Thank you to the school districts who participated in the 2022 South Dakota Week of Work and provided tremendous work-based learning opportunities for their students during this special week and to those who do so all school year long! This event helps introduce middle and high school students to career opportunities in their own communities and across South Dakota. Below is a sampling of in-person activities from several school districts.

Hanson High School held activities throughout the week: Community Worker Riddle, SD Week of Work Task Cards, job shadowing, and Company Chats. For participating in some of the activities, students could enter drawings for a chance to win prizes at the end of the week.

Dakota Valley High School students heard from a keynote speaker at a kickoff event, went on industry tours, and attended a career fair. Huron High School also held a career fair.

Thank you to panelists and moderators who also helped make the week a success through online discussion panels. Panel recordings and business videos are available at SDWeekofWork.com.

Hanson High School students at a Company Chat with Mitchell Emergency Medical Services

The South Dakota Department of Education seeks input from K-5 teachers to gauge levels of STEM-focused instruction in South Dakota classrooms. Your feedback will help the department determine effective pathways to facilitate STEM-related instructional activities and resources in districts across the state.

https://ties.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3ludxw15heq01U

The Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy will offer eligible teachers a year-long, experience-based learning opportunity to further develop their educational leadership skills. Beginning in school year 2022-23, two cohorts of 30 students will meet over three instructional days during the school year as well as a three-day period in the summer.

The Board of Education Standards has approved three new suicide prevention trainings to meet the requirement of SDCL 13-42-71 [https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/2042500] for educator certification. One clock hour of approved youth suicide awareness and prevention training is required for educators for initial and renewal certification.

Newly approved trainings:

• Talk Saves Lives: An Introduction to Suicide Prevention
• More Than Sad: Suicide Prevention for Teachers and Other School Personnel
• Child & Adult Advocacy Studies (CAASt) Training Series

In April, the Department of Education announced the formation of a new Social Studies Content Standards Commission. The group’s first meeting was held May 4. The commission will meet throughout the summer.

The new commission is comprised of 15 members, plus a facilitator who will help manage the preparation of the draft standards that will be put forth for public review. The purpose of the first meeting is to allow the commission to get organized and begin a review of the draft Social Studies Content Standards.

“The goal of this review process is to receive input from a diverse range of experts, including parents, educators, and Native Americans to create the best standards for our schools and ensure that our kids learn true, honest, and balanced social studies,” said Secretary of Education Tiffany Sanderson. “This thorough and transparent process allows for us to develop strong and comprehensive standards for our schools to continue to improve upon the education provided to our children.”

The Social Studies Content Standards Commission is comprised of the following members:

• Mark Miller, Chair of Commission
• Joe Circle Bear
• Janet Finzen
• Stephanie Hiatt
• Benjamin F. Jones, Ph.D. – State Historian
• Dylan Kessler
• Aaron Levisay
• Christopher Motz
• Shaun Nielsen
• Fred Osborn – State Director of Indian Education
• Jon Schaff
• Mary Shuey
• State Representative Tamara St. John
• Samantha Walder
• State Senator John Wiik

An overview of the South Dakota Content Standards process may be reviewed here [https://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/].

DOE’s Special Education Programs (SEP) has set targets for all students with disabilities receiving special education services in a public school district. SEP worked with stakeholders in 2021 to determine new baselines and targets and develop strategies to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. An outline of the process used and final results [https://doe.sd.gov/sped/documents/FFY20-25-SPPtargets.pdf] are now available on the department’s State Performance Plan webpage [https://doe.sd.gov/sped/SPP.aspx].

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires each state to develop a six-year State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) that evaluates the state's efforts to implement the requirements and purposes of the IDEA and describes how the state will improve its implementation. The SPP/APRs include results indicators that measure child and family outcomes and other indicators that measure compliance with the requirements of the IDEA.

SDMath/SDSci Leadership is a program by the South Dakota Department of Education to create and support a dynamic network of educators. The program selects, challenges, and develops K-12 South Dakota mathematics and science educators who have demonstrated an interest in leadership skills related to mathematics and science education.

Apply by May 20 to join the next cohort.

SDMath/SDSci Leadership is designed around the following goals:

• Build capacity by focusing on problem solving, innovation, leadership, systems thinking, change, STEM learner identity and efficacy
• Create a common knowledge base for educational advocacy and leadership, including effective instruction, clarity about STEM, and research-based practices
• Explore challenges and opportunities in our classrooms, schools, districts, state, and nation
• Provide opportunities for all students to be included in the work of mathematics and science teaching and learning
• Understand that the purpose of all of the above is to impact student experiences in mathematics and science for all students

Application Process
Ideal candidates for the SDMath/SDSci Leadership program aspire to grow professionally, challenge their thinking and practice, and be leaders/advocates for effective mathematics and/or science education. Applicants must teach or co-teach in a mathematics or science classroom for at least one course during their participation year. The application process is designed to ensure a class that consists of members from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and geographical locations. Approximately 20 participants are chosen annually.

A completed application requires submission of the following three components by Friday, May 20, at 5 p.m. CT:

Application: https://forms.gle/iN2JAMbbXdLpeT3c9
Letter of recommendation: https://forms.gle/7PYRwqZPZBGaktP9A
Administrator support letter: https://forms.gle/RL9t7Xq6ckCBdPg28

Program Meeting Dates
Upon selection, participants will be expected to attend all of the following meetings:

• Virtual Orientation – Aug. 30, 2022 (4:30 - 5:30 p.m. CT)
• Alpha Retreat – Sept. 17-18, 2022, Pierre
• Beta Retreat – Dec. 10-11, 2022, Pierre
• Virtual Check-in – Jan. 11, 2023 (4:30 - 5:30 p.m. CT)
• Gamma Retreat – Feb. 4-5, 2023, Huron (attendance at SD STEM Ed Conference Feb. 3-4 strongly encouraged)
• Delta Retreat – April 15-16, 2023, Pierre

The SD STEM Ed Conference is an excellent way to network, learn from and with other math and science leaders from across South Dakota, including veterans of the SD Math/SD Sci Leadership program. The South Dakota Department of Education pays for the membership rate (SDCTM or SDSTA) for conference registration, with the expectation that SD Math/SD Sci participants are current on their SDCTM or SDSTA membership dues. The department also pays for the cost of participants’ hotel rooms for Friday night so that they can attend the conference. The department is not able to pay for the cost of a substitute teacher if participants wish to come to the conference on Friday.

Questions? Email Stephanie Higdon [stephanie.higdon@state.sd.us] or call 605-295-8990.

Free 2022 State Fair admission passes are now available for the Read & Win program.

To honor outstanding academic achievement, the state fair is partnering with schools and public libraries to promote youth reading. The Read & Win program encourages summer reading as an incentive to earn free admission to the state fair for children across the state. This unique program can complement a current reading program or serve as the foundation of a new program.

Interested schools or libraries can find registration information online at www.sdstatefair.com or by contacting the State Fair office in Huron at 605-353-7340. To be eligible for free youth passes, register no later than Monday, Aug. 22.

The Read & Win program is sponsored by Ag Performance.

The 2022 South Dakota State Fair runs Thursday, Sept. 1, through Monday, Sept. 5. Channel Seeds preview night will be Wednesday, Aug. 31. For information about the South Dakota State Fair, contact the Fair office at 800-529-0900, visit www.sdstatefair.com or find them on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SDStateFair], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sdstatefair/?hl=en], and Twitter [https://twitter.com/SDStateFair].