The South Dakota Mentoring Program Summer Academy is a time for new teachers and their mentors to come together for reflection, professional development, and celebration. The DOE is now taking breakout session proposals for the event. If you would like to present on topics such as student engagement, classroom management, using effective assessments, or other topics of value to new teachers, please consider sending a presentation proposal to the DOE.

There will be a summer academy on each side of the state; on June 5-6, 2024, in Sioux Falls, and on June 12-13, 2024, in Rapid City. Presenters will receive $150 per session and will be reimbursed for travel expenses. Applications are due by Nov. 27.

Call for proposals: 2024 Civics and History Summit

Are you an experienced teacher with an interesting and proven way to teach a particular history, geography, government, or civics topic aligned to the new South Dakota Social Studies Standards? Consider submitting a proposal to present your lesson to break-out groups at the 2024 Civics and History Summit, to be held June 3-4, 2024, in Sioux Falls.

The Civics and History Summit is a great opportunity for teachers to learn strategies to implement the South Dakota Social Studies Standards, obtain lessons and resources aligned to the standards, and to share activities and lessons from their own classroom with their peers.

Proposals must be in by Nov. 15. A list of possible topics and sign up form is now available.

Two cohorts of the 2023-24 Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy are filled, and there’s enough funding to provide one more cohort! To accommodate this 3rd group, the application deadline has been extended to Oct. 15. In addition, the program’s eligibility requirements have been expanded to include teachers with 3+ years of experience (rather than 5+ years).

Teachers with 3+ years of experience can apply through Oct. 15 to participate in the final year of the Teacher Leadership Academy. It’s an amazing, and FREE, opportunity to earn three graduate credits, develop leadership skills, and explore administrative roles in schools.

Watch our Teacher Leadership Academy video to learn more about the program from academy faculty and last year’s participants. Other details can be found on our webpage at Our Dakota Dreams.

Apply for the Dakota Dreams Teacher Leadership Academy today and/or share this with anyone who might be a good candidate.

Data Based Individualization is a research-based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions for students with severe and persistent learning and behavioral needs. This training is a two-day, face-to-face training with a follow-up webinar for follow up and implementation Q&A with the trainer.

This training is designed to support school teams in developing a data-driven process to intensify and individualized Tier 2 and 3 intervention supports in an MTSS framework.

The Department of Education is conducting training in Sioux Falls and Rapid City on FBAs and BIPs. The training will help participants identify when an FBA-BIP is necessary, understand how to use FBA data to determine the reason problem behavior is occurring, and learn the critical components of function-based BIPs.

To register for this FREE training, select the links below:

• Oct. 26-27 in Sioux Falls (9a.m.-4 p.m. CT)
• Nov. 2-3 in Rapid City (9:a.m.-4 p.m. MT)

Registration is open now. Upon completion, participants will receive 12 continuing education contact hours. Contact Rebecca Cain at DOE for more information.

The annual Indian Education Summit will be held Nov. 16-17 in Huron, with Youth Day to be held Nov. 18. Mark your calendars now. A schedule and speaker announcements will be forthcoming. Visit the Indian Education Summit website now and check back often.