In September, the South Dakota Board of Education Standards took action to eliminate rules that would have required paraprofessionals to earn a permit. While the requirements in Administrative Rule have been eliminated, Title I schools that have paraprofessionals will still need to meet certain requirements that will be monitored through the Title I process. These requirements will be similar to what was required under previous federal “highly qualified” rules.

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. The Dyslexia Handbook for Teachers and Parents in South Dakota is available to help parents and educators learn more about dyslexia and includes additional resources for teachers to access if they suspect a student may have dyslexia. Find links to the handbook, a brochure and many other resources on the DOE’s Dyslexia webpage.

Grants are available for schools in need of funding to purchase equipment to serve healthier meals, improve food safety and expand access. Applications are due Nov. 9. Find more information on the Department of Education’s National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs webpage, under “Equipment Grants.”

The Personnel Record Form, or PRF, is open. Districts are required to provide a variety of staffing information via this online tool. Accuracy of the data is very important. Information in the PRF is used for state, district and school report cards, data requests, federal reporting and teacher compensation reports for public schools. The deadline to submit PRF data is Oct. 15.

The South Dakota Department of Education is seeking science and special education teachers to help with content and bias review for the South Dakota Science Assessment. Educators will help review new assessment items to ensure accuracy, grade-level appropriateness, alignment to South Dakota’s science standards, and potential bias and sensitivity concerns. The application deadline is Oct. 19.

Nominate academically outstanding 12th graders for this distinct recognition by Oct. 26. This year South Dakota can nominate up to 10 male and 10 female students in the traditional Scholars program. Additionally, up to five CTE students can be nominated. Here’s a nomination checklist. Learn more and submit nominations on the South Dakota Department of Education's U.S. Presidential Scholars Program webpage.

The SDStepAhead website is now live. SDStepAhead is a comprehensive early childhood initiative that aims to promote healthy child development by educating, inspiring and assisting parents and caregivers. The site features developmentally appropriate goals for children’s development and learning at each age level (infant, toddler and preschooler) as well as ideas for helping them reach their full potential at each stage.

The South Dakota State Library is seeking input as it develops a new five-year strategic plan. All South Dakota residents, including school administrators, school board members and teachers, are invited to complete a planning survey participate in an upcoming webinar and forums.

SDMyLife: Next Generation
Oct. 3, Sioux Falls
Oct. 4, Rapid City
Oct. 15, Watertown
Oct. 16, Pierre
Oct. 22, morning webinar
Oct. 22, afternoon webinar
Oct. 23, morning webinar
Oct. 23, afternoon webinar

Annual Community Response to Child Abuse Conference
Oct. 4-5, Sioux Falls

Supporting Early Learners Institute
Oct. 11-12, Sioux Falls

Pre-Appeal Webinar for Accountability
Oct. 11
Oct. 16
Oct. 18

English Learner Chats
Oct. 16
Nov. 20

Systems Change annual conference,
featuring Teacher of the Year Banquet
Oct. 17-19, Sioux Falls

Title Programs Wednesday Café
Oct. 17
Nov. 14

New Special Education Director
(0-3 years experience) Webinar Series
Oct. 18 (Child Count)
Nov. 20 (Dispute Resolution)
Dec. 18 (SPP/APR)
Jan. 23 (Fiscal/Budget)

School Counselor Best Practices Share Session
Oct. 23, Rapid City
Oct. 25, Sioux Falls

Accountability and Data Road Show
Nov. 7, Fort Pierre
Nov. 8, Rapid City
Nov. 14, Brandon
Nov. 15, Watertown

Dakota TESL Conference
Nov. 15-16, Fargo, ND

Board of Education Standards
Nov. 19, Sioux Falls

ACCESS 2.0 Assessment Workshop
Nov. 26, Pierre
Nov. 29, Sioux Falls

Formative Language Assessment
Nov. 27-28, Sioux Falls

STARS Account Manager online training
Nov. 28