SD DOE Press Release

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For Immediate Release: Aug. 14, 2012
Contact: Mary Stadick Smith - (605) 773-7228

State Report Card now available, Test scores remain steady

The 2012 Report Card, which details student progress on South Dakota’s state assessment, is now available online.

There was a slight uptick in reading and math scores on this year’s assessment, with 75.5 percent of students scoring either proficient or advanced in reading. That was up about one-tenth of a percentage point from last year. The percent of students scoring proficient or advanced in math went from 76.5 percent a year ago to 76.7 percent this year.

The Dakota STEP and Dakota STEP-A were administered to about 62,000 students in grades 3-8 and 11 last spring. The Dakota STEP-A is an alternate version of the assessment for students who have a significant cognitive disability.

South Dakota’s statewide graduation rate was 83.16 percent, down only slightly from 83.39 percent last year. The graduation rate was calculated using the federally mandated four-year cohort model.

“This year marks a transition as we move forward with a new accountability system for South Dakota,” said state Secretary of Education Dr. Melody Schopp. “Beginning with the 2012-13 school year, we will be looking at school performance in broader, more holistic terms, using multiple indicators to assess a school’s performance.”

The multiple indicators will still include student achievement on state assessments, but that measure will be balanced with other factors, according to Schopp. In the long-term, schools will be evaluated using indicators such as academic growth of students, teacher and principal effectiveness, school climate, and college and career readiness at the high school level.

The 2012 Report Card, including district- and school-level results, is available on the Department of Education’s web site at www.doe.sd.gov . Follow the “Report Card” link under “Quick Links” on the left-hand side of the page.

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