The South Dakota Department of Education is seeking individuals to be part of the Social Studies Standards Revision Commission, which will work with the department to draft new state content standards for K-12 social studies.

At its Oct. 18 meeting, the South Dakota Board of Education Standards adopted a proposed administrative rule to provide more clarity and flexibility for school districts in hiring long-term substitutes.

The South Dakota Department of Education Special Education Programs (SEP) is seeking broad stakeholder feedback to assist in setting targets for all students with disabilities receiving special education services in a public school district.

The Department of Education is pleased to announce that Explorer Elementary (Harrisburg) and Platte-Geddes Elementary have been named 2021 National ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) Distinguished Schools. They will be honored at the National ESEA Conference to be held in February 2022.

Superintendents and homeless liaisons should have received an email from Dawn Smith at DOE on Oct. 29, asking them to complete an ARP HCY II (American Rescue Plan Homeless Children Youth II) survey to indicate whether their district is interested in receiving these formula grant funds.

ACT scores and the 2020-21 Report Card were released in October. South Dakota’s average ACT composite for 2021 was 21.6, compared to the national average of 20.3. The 2020-21 Report Card provides a variety of data for school leaders, policy makers, parents, and the general public. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s data are incomplete.

Presentation proposals are being accepted until Dec. 6 for the 2022 South Dakota Special Education Conference: Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover. The conference is scheduled for March 15-16 in Sioux Falls. Presenters should also be prepared to present virtually in case conditions require a change in conference format

This is an ongoing professional development opportunity for district administrators, Title teachers, and other educators to attend Zoom meetings in which the Title programs team will discuss a variety of topics, including but not limited to migrant, foster care, Comprehensive Needs Assessment (CNA), parent and family engagement, English learners, and 21st Century afterschool programs.

The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) is accepting applications for funding under the South Dakota Clean Diesel Grant/VW Programs. The program provides rebates to assist in purchasing new buses to replace old, high-emitting diesel buses.

The Build Dakota Scholarship is a South Dakota workforce development initiative that offers full-ride scholarships to students attending one of South Dakota’s four technical colleges in a high-need field. Schools can schedule in-person or virtual visits for students to talk with Build Dakota Scholarship staff. A video and discussion guide are also available.

Board of Education Standards
Nov. 15, Sioux Falls

Indian Education Conference
Nov. 15-16, online

Mandatory Reporting 201
Nov. 22, online

New Special Education Director webinar series
Dec. 7 – Dispute Resolution
Jan. 11 – State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report
Feb. 8 – Fiscal/Budget

Title Programs Bimonthly Zoominars
Dec. 7, Feb. 22, April 19, June 21

Dyslexia Assessment in SD (online)
Jan. 7

Introductions to SD-STARS reporting and DIGs
Jan. 18, online

Save the Date: South Dakota Special Education Conference
March 15-16, Sioux Falls