The School Finance Accountability Board [https://doe.sd.gov/accountabilityboard/] will meet Nov. 15 in Pierre, with availability by teleconference, to consider waiver applications related to general fund cash balances. Districts that exceeded the allowable general fund cash balance cap received a letter from the Department of Education with information regarding the process for seeking a waiver from financial penalties.

It is worth noting the only accountability school districts were subject to in FY 2018 was general fund cash balance allowable percentages. Teacher Compensation Accountability was not applicable in FY 2018, but the accountability returns in FY 2019. School districts received a letter comparing their FY 2017 versus FY 2018 Average Teacher Compensation. The intent was to demonstrate how their average teacher compensation changed between fiscal years. School districts’ FY 2019 Average Teacher Compensation needs to be higher than FY 2017 or a potential penalty of $500 per teacher employed in the district may be imposed.

Questions? Contact Susan Woodmansey [susan.woodmansey@state.sd.us] at 605-773-4748.

The unpacked, or disaggregated, math and English language arts content standards are now available on the Department of Education’s website. The templates for the unpacked standards are arranged by cluster/anchor standard and include the achievement level descriptors along with other key information.

The unpacked documents can assist schools and teachers in aligning curriculum, developing learning targets, planning units/lessons, implementing formative and summative assessment, or assisting teachers with supports for struggling learners.

The site also hosts the K-12 Strike-Through documents which provide comparisons between the current South Dakota State Standards and the 2018 adopted ELA/math standards. These documents allow a visual overview of the changes and a justification for each change.

• Math standards information [https://doe.sd.gov/ContentStandards/math.aspx]
• ELA standards information [https://doe.sd.gov/octe/ccsELA.aspx]

The South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources is accepting applications for funding under the South Dakota Clean Diesel Grant Program and the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust. The programs provide rebates to assist in purchasing new buses to replace old, high-emitting diesel buses.

The primary goals of the programs are to reduce students’ exposure to pollution and to facilitate the improvement and protection of the ambient air quality throughout South Dakota.

Initially, there will be approximately $280,000 of Diesel Emissions Reduction Act funds available for the projects. If the 2019 South Dakota Legislature gives spending authority for the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust, an additional $837,000 will be available.

The South Dakota programs will provide rebates to help public schools, non-public schools, state special schools, approved educational programs, shuttle or transit system providers and school bus contractors purchase new buses to replace old, high-emitting diesel buses.

Total rebate per replacement bus will be up to 25 percent of the purchase price of a 2018 engine model year or newer engine certified to EPA emission standards, 35 percent of the purchase price of a 2018 engine model year or newer engine certified to meet CARB’s Low-NOx standards, or 45 percent of the purchase price of an all-electric bus. DENR intends to award funds to as many eligible applicants throughout the state as possible.

The application deadline for initial consideration is Dec. 14. More information is available on DENR’s Clean Diesel Grant Program webpage [http://denr.sd.gov/des/aq/aadera.aspx]. Questions? Contact the DENR Air Quality office at 605-773-3151.

The Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards [https://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/documents/18-OSEUs.pdf] were designed to increase knowledge of tribal history, government and culture in South Dakota and to promote cultural understanding. This short video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY_1M_-QBl4&feature=youtu.be] talks about why it’s important to bring the standards to our students, both Native and non-Native.

Much work has been done to connect the Oceti Sakowin standards with the state’s social studies standards [https://doe.sd.gov/contentstandards/ssose.aspx]. Teachers can access disaggregated social studies standards with their Oceti Sakowin connections – facilitating the process of incorporating both sets of standards into the classroom.

From lesson plans to video interviews with elders, another great resource is wolakotaproject.org, a joint effort of TIE and the Department of Education.

DOE and TIE will host trainings for 4th grade teachers based on the Oceti Sakowin standards, called “The OSEU for Fourth Grade Teachers – Creating Culturally Responsive Classrooms.” Trainings will be held in Rapid City, Dec. 3, and Sioux Falls, Dec. 5. Register at GoSignMeUp [https://southdakota.gosignmeup.com/Public/Course/Browse].

Read more at https://doe.sd.gov/pressroom/documents/2018/1009-JAG.pdf.

The Board of Education Standards will meet Nov. 19 in Sioux Falls. State-level Report Card data will be shared with the board. The State Report Card – encompassing district- and school-level Report Cards – will be published on the department’s website Tuesday, Nov. 20.

Additionally, the second of four required public hearings on new world language and school library standards will be held at the board’s November meeting. You can review the proposed standards and make public comment via the Department of Education’s content standards review webpage [https://doe.sd.gov/ContentStandards/review.aspx].

There will also be a discussion (first reading) of possible changes to current course equivalency rules.