Office of Accreditation & Teacher Quality

DOE Revises Administrative Practices on Coaching Certification

In the 1998-99 school year, DOE began to change administrative practices and procedures to certify coaches. These actions commenced after final approval in June 1998 by the South Dakota Board of Education and the Legislature’s Interim Rules Review Committee of new administrative rules for certification of educational personnel and teacher preparation program approval. Those rules were effective Sept. 1, 2000.

A "letter of opinion" from the Attorney General’s Office, requested by several school districts, confirmed the South Dakota Board of Education’s lack of authority to certify non-teachers and non-administrators for any positions, including that of a coach.

Therefore, DOE implemented a gradual plan to bring its administrative practices in line with the authority granted by the Legislature:

• Beginning with the 1998-99 school term, authorities to act for certified personnel to coach (or approvals to coach for non-certified personnel) were no longer required for coaching assignments below ninth grade. (All coaching assignments must still be reported on the personnel record forms.)
• Effective Sept. 1, 2000, approvals to coach for non-certified personnel are no longer required. DOE also no longer requires an authority to act for certified personnel to coach, beginning with the 2000-2001 school term.

The new certification rules will allow DOE to continue to issue an authorization to coach to anyone who is eligible for some kind of a certificate, if they meet the qualification requirements of the coach endorsement program. The South Dakota High School Activities Association or local school boards could decide to require that coaches obtain this certification; however, DOE will not be issuing temporary authorizations for those who do not meet the qualifications.