Programs and Opportunities for Educators

Every year, the department invites teachers to participate in various programs and opportunities. Below are a few offerings to consider that allow you to share your expertise in education with others!

Mentorship | Available for PK-12 | School Year 2027- 28 Applications Open Spring 2027
The South Dakota Statewide Mentoring Program provides meaningful support and guidance to new teachers as they begin their careers in education. Throughout the year, experienced educators share their knowledge and expertise while strengthening their own leadership capacity and professional practice.

Both new teachers and mentors learn from one another, gain fresh perspectives, and build connections that have a lasting impact on their schools and their profession. The 2026-2027 School Year marks the 10th Anniversary of the South Dakota Statewide Mentoring Program. Applications for the 2027-28 Program Year will open in spring 2027.

Eligibility:
New teachers must be a first- or second-year new teacher employed by a South Dakota Public School and hold a valid South Dakota Teaching Certificate.

Mentor teachers must have at least five years of teaching experience, provide documentation of experience within the last seven years, and hold a valid South Dakota Teaching Certificate.

Application Window:
Every Spring, applications open for new teachers and mentors. Applications close September 2nd each year. Check the South Dakota Statewide Mentoring Program Webpage for program updates.

Hear from a teacher mentor:
"Mentoring is a fun way to build relationships with new teachers, share encouragement and support, experience growth, and is a constant reminder of the reasons we first became a teacher with the passion to make a difference.
I have been mentoring since the program started. I mentor to give back to the teaching community and help new teachers. It is fun to experience teaching through different lenses as mentees are often in different roles than I am. 
I didn't have an official mentor when I started teaching, but I had people that were there to help me on the hard days and celebrate the good. Teaching is a rewarding job but is also very challenging no matter how long you teach.
I am grateful SD has a mentoring program to build strong teachers and keep educators in the profession." – Jodi Neuharth, Freeman Preschool and Elementary Teacher

Reach out to sdmentoring@state.sd.us with questions or more information.

Interim Assessments and Training | Available for Grades 3-8
Interim Assessments are optional tests that your school can administer for grades 3-8 in ELA, Mathematics, and Science throughout the year to monitor student progress.

Interim Assessment training provides individualized support to schools using their real data to assist teachers in meeting the needs of their students.

Interim assessment training can be conducted regionally or virtually at no cost. Districts also have an opportunity to host an interim assessment training in one of their schools and invite surrounding schools to participate.

Hear from a principal on their experience participating in an Interim Assessment training:

"Interim Assessments have become a part of what we do within our instruction and data collection. The results and data teachers receive from interim assessments coincides with the other data they are gathering throughout a lesson or unit.

I would absolutely recommend school districts to consider attending an Interim Assessment training. It provides a framework for what interim assessments are and how they can support teachers and student academic achievement. The beauty of interim assessments is you can use them as much or as little as you want. There is no "wrong way" to use them." - Nick Skibsted, Brandon Valley Intermediate School Principal

Reach out to Rebecca Frerichs with any questions or more information.

Standards Review | Available for K-12
All South Dakota academic content standards are reviewed every five to seven years. This process involves stakeholders across the state, including educators, to ensure South Dakota students receive current and relevant learning experiences.

Standards review provides teachers with the requirements for developing their curriculum. An easy way to distinguish between standards and curriculum is to correlate the content standards to what needs to be taught, and your curriculum to how you teach it.

This is a valuable opportunity for our passionate educators to contribute your classroom expertise in updating and improving content standards, making sure they are rigorous and clear.

Each late winter and early spring, be on the lookout for applications to open for that summer’s standards revision committees. Following each committee’s suggestions, the department will finalize the proposed standards to present to the South Dakota Board of Education Standards during public hearings across the state. During this process the department also takes public comment, providing an additional opportunity for educators to share their feedback.

Hear from a CTE standards revision committee member on their experience:
"I believe that educators are the best people to speak to what is feasible in the classroom. Having standards that reflect what is actually possible and meaningful for teachers and students is important!

I have really enjoyed being part of the process. It has been encouraging to see how much thought and collaboration goes into developing standards and how committed everyone is to make them relevant for both teachers and students." – Brittany Hubbart, Groton Area Health Science High School Teacher

Questions about Content Standards Revision can be sent to Shannon Malone, Director of the Division of Learning and Instruction, and Amy Miller, Director of Career and Technical Education.