The U.S. Department of Education has approved an amendment to South Dakota’s ESSA State Plan. The change is to the state’s accountability system, and specifically, the College & Career Readiness Indicator for high schools.

Currently, the College & Career Readiness Indicator consists of two measures: Assessment Readiness and Coursework Readiness. The change is to the Coursework Readiness measure, which will now align with the state’s graduation requirements. High schools will receive points for each student who earns one of the three advanced endorsements available for graduation. This measure replaces the previous measure, which included several options: CTE concentration, passing a dual credit course or an Advanced Placement exam. DOE is working to update all materials to reflect this change.