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Letter from the Secretary
South Dakota is making strides in supporting teachers, and that’s exciting to see. Mentoring I also know that you have great veteran teachers in your districts who would make wonderful mentors. Please encourage them to consider the statewide mentoring program as well. In addition to the insight they can offer new teachers, it’s not uncommon for us to hear that they learn a lot from their mentees, too. Fresh from the latest teacher training programs, new teachers can offer valuable perspectives to their more experienced colleagues. It is also worth noting that districts can receive funding to handle mentoring locally. Additionally, both mentors and new teachers meet certificate renewal credit requirements by successfully completing the program. They can also purchase three graduate credits each year of the program. More information is available on the mentoring program webpage [http://doe.sd.gov/mentoring/]. Teacher of the Year The 2019 South Dakota Teacher of the Year will be chosen from those regional candidates and announced in October at the Teacher of the Year banquet. This program is a great way to honor educators for the work they do. If your district doesn’t typically participate, I hope you’ll consider doing so in the future. It’s a way for colleagues to lift each other up, as well as a way for your community to say thank you to teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students. Thank you for everything you do for South Dakota students. If you have any questions or concerns, my inbox, phone line and door are open. |
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How are we doing?
We want South Dakota Department of Education communications to be useful for you in your work as an educator. Please fill out this brief survey [https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KDPXBZF] so we can better serve your information needs. |
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HOT TOPICS | |
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Encourage teachers to participate in math and ELA standards unpacking Math and English language arts teachers, special education teachers, administrators, curriculum directors and postsecondary representatives are invited to apply for standards unpacking work groups to be held the following dates in Pierre. Notifications to work group members will be made by May 1.
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Apply by April 30 for SD Team Leadership Institute and Colloquia Leading Innovation and Change through Systems Thinking and Equity is a pilot by the South Dakota Department of Education to create and support a network of South Dakota schools that will develop locally inspired innovation to address needs of a diverse population of students and educators. The goals of this series of trainings include:
Application Process The application process is designed to ensure a cohort that consists of members from diverse backgrounds, experiences and geographical locations. Approximately 40 participants (about 10 teams) will be chosen.
Upon selection, teams will be expected to attend the following meetings:
Costs
Questions? Contact Deb Wolf [deb.wolf@state.sd.us] or call 605-773-2490. |
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Final legislative summary: Veto of SB 94 upheld Here is the final summary of education-related bills passed during the 2018 legislative session [http://doe.sd.gov/pressroom/educationonline/2018/April/documents/2018-Legislature.pdf]. The list of bills is not all inclusive. To access all the bills from the 2018 session, visit the Legislative Research Council’s website [http://sdlegislature.gov/]. Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s veto of SB 94 [http://sdlegislature.gov/Legislative_Session/Bills/Bill.aspx?Bill=SB94&CurrentSession=True]strong> was upheld on March 26, the final day of the session, also known as “Veto Day.” |
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Time to check status of waivers from administrative rule
Your school district may have a waiver from administrative rule that expires June 30. The list of current waivers is available on the Department of Education’s Administrative Rule Waivers webpage [http://doe.sd.gov/oatq/adminrulewaivers.aspx]. Districts with End of Course or Credit by Exam waivers set to expire will need to file an End of Waiver Term Report [http://www.doe.sd.gov/oatq/documents/EndWaiver.pdf], and if desired, make application for a new waiver. To learn more about administrative rule waivers or to apply/reapply for a waiver, visit the Department of Education’s Administrative Rule Waivers webpage [http://doe.sd.gov/oatq/adminrulewaivers.aspx]. Waivers from administrative rule are authorized by ARSD 24:43:08:03 [http://www.sdlegislature.gov/Rules/DisplayRule.aspx?Rule=24:43:08:03]. Please note: The district must demonstrate that any waivers from administrative rule it holds continue to be in the best interest of students. This is documented by reporting on progress through the district or school’s improvement plan. Below is a suggested template for this progress report. For questions about waivers, please call 605-773-3426 or email doeaccred@state.sd.us.
Learner Outcome Data
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Distribute Parent Involvement Surveys by April 30
School districts must distribute Parent Involvement Surveys to parents of children with disabilities by April 30. The South Dakota Department of Education sent the surveys to districts in the fall. If needed, additional copies are available by contacting April Hodges at 605-773-3219. In collaboration with South Dakota Parent Connection, the Parent Involvement Survey is also made available online. The Parent Connection will assist parents in reading and completing the survey as needed. The online survey can be found at the following links:
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Summer and fall dual credit registration open Registration for summer dual credit courses is open. Only students who were juniors in the 2017-18 school year and will be seniors in the 2018-19 school year, are eligible to apply for admission to summer dual credit courses. The cost for summer dual credit courses is $48.33 per credit. Registration for fall dual credit courses is also open. Juniors and seniors are eligible to apply for admission to fall dual credit courses. Find more information on the SDMyLife dual credit webpage [http://sdmylife.com/students/advanced-education-opportunities/]. |
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Complete School Library Survey by May 15
The South Dakota State Library has opened the annual school library survey to collect data for the 2017-18 school year. Each district is asked to submit one survey per district rather than one survey per library. The survey is available online through May 15. Superintendents should have received notification of survey access details via email on April 3. The State Library is charged with collecting annual data from the state’s school libraries (14-1-44 (7) Execution of State Library Policy [http://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/Codified_Laws/DisplayStatute.aspx?Type=Statute&Statute=14-1-44]). The State Library will compile survey data and report back to superintendents in fall 2018, so that districts can use the data to inform decision-making and planning. Previous data digests are available on the State Library’s Publications webpage [http://www.library.sd.gov/SDSL/publications/index.aspx#Reports]. Research shows that effective school libraries result in higher student achievement, which can be measured by improved reading scores. Effective school libraries have a high quality program, place and professional who collaborates with and supports all content areas in delivering curriculum and meeting state content standards. Questions? Email Alissa Adams [Alissa.adams@state.sd.us] or call 605-295-3152. |
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Upcoming Events Except where otherwise noted, details on the following events are available at GoSignMeUp [http://southdakota.gosignmeup.com/].
Effective Core EL Program
SD Early Childhood Education Conference
TIE Conference
DOE Information-Sharing: What you need to know about federal & state law changes
SD-STARS Monthly Webinar
History Conference
Board of Education Standards
SDMyLife: Next Generation
The Fundamentals of Using Data for Educators
2018 MTSS Summer Education Conference
Advanced Data Use Skills for Educators
School Library Boot Camp
Save the Date! Indian Education Summit |
©2018 S.D. Department of Education, 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501 - (605) 773-3134