sd.gov/octe under the Perkins IV heading. Please send your comments to Gloria Smith-Rockhold, Department of Education, gloria.smithrockhold@state.sd.us by Feb. 15.

A final hearing on the Five-Year State Plan will be held March 18 during the South Dakota Board of Education meeting. Comments are welcome at that time as well.

Grants support learning outside of school time

Programs that support student learning outside of school time may apply for 21st Century Community Learning Center grants. Grant awards will range from $50,000 to $150,000 per year for five years. The South Dakota Department of Education will award the grants, which are available through the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

21st Century Community Learning Center grants are designed to strengthen after-school, Saturday and summer programs that support student learning and development and help students meet performance standards in core academic subjects such as reading and mathematics. The grants help schools, nonprofits, and other community-based organizations provide activities that complement or enrich regular academic programs for students attending high-poverty schools or schools identified for school improvement.

The department expects to award approximately six grants. In order to qualify for the grants, a program must serve school districts in which 40 percent or more of the students qualify for free and reduced meals.

In addition to academic enhancement, these grants can be used to provide a broad array of additional services for students, including drug and violence prevention programs; counseling programs; art, music and recreation programs; and character education programs.

Applications are available online at http://doe.sd.gov/oess/21cent/appprocess.asp. Applications must be received by Feb. 22, 2008.

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

As the clock runs down on the 2008 legislative session, legislators will continue to debate education-related issues. Besides school funding, teacher salaries have become a hot topic this year. Legislators also have heard bills on everything from charter schools to pre-K to parent-taught driver’s education. (Summary as of Feb. 6, 9 a.m.)

• Education funding has been at the forefront of legislative discussion during the 2008 session. Proposals range from the Governor’s recommended 2.5 percent increase to an approximately $800 per student increase over the next six years supported by the Senate Minority Leader (SB 149).
• Teacher salaries have been a hot topic and the subject of several bills. Two bills (HB 1214 and HB 1268) call for establishing minimum salaries. Two other bills (HB 1262 and SB 187) call for increasing, or enhancing, salaries. SB 181 calls for providing tuition reimbursement for secondary teachers who agree to teach in critical-need areas.
• A bill that would give the South Dakota Board of Education rule-making authority to establish standards for pre-K programs (SB 26) has passed the Senate. It will face an uphill battle on the House side.
• A bill that changes current consolidation incentives (HB 1051) has made it out of the House. In its current form, the bill changes consolidation incentives so that newly reorganized districts receive incentive money only for those new students that actually show up in their fall enrollment count (up to a maximum of 400 students from the sending district). The bill also increases the per-student amount of the incentive. Finally, it makes an exemption for districts whose plans were approved between July 1-Dec. 31, 2007.
• A bill to allow for the establishment of charter schools was defeated in Senate Education.
• A bill that would allow increased access to the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship has passed the Senate Education Committee. SB 201 lowers the ACT and SAT score requirements for eligibility for the scholarship.
• A small number of districts qualified for both the declining enrollment and growing enrollment benefits in the same year. House Bill 1288 would limit districts to one benefit or the other, whichever is larger.
• A bill introduced by the Bureau of Finance and Management (HB 1076) would take the money the Department of Education currently uses to fund technology in the schools and the statewide assessment and runs those dollars through the state aid formula. This change would not result in new costs for school districts; however, it would mean that local tax payers would be sharing in the costs of these items.

To view these and any other bills being discussed this session, visit http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2008/.

Upcoming Events

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

• Dakota STEP Pretest Workshops
• South Dakota Board of Education to meet
• Save the date:
  Career and technical education conference

Dakota STEP Pretest Workshops
Dakota STEP Pretest Workshops will be held at locations across South Dakota the week of Feb. 11. Workshops begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 1:30 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Workshops are hosted by the Department of Education and Harcourt.

The dates and sites of these workshops are as follows:

• Feb. 11 - Rapid City - Ramkota
• Feb. 12 - Pierre - Kings Inn
• Feb. 13 - Aberdeen - Ramkota
• Feb. 14 and 15 - Sioux Falls - Ramada

Questions can be directed to Gay Pickner, Department of Education, (605) 773-3247 or gay.pickner@state.sd.us.

South Dakota Board of Education to meet
The South Dakota Board of Education will meet March 17-18, 2008, in Pierre (Kneip Building, 700 Governors Drive, Conference Room 3). An agenda will be posted at http://doe.sd.gov/secretary/board/schedule.asp as soon as it is available.

Save the date:
Career and technical education conference
The annual Career and Technical Education Conference is slated for July 27-30 at the Ramkota RiverCentre in Pierre. This year’s event will feature hands-on activities related to career clusters, career guidance, personal learning plans, programs of study and units of instruction.

The event is hosted by the South Dakota Department of Education and the South Dakota Association for Career & Technical Education.