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The
South Dakota State Scholars Initiative is part of a national program
that motivates students to complete a rigorous course of study in
high school, with the goal of better preparing them for success in
postsecondary education or training, as well as in their future
careers.
At the core of
SDSS, funded by the
U.S.
Department of Education’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE)
and administered by the
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
(WICHE) and the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, in coordination with the South Dakota Department of Education, are
state-level partnerships between the business and education
communities to encourage middle and high school students to excel
academically. When businesspeople visit classrooms to talk to
students directly about the importance of taking math, science,
language arts, and social studies, and when they discuss how a
rigorous education benefits their employees in the workplace every
day, they bring home for students the value of a strong education in
a real world, bottom-line way. That’s a message all students need to
hear, but one that’s especially important for low-income students.
In addition to
business leader visits, state scholar students are asked to complete
a
rigorous curriculum in high school.
Partnerships work to motivate students in a variety of
ways, including college scholarships and other financial aid.
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Pilot Schools
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Pilot School
Representatives.
Click photo for larger image. |
In South
Dakota, four high schools have agreed to be the initial sites for
promoting the business and school partnership in supporting the SD
Scholars initiative:
The schools
have agreed to support the effort to have every
student graduating from that high school complete the most rigorous
set of coursework possible. Following the guidelines for the South Dakota
Scholars Initiative, the schools will encourage all students to
complete the CORE courses specified in the initiative.
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South Dakota Scholars
Initiative Program of Study
South Dakota
State Scholars must successfully complete these specific core
courses in addition to state or local required courses.
|
Course |
Credit |
|
English |
4 |
|
Mathematics
(algebra I,
geometry, algebra II or equivalent integrated mathematics
curriculum) |
3 |
|
Lab Science
(biology,
chemistry, physics) |
3 |
|
Social
Studies
(Chosen
from U.S. history/1.0, world history/1.0, world geography/1.0,
finance/economics/0.5, government/0.5) |
3.5 |
|
World
language
(Two
credits of the same language) |
2 |
Career Cluster Interest
Coursework (selected
by student and intended to broaden their specific career
interest) |
2 |
Ideally,
Students will follow
a sequence in considering high school coursework that will keep them
engaged in learning, looking toward post high training and
supporting career interests and goals.
Sample
Program of Study
|
Grade |
Grade 9 |
Grade 10 |
Grade 11 |
Grade 12 |
|
Course
|
English
1 |
English
2 |
English
3 |
English
4 |
|
Physical Sci. |
Biology |
Chemistry |
Physics |
|
Algebra
1 |
Geometry |
Algebra
2 |
Trigonometry |
|
Geography |
American History |
World
History |
American Government |
|
Computers ½ |
Finance
½ |
Fine
Arts |
Elective |
|
Foreign
Language |
Foreign
Language |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Elective |
Elective |
Elective |
Elective |
|
Total Credits |
6½ |
6½ |
7 |
7 |
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State Scholars
Teaching Resources
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Grants and Financial Aid
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Contacts:
For more
information about the State Scholars Initiative please contact
Richard Deaver at (605) 206-0145 or
Mark Wilson at (605) 773-4773.
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The work reported
herein was supported under State Scholars Initiative, PR/Award
Number V051U050006, as administered by the Office of Vocational
and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. However, the
contents do not necessarily represent the positions or policies
of the Office of Vocational and Adult Education or the U.S.
Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement
by the Federal Government.
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