Year-End Highlights 2004-05
Learning. Leadership. Service. Those are key words from the Department of Education’s mission statement, and words that department staff lived by in 2004-05. In all of its efforts, the department focused on enhancing the educational experience for all South Dakota students. Some of the highlights are described below.
Department launches Governor’s New Teacher Academy
In an effort to support teachers new to the field, the department hosted the first-ever Governor’s New Teacher Academy. Nearly 200 first-year teachers attended the event, held at Dakota State University in Madison and Black Hills State University in Spearfish. The first-year teachers gained valuable insight from the veteran South Dakota teachers who led the sessions. They took home practical ideas to implement in the classroom and established a network of colleagues.
New graduation requirements challenge students
New high school graduation requirements will take effect fall 2006, thanks to action taken by the South Dakota Board of Education this past year. The new, more rigorous requirements raise the bar for South Dakota students. They include additional requirements in math and science, as well as a focus on practical life-skills curriculum such as personal finance, and health or physical education.
State ranks first for access to technology
According to an Education Week report, South Dakota ranked first among the states for access to technology in schools – with 1.7 students per instructional computer. Regarding the use of technology, 88 percent of South Dakota schools have at least half of their teachers who use the Internet for instruction. That compares to a national average of 77 percent. Over the last six years, the state has spent $66.4 million on technology in the schools.
Paving the way for curriculum mapping
Fifty-three schools and districts received grants to help them with curriculum mapping in 2004-05. The grants totaled $453,000. Through the curriculum mapping process, teachers in each grade map – or identify – their curriculum. Teachers in a school or district then work together to identify gaps or redundancies across all grade levels and adjust their instruction accordingly. The Department of Education also made free curriculum mapping software available to all public schools.
Plans under way for new accreditation system
The groundwork for developing a new district accreditation system was completed last year. It will require districts to submit a district improvement plan (which many already do). Districts also must participate in an onsite accreditation visit every five years. Finally, other approved accrediting agencies may be accepted in lieu of state accreditation.
New science standards adopted
 The state’s science standards were revised, due to the work of nearly 50 dedicated educators across the state. Middle school science saw the biggest change. While 6th-grade science will remain integrated, 7th-grade science will focus specifically on Life Science and 8th- grade will focus specifically on Earth Science. In addition, the revised standards integrate the widely used Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Beginning in spring of 2007, the Dakota STEP will include a science component.
South Dakota makes top 10 for achievement
South Dakota ranked 10th in the nation for academic achievement, according to the 2004 Report Card on American Education. The study focused on primary and secondary education. The Report Card on American Education uses average scores on three widely used assessments – the SAT, ACT and NAEP – as a basis for its rankings. South Dakota students scored above the national average on all three assessments. Other top ranking states included: Minnesota (#1), Wisconsin (#2), Massachusetts (#3), New Hampshire (#4), and Iowa (#5).
TEAM Nutrition grants promote healthy lifestyle habits
Fourteen schools and agencies received a total of $12,000 in South Dakota TEAM Nutrition mini-grants. The grants funded projects such as a parent-child fun run, a gardening venture for students and menu-planning activities. Team Nutrition was started by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to help schools implement policies that foster healthy children. In 2002-03, 16.6 percent of students ages 5-19 were overweight, according to the South Dakota Department of Health’s School Height and Weight Report. Another 16.7 percent were at risk for being overweight.
Top readers get recognition
Last fall, Governor Mike Rounds honored top readers in the Summer Reading Achievers program at the State Capitol. An impressive 8,367 students, representing 203 schools, met or exceeded the goal of reading 10 or more books. The total number of books read for the summer topped 98,550. The top reader, a 2nd grader from Brandon, read a whopping 295 books. South Dakota was the only state in the nation chosen as a pilot site for the national program.
HSTW initiative expands
Five new sites were added to the High Schools That Work (HSTW) and Making Middle Grades Work network. Each of the schools received $10,000 to implement the innovative program. HSTW focuses on goal-setting, rigorous curriculum, personal support and relationships, along with other key concepts designed to enhance student learning and motivate students to succeed. There are now 25 programs in 18 South Dakota schools.
State Library offers new resources
The South Dakota State Library made two new databases available for use by the public. The databases, HeritageQuest™ Online and Digital Sanborn Maps®, offer a wealth of information. HeritageQuest Online is a resource for genealogy researchers. Digital Sanborn Maps provides detailed maps from 1867 to 1970 for more than 80 South Dakota towns. Users can find information such as the shape and size of buildings, construction materials, street names, property boundaries, building use, and many other details. Both databases can be accessed at no cost via the State Library’s Web site at www.sdstatelibrary.com.
Intensive effort results in extended standards
Extended standards for students with disabilities and the accompanying alternate assessment were finalized, following months of work. This major accomplishment was the result of an effort to take advantage of increased flexibility for students with significant cognitive disabilities under No Child Left Behind. The department’s Special Education Programs also received approval for a waiver of the 1 percent cap for districts testing 200 students or less. This waiver allows smaller districts to count up to two students scoring proficient on the alternate assessment in the calculation of adequate yearly progress.
Fresh fruits, vegetables offered as snacks
Ten schools on the Pine Ridge Reservation launched a new Fruit and Vegetable Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The South Dakota Department of Education’s Child and Adult Nutrition Services oversees the program, which brings fresh produce to the schools daily. Students have access to the fresh fruits and vegetables as snacks throughout the school day. The program is designed to stimulate better eating habits among American Indian youth, who often suffer from high rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity later in life.
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