- Hot Topic:Child nutrition reauthorization:
Rethinking school food service
- Daugaard names interim secretary, Transition Advisory Committee
- Federal education funding remains unfinished
- New census estimates released, affect federal allocations
- Clean diesel grants now available
- Identifying and assisting English language learners
- Measuring technology literacy:
Results show most students proficient or better
- Number of overweight students remains high
- Upcoming Events
- Senior and Entrepreneurship Experience Capstone Workshops
Jan. 13 and Feb. 2, Watertown and Yankton
- Accountability Compliance Meetings
Jan. 31-Feb. 4, Four locations statewide
-
IEP Workshops
Feb. 2 and 10, Sioux Falls and Rapid City
- CTE 101
Feb. 5, Pierre
- Dakota STEP Spring Workshops
Feb. 7-10, Four locations statewide
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Daugaard names interim secretary, Transition Advisory Committee
Dr. Melody Schopp will serve as interim secretary of the Department of Education until a permanent secretary has been named. Schopp, who has been in the education field for 30 years and with the department for 11, currently serves as deputy secretary.
South Dakota’s new governor, Dennis Daugaard, made the announcement last month, at which time he also announced the members of the Transition Advisory Committee on Education. This committee will aid the governor in identifying, recruiting and screening candidates for the secretary position.
The committee is chaired by Rick Melmer of Vermillion, the dean of the University of South Dakota College of Education. Joining Melmer on the committee are:
• Slater Barr, Sioux Falls – President of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation
• Julie Bartling, Burke – Former State Senator from District 26
• Eric Bogue, Faith – Former State Senate Majority Leader
• Dayna Brave Eagle, Kyle – Director of Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Education
• Kira Christensen, Sioux Falls – Educator and 2009 Milken Educator Award winner
• Glenna Fouberg, Aberdeen – Member of the South Dakota Board of Education
• Tim Mitchell, Rapid City – Superintendent of Rapid City School District
• Kevin Schieffer, Sioux Falls – Businessman
• Gary Williams, Watertown – Mayor of Watertown and former President of Lake Area Technical Institute
In addition to identifying candidates for the secretary position, the committee will offer advice and an outside perspective to the new secretary after the appointment is made.
Federal education funding remains unfinished
The 111th U.S. Congress failed to pass an appropriations bill – which included funding for SY 2011-12 federal education programs – leaving it up to the new Congress to fund next year’s programs. The federal government will operate under a continuing resolution to keep funding at current levels through March 4, 2011.
Until Congress settles the issue, the South Dakota Department of Education won’t know how much funding is available to school districts for state-administered federal education programs in SY 2011-12. We will keep districts posted as we learn more.
New census estimates released, affect federal allocations
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, or SAIPE, for income year 2009. The SAIPE includes school district level populations and poverty counts for children ages 5-17. These school district level estimates will be included in the formulas used to calculate allocations for the School Year 2011-12 Title I Part A program, and factor in other federal education programs.
Please note that the list of school districts on the 2009 estimate is based on the SY 2009-10 school district boundaries. The school district estimates are available on the Census Bureau’s SAIPE website at http://www.census.gov//did/www/saipe/index.htm.
A school district can challenge the Census Bureau SAIPE estimates if it believes an estimate is incorrect. Information on the challenge procedures and an explanation on how the SAIPE counts are obtained can also be found on the Census Bureau’s SAIPE website.
The challenge period for the 2009 estimates ends March 8, 2011. Any challenge should be made directly to the Census Bureau, as the South Dakota Department of Education has no control over these estimates.
Clean diesel grants now available
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources announces a 3rd round of funding for the South Dakota Clean Diesel Grant Program. The program provides funds that allow successful applicants to: 1) purchase new public school buses to replace old, high-emitting buses, and 2) equip in-use diesel school buses with exhaust control retrofit devices that significantly reduce toxic soot emissions.
The primary goal of the program is to reduce school children’s exposure to both fine particulate and smog-forming pollution.
There is no cost for the exhaust control retrofits. Any South Dakota public school district or private contractor that directly provides transportation services for South Dakota public schools is eligible for the retrofits.
Total award per school district for a replacement bus will be at least 25 percent of replacement cost and may be more depending on the number of successful applicants. Any South Dakota public school district that directly provides transportation services and has not received a replacement bus in round one or two is eligible to participate.
The department intends to award funds to as many eligible applicants throughout the state of South Dakota as possible.
Application deadline for round three is Feb. 11, 2011. Click here for more information about the program, or contact the DENR’s Air Quality Program at (605) 773-3151.
Identifying and assisting English language learners
What are the steps a school should take when an English language learner, or ELL student, enrolls in their school? Who needs to be identified, and if a student is identified as needing ELL services, what is the process a school must use to assess language skills? This article provides a step-by-step outline for school personnel seeking to best serve ELL students.
STEP 1
How do schools identify ELL students?
Under federal law, all schools must identify all ELL students and screen eligible students for language assistance. School districts must administer a home language survey to parents and students. The four questions that must be part of the New Enrollment Card can be found at:
http://doe.sd.gov/oats/documents/ELAsrvqns.pdf
STEP 2
When must districts administer the W-APT assessment to students?
If any questions from the home language survey (via the New Enrollment Card) are answered something “other than English,” districts must give the W-APT (WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test) to the student. At the beginning of the school year, identification, screening and parental notification of eligible students must be given within 30 days of enrollment. Once the school year is underway, the window for identification, screening and parental notification of eligibility is within two weeks of enrollment.
STEP 3
Where would a school find the W-APT assessment, and how do we administer it?
You will find the W-APT at: http://www.wida.us/states/SD/index.aspx or http://www.wida.us/assessment/w-apt/index.aspx. To gain access to this assessment, you must have a login/password. This information can only be given to district testing coordinators.
STEP 4
What are the identifying criteria using the W-APT?
A. W-APT criteria to classify students in grades 1-12 as ELL is a composite score lower than 5.0.
B. Identification of ELLs for Kindergarten W-APT Option #1. The Kindergarten Listening and Speaking Test is an oral proficiency test intended for students in pre-K through 1st semester of grade 1. (It cannot be given earlier than May prior to entering kindergarten.)
Criteria for Option 1:
If combined Listening and Speaking raw score is less than 29, the student will be deemed eligible for language assistance services and must be administered the annual ACCESS for ELLs® assessment.
C. Identification of ELLs for Kindergarten W-APT Option #2. The Kindergarten Reading and Writing Tests are diagnostic tests intended for students in 2nd semester kindergarten through 1st semester of grade 1.
Criteria for Option 2:
• If combined Listening and Speaking raw score is less than 19, the student will be deemed eligible for language assistance services and must be administered the annual ACCESS for ELLs® assessment.
• If combined Listening and Speaking raw score ranges from 19 to 28, the Reading and Writing portions need to be administered. If the Reading score is lower than an 11 and the Writing score is lower than a 12, the student is classified as ELL and must be administered the annual ACCESS for ELLs® assessment.
STEP 5
Where is the language status of the student recorded?
Once a student has been identified as an ELL student, you must go into Infinite Campus and mark the status of this student.
STEP 6
If a student is identified and assessed as ELL, do schools need to create a Language Acquisition Plan?
Yes. Once a student has been identified, districts must create a Language Acquisition Plan for a student who is an English language learner. It is important to involve staff members that will be working closely with the student in developing this plan. Sample plans can be found at: http://doe.sd.gov/oats/documents/ELLAcquPn.pdf
STEP 7
Once a plan has been created, how do we assess a student’s progress?
Students in grades K-12 must be given the ACCESS each February, if identified as ELL using the W-APT assessment. This large-scale test addresses the academic English language proficiency standards that help with instructing and evaluating the progress of English language learners.
STEP 8
When does a student exit from ELL status?
To exit a student from an ELL status, the student must obtain an Overall Proficiency Level of 4.8 or higher on Tier B or C AND in the Reading and Writing domains must be 4.0 or higher of the ACCESS assessment.
STEP 9
Is a yearly evaluation of a student’s Language Acquisition Plan required?
Yes. Schools should update the student’s LAP annually or when needed.
STEP 10
If schools still have questions about this process, who do we contact?
For questions related to the W-APT or ACCESS assessments, please contact Gay Pickner at (605) 773-3247.
Other ELL questions or concerns can be directed to Shannon Malone at (605) 773-4698.
Measuring technology literacy:
Results show most students proficient or better
South Dakota’s students achieved an average score of 319 on the 2010 8th Grade Technology Literacy Assessment. The average score was 298 in 2009. The assessment is designed to measure what students understand about technology.
Fifty-eight percent of students scored in the proficient and advanced levels in 2010, compared to 44 percent in 2009.
“While we’re pleased to see growth, we really need another year or two of data before we can start to define trends,” said Dr. Wade Pogany, director of assessment and technology systems for the Department of Education. “This is still a new assessment.”
Required under No Child Left Behind, the assessment was administered statewide for the 1st time in the spring of 2009. Last year marked the 2nd administration of the test. Scores are on a scale of 100 to 500. The assessment measures students’ technology literacy in areas such as research and information fluency; technology operations and concepts; communication and collaboration; and digital citizenship.
The 8th Grade Technology Literacy Assessment is delivered completely online, which is different from traditional paper-and-pencil tests such as the Dakota STEP.
The 2011 testing window for the Technology Literacy Assessment is April 25-May 13. The department will offer training sessions for testing coordinators and technology directors beginning in March, with follow-up training after district-level results become available.
Click here for a complete schedule of training opportunities.
For more information, visit the 8th Grade Technology Literacy Assessment webpage.
Number of overweight students remains high
The percentage of South Dakota students who are overweight or obese remained high in the state’s latest school height and weight survey. For the 2009-10 school year, 32.7 percent of students were either overweight (16.7 percent) or obese (16 percent). That compares to 33.6 percent of students who were overweight or obese in the 2008-09 school year.
“While it’s somewhat encouraging the percentage did not increase, the fact that the number is essentially unchanged from last year means that there is a lot of work to do if we’re going to reduce child obesity and its health risks for our children,” said Kristin Biskeborn, state nutritionist for the Department of Health. “We know that kids who are overweight or obese are at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, liver disorders and other complications.”
The annual South Dakota School Height Weight Report is a cooperative effort of the Departments of Health and Education to track child overweight and obesity. Schools have submitted student height and weight data for the survey each year since 1999. The survey defines obese as above the 95th percentile body mass index-for-age when compared to kids of the same age and gender; overweight is between the 85th and 94th percentiles.
A total of 205 schools participated in the 2009-10 survey, accounting for 29.6 percent of students in the state. Participating schools receive reports of their own data to use in improving nutrition and physical activity in the school setting.
Biskeborn said there are six science-based strategies shown to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases:
• Increase physical activity
• Decrease television viewing
• Increase fruit and vegetable intake
• Decrease sweetened beverage intake
• Decrease portion sizes
• Increase breastfeeding
Click here to view the full report.
Upcoming Events
Workshops to address senior experience, entrepreneurship
Two workshops will focus on Senior Experience and Entrepreneurship Experience capstone courses. The workshops are designed to help districts understand how capstone courses support a plan of study and meet the state’s graduation requirements. Participants will learn the components and implementation process for a Senior and Entrepreneurship Experience program.
Choose from the following dates and locations:
Topics include: student mentors, faculty advisors, project topic selection, program guidelines, research paper or business plan, portfolio, product and presentation requirements.
Contact hours will be provided at both workshops.
For information, contact Debra Wenzel, M.Ed., at the Department of Education, (605) 773-4463.
Preparing for AYP: Meetings address compliance issues related to student data
In preparation for the 2010-11 AYP process, the department will host a series of Accountability Compliance meetings at locations across the state. Districts are strongly encouraged to send staff members who are responsible for maintaining student data in Infinite Campus.
Choose from the following dates and locations:
Jan. 31
Aberdeen, Ramada Inn, 2727 6th Ave SE
Feb. 1
Flandreau, Royal River Casino & Convention Center, 607 S Veteran St
Feb. 2
Mitchell, Ramada Inn, 1525 W Havens Ave
Feb. 4
Rapid City, Ramkota, 2111 N LaCrosse St
All meetings run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration will be available soon via the Infinite Campus University website.
Topics to be covered include: the new four-year graduation rate calculation, meal status, best practices for recording attendance, and review of “Ad Hoc” focused on AYP.
Questions can be directed to Judy Merriman at the Department of Education, (605) 773-4737.
SPED hosting IEP Workshops
The Department of Education’s Special Education Programs is conducting several IEP Workshops this winter. Workshops will cover information regarding: child find and pre-referral strategies; determining suspected areas of disabilities; prior notice/consent and procedural safeguards; evaluation procedures and reporting; developing and implementing an IEP. The workshops provide six contact hours.
Upcoming events:
Feb. 2, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Explorer Elementary
4010 West 82nd Street, Sioux Falls
Session ID: 46947
Feb. 10, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Western Dakota Technical Institute, Rapid City
Session is full.
To register for an event, go to http://www.escweb.net/sd_esa/ and enter the appropriate Session ID.
CTE 101
CTE 101 is a workshop that fulfills certification requirements to become a South Dakota certified CTE teacher within individual career and technical content areas. Attendees will receive a certificate of completion. The workshop will take place Feb. 5 at the Kings Inn in Pierre. It runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To register for the event, go to http://www.escweb.net/sd_esa/ and enter Session ID number 47095.
Dakota STEP Spring Workshops
The Department of Education, along with Pearson, will host Dakota STEP Pre-Test Workshops the week of Feb. 7. Topics to be covered include: Dakota STEP test updates for 2011; test ordering and shipping; test security; test accommodations; and more. In addition, attendees will receive information about the 8th grade technology assessment; the DACS/Achievement Series; and end-of-course exams.
Choose from the following dates and locations:
Feb. 7, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Ramkota, Rapid City
Session ID: 46018
Feb. 8, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Ramkota, Pierre
Session ID: 46019
Feb. 9, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Ramkota, Aberdeen
Session ID: 46020
Feb. 10, 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Ramada, Sioux Falls
Session ID: 46021
To register for an event, go to http://www.escweb.net/sd_esa/ and enter the appropriate Session ID.
