South Dakota

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in South Dakota
States From Our Research Center State and National Highlights Reports (Quality Counts 2021)
The Quality Counts 2021 State Highlights Reports capture the key data you need to assess your state’s performance.
January 19, 2021
School buses remain parked in a storage area due to COVID-related school closures earlier this year in Zelienople, Pa.
School buses remain parked in a storage area due to COVID-related school closures earlier this year in Zelienople, Pa.
Keith Srakocic/AP
School & District Management Districts Offer Cash to Families Who Skip the School Bus
Facing big transportation costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some school districts will pay parents or caregivers to get their kids to school, or charge them for the bus ride.
Daarel Burnette II, September 10, 2020
5 min read
States From Our Research Center Educational Opportunities and Performance in North Dakota
This Quality Counts 2020 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.
January 21, 2020
5 min read
Library Media Specialist Stacy Olson shows kindergarteners at Rita Murphy Elementary School in Bismarck, N.D., how to draw a circle using small, handheld robots called Ozobots that move and follow a marker line.
Library Media Specialist Stacy Olson shows kindergarteners at Rita Murphy Elementary School in Bismarck, N.D., how to draw a circle using small, handheld robots called Ozobots that move and follow a marker line.
Kristina Barker for Education Week
Privacy & Security K-12 Cybersecurity Lessons Learned From 'Constant Barrage of Attacks'
In North Dakota alone, the state network used by K-12 schools, state universities, and other public agencies experiences 5.7 million known cyberattacks every month.
Benjamin Herold, March 19, 2019
7 min read
States Educational Opportunities and Performance in North Dakota
This Quality Counts 2019 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.
January 16, 2019
5 min read
Assessment N.D. Districts Can Substitute ACT for State Test
The first-of-its-kind move stems from a new kind of testing flexibility in the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Catherine Gewertz, March 20, 2018
5 min read
Jake Ruhl, left, Easton Bigham and Zahraa Almohanna eat lunch together at Starkville Early Learning Collaborative in Starkville, Miss.
Jake Ruhl, left, Easton Bigham and Zahraa Almohanna eat lunch together at Starkville Early Learning Collaborative in Starkville, Miss.
Andrea Morales for Education Week
Accountability Photos Inside Classrooms in Three States: Quality Counts 2018
The 22nd edition of Quality Counts 2018: Report and Rankings focuses on state-by state assessment of public education.
Education Week Photo Staff, January 18, 2018
1 min read
School & District Management North Dakota Earns a C-Plus on State Report Card, Ranks 16th in Nation
This Quality Counts 2018 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.
January 17, 2018
3 min read
The exterior of the Department of Education Building in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
The exterior of the Department of Education Building in Washington, DC on Thursday, December 14, 2017.
Swikar Patel/Education Week
Every Student Succeeds Act Betsy DeVos' Team Asks Seven States for More ESSA Specifics
Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Montana, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming are the latest states to receive feedback on their plans for implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Alyson Klein, December 18, 2017
4 min read
Education South Dakota Governor Appoints State Board Chief as New Education Secretary
Don Kirkegaard, a district superintendent and member of the state board of education, replaces Melody Schopp who retired last month shortly after turning in the state's ESSA plan.
Daarel Burnette II, November 7, 2017
1 min read
Education South Dakota Education Chief Retires
Lawmakers have called for Education Secretary Melody Schopp's resignation ever since her office was accused of allowing for the mishandling of federal education funds.
Daarel Burnette II, October 13, 2017
1 min read
Assessment Good Common-Core Test Scores Get You Accepted to College in This State
South Dakota becomes the first state to offer guaranteed admission to students based on their performance on the Smarter Balanced exam.
Catherine Gewertz, September 19, 2017
3 min read
Education North Dakota the Latest State to Win ESSA-Plan Approval
With the plan's approval, North Dakota's educators will experience some of the nation's most dramatic changes under the Every Student Succeeds Act this fall.
Daarel Burnette II, September 1, 2017
2 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act In Some States, ESSA Means More Powers for Local School Boards
Some states, such as California, Kentucky and North Dakota plan to use the Every Student Succeeds Act to bolster the decision-making powers of their local school boards in the coming years.
Daarel Burnette II, May 19, 2017
4 min read