2012
- Secretary's Column:
Ensuring South Dakota students are college and career ready
- Technology survey to inform new state assessment
- WorkKeys assessments, NCRC available to high school students
- District Special Education reports released,
Data collection beginning for next reporting
- New laws take effect next month
- South Dakota students score well on NAEP science test
- AYP up in the air pending waiver application
- Upcoming Events
- Summer Education Conference
June 12-13, Pierre
- ELL/Migrant Education Conference
June 20-21, Chamberlain
- CTE Conference
July 29 – Aug. 1, Pierre
- Using Literature to Teach Health
Aug. 13-14, Spearfish
- 9th Annual Indian Education Summit
Sept. 23-25, Chamberlain
- 13th Annual Systems Change Conference
Oct. 10-12, Chamberlain
Secretary's Column:
By Dr. Melody Schopp
Department of Education
Ensuring South Dakota students are college and career ready
In the education world, buzz words come and go. One of the latest terms is “college and career readiness.” It’s a concept with real staying power. It’s the ultimate reason we all do what we do: To ensure that the young people who leave our buildings have the knowledge base and skills to be successful in postsecondary education, careers and life.
In this issue of Ed Online, there’s an article about the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate and a pilot program being offered to high schools in 2012-13. The NCRC credential certifies that an individual has essential skills needed for workplace success. To earn certification, individuals must attain at least the lowest certification level on three WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information.
While the state Department of Labor and Regulation has been using NCRC with its adult job seekers, this pilot represents the first time that high school students have the opportunity to access these tools. DLR has also been working with South Dakota employers to build awareness regarding the relevance of the certificate.
Unlike traditional college entrance exams, the WorkKeys assessments provide a measurement of workplace skills, including what ACT calls “soft” skills such as communication, and can be a very practical tool when working with students – particularly those who may not be going on to a four-year program.
I encourage you to take a look at this pilot and consider being a part of it and finding out how your students rate in terms of their workplace skills.
Also on the college and career readiness front, the Department of Education and Board of Regents are teaming up to develop a safety net of sorts for high school juniors who may be at risk of not making a successful transition to postsecondary education.
Working collaboratively, DOE and BOR will identify students whose junior-year ACT scores indicate that they will require remediation upon entering the state’s university system. Beginning this fall, these students and their parents will receive a letter from the state encouraging the students to be proactive and address the issue before leaving high school, in order to avoid remediation and the associated costs at the college level.
While the details are still being ironed out, our plan is to present several options to these students. One of the options would be to point students to the South Dakota Virtual School, where a remediation program designed to assist students in increasing their skill set in English and/or math would be set up. Students using the program would engage in a diagnostic exam to determine where their needs lie and participate in appropriate modules in English and math. Once completed successfully, this work would be recognized by the BOR as properly preparing students for direct entry into college-level courses.
Of course, we will recommend that students and parents visit with their school counselor and or administrator to help them decipher what the academic issues are and where it’s best for the student to invest time and energy.
In this way, we hope to shore up students’ skills prior to leaving high school and prevent them from having to do time-consuming and costly remediation once they get to college.
Technology survey to inform new state assessment
The Dakota STEP test will be replaced in 2015 by an online test which is being developed by the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). South Dakota is one of 27 states that make up the consortium.
SBAC has contracted with Pearson to develop a Technology Readiness Tool to support planning for the transition to this next-generation assessment. This new open source tool assesses current capacity and compares that to the technology that will be needed to administer the new online assessment in four areas: 1) devices 2) device-to-tester ratio 3) network infrastructure and 4) staff and personnel.
The Readiness Tool will collect data at the school level and may be entered manually or batch uploaded. The first collection will occur from May 25 through June 30, 2012. Data collection will occur once each spring and fall through 2014.
Each district’s technology coordinator should have received an email from Technology Readiness that included a URL to the Technology Readiness site along with a login and password. The initial password will need to be changed once logged into the site.
This data collection process will assist SBAC in developing an assessment that is compatible with state and district technology resources.
Questions may be directed to Gay Pickner at (605) 773-3247.
WorkKeys assessments, NCRC available to high school students
The Departments of Education and Labor and Regulation are inviting juniors and seniors at South Dakota high schools to participate in the ACT® National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) program during the 2012-13 school year.
The NCRC is an industry-recognized, portable credential that certifies essential skills needed for workplace success. To earn certification, students must attain at least the lowest certification level on three ACT® WorkKeys assessments: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information, and Locating Information.
The 2012 Legislature provided funding for this effort as part of Governor Daugaard’s South Dakota Wins (workforce initiatives). The state Department of Labor and Regulation will offer 2,000 assessments ($150 value each) on a first-come, first-serve basis at no charge.
DLR staff will assess the students on-site at your school. You will need to supply the space and one computer per student, as this is an Internet-based system. Students are allowed 55 minutes to complete each of the assessments. The number of students assessed is up to the school, working within the limit of 2,000 assessments statewide. The assessments are a great way to support existing class curriculum, or could be used to verify their real-world workplace skills.
The NCRC demonstrates that students are ready for the workplace, as they enter the workforce immediately after graduation or pursue further postsecondary education.
If your school is interested in being a part of this initiative, please complete and submit this simple, one-page form by July 1.
A news release on a pilot project completed at TF Riggs High School in Pierre can be viewed at the following link: http://dlr.sd.gov/news/releases12/nr041712_riggs_students_ncrc.pdf. This release provides background information on how the NCRC was implemented in one school.
District Special Education reports released, Data collection already beginning for next reporting
Information regarding school districts’ performance on improving the educational outcomes of students with disabilities is now available online.
The Annual Performance Report is divided into two parts. One part addresses the federal special education program known as Part B. The Part B report identifies school districts’ ability to meet federal special education requirements on 14 indicators. This report is based mainly on data from the 2010-2011 school year. Cumulative statewide data also is available.
Data collection is already beginning for the current year. Click here to view Department of Education correspondence pertaining to the SPED Data Collection for the next Annual Performance Report. (LINK TO PDF BELOW.)
To view the Part B reports, go to: http://doe.sd.gov/oess/sped_SPP.aspx#reporting
New laws take effect next month
July 1 marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for the state of South Dakota, and a number of new laws are slated to take effect on that date as well.
Especially pertinent to school districts is the ability to charge for activities outside of the regular school term or school day, which was approved during the 2012 Legislative Session under HB 1195. Pre-K and driver’s education are two of the most common offerings that were discussed. Districts still may not charge for high school extracurricular activities.
Districts may also begin paying for background checks of its employees if desired under HB 1124. Visit the South Dakota Legislative Research website to find more information about any of the bills mentioned in the summary. LINK TO http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2012/BillMenu.aspx
South Dakota students score well on NAEP science test
South Dakota eighth-grade students are ahead of their peers when it comes to the latest science scores – which are good, but virtually unchanged – as measured by the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
The assessment results show that just one state – North Dakota – scored significantly higher than South Dakota’s average scale score of 162. Eight states – including Minnesota, Montana, Massachusetts and Colorado – scored statistically the same as South Dakota.
Scores are based on a 300-point scale, and this is only the second time the current science framework has been assessed. When the NAEP science test was last administered in 2009, North Dakota was again at the top, but South Dakota was matched in scoring by only five states.
The national average is 151, a slight improvement from 149 in 2009. South Dakota’s average score is up one point, although the differential is defined as not being statistically significant.
The scores of South Dakota’s Hispanic students improved significantly, making a 16-point jump in just two years. And 65 percent of South Dakota’s students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches scored at or above basic, compared to just 48 percent nationally.
South Dakota’s gender gap in science remains. A significant gap also exists at the national level, with boys continuing to outperform their female counterparts in the area of science.
For more information, visit www.nationsreportcard.gov/science_2011/
AYP up in the air pending waiver application
South Dakota is awaiting a federal decision on its ESEA waiver application, which would release the state from certain requirements of No Child Left Behind. Right now, there are three possible scenarios that will affect this summer’s AYP determinations.
The first scenario is that South Dakota’s ESEA waiver will be approved by July 1. In this case, no AYP determinations will be made, but the state will still report all related data and issue a report card – just without AYP determinations.
If the state’s ESEA waiver is not approved, South Dakota has applied for a backup waiver, which would allow the state to hold AMOs steady at last year’s (2010-11) levels.
If neither waiver is approved, the state will run AYP determinations like it normally would, and those determinations would be released at the end of July.
In any case, the state will issue an online report card. However, the report card will look different than it has in years past, because the state is working with a new vendor to compile and report the data.
Upcoming Events
- Summer Education Conference
June 12-13, Pierre
- ELL/Migrant Education Conference
June 20-21, Chamberlain
- CTE Conference
July 29 – Aug. 1, Pierre
- Using Literature to Teach Health
Aug. 13-14, Spearfish
- 9th Annual Indian Education Summit
Sept. 23-25, Chamberlain
- 13th Annual Systems Change Conference
Oct. 10-12, Chamberlain
Summer Education Conference
June 12-13, Pierre
The fifth annual Summer Education Conference will take place this summer at the Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Pierre. The two-day event will focus on poverty as it pertains to education, and social thinking and development of communication skills in a digital age. Hosted by the Department of Education’s Special Education Programs, this event is open to both general and special education professionals.
Thanks to the availability of grant funds, there will be no conference registration fee required this year. One college credit is available through the University of South Dakota for approximately $45. One CEU can be obtained in lieu of the college credit.
For more information, go to: http://www.doe.sd.gov/onlinecalendar/061212.aspx.
ELL/Migrant Education Conference
June 20-21, Chamberlain
Join Dr. Catherine Collier for a one-day workshop, with keynote presentations by Dr. Sara Waring and Jane Hill, as part of the Department of Education’s inaugural ELL/Migrant Education Conference.
With the percent of migrant and English Language Learner students on the rise in South Dakota, come learn about the challenges that migrant and ELL students face and find out about the latest strategies to help them succeed.
Registration is free, with some meals provided. One transcripted credit is being offered at the participant’s expense.
CTE Conference
July 29 – Aug. 1, Pierre
The South Dakota Department of Education and SDACTE co-sponsor the annual SDACTE Conference. SDACTE handles all of the registration information. The conference is held in Pierre each summer, typically in late July or early August. This year, it runs from July 29 until Aug. 1.
If you’re a middle or high school teacher, school counselor or administrator, come find out what’s new in career and technical education. Find more information and details on how to register at http://www.lakeareatech.edu/sdacte/.
Using Literature to Teach Health
Aug. 13-14, Spearfish
Planning for instruction that will advance the health literacy of students is just a page turn away. Elementary, middle and high school teachers responsible for health education in their school district as well as librarians, nurses, counselors and curriculum directors are encouraged to attend this two-day training on the campus of Black Hills State University.
Participants will receive the Using Literature to Teach Health Teacher’s Guide as well as $250 toward the purchase of books that include a health content area or health skills. In addition, Coordinated School Health will cover travel expenses (meals, mileage, lodging and any substitute teacher fees) for all participants.
9th Annual Indian Education Summit
Sept. 23-25, Chamberlain
This year’s Indian Education Summit will be held at the Cedar Shore Resort, located right on the Missouri River near Chamberlain and Oacoma. This event is quickly becoming a staple to bring partners from across South Dakota together to learn and to share ideas and insights to address the educational needs of American Indian students. Many sessions will be geared for K-12; many others will emphasize preschool and higher education strands. Watch www.doe.sd.gov for more information.
13th Annual Systems Change Conference
Oct. 10-12, Chamberlain
This year’s Systems Change Conference will be held at the Cedar Shore Resort, located on the Missouri River near Chamberlain and Oacoma. Long regarded as one of the region’s premier professional development events for educators, this event also features the announcement of the South Dakota Teacher of the Year, during a special recognition banquet. Graduate credit and DOE contact hours are available. For more information, or to register, watch www.systemschange.midwestmaple.org.
