SD Board of Ed will examine DWU, MTI programs

Talk about it

The South Dakota Board of Education is expected to approve the continuation of the Dakota Wesleyan University teacher education unit and program during its meeting at Mitchell Technical Institute on Monday.

Every South Dakota higher education institution must have its teacher education preparatory program reviewed every seven years to determine if it meets required standards.

According to the Board of Education’s agenda posted on the South Dakota Department of Education website, “It was determined that Dakota Wesleyan University meets the unit and program requirements.”

The Board of Education meets starting at 9 a.m. today at the River Run Room in MTI’s Technical Center Amphitheater, 1800 E. Spruce. The meeting is open to the public.

Other agenda items include:

• The board will hear about technical institutes’ facility bonding as well as updates on projects.

During the 2011 Legislative session, the state’s technical institutes were given authority to increase the bonding cap for Phase II of a facility improvement plan. MTI and Lake Area Technical Institute, in Watertown, are part of the Phase II plan.

• The board will also hear about new and expanded programs at the tech schools.

MTI is requesting permission to launch a farm power technology program while LATI wants to start a heavy equipment operations program.

These industries need technicians, according to the agenda.

• The board will also hear a report on the technical institutes’ retention rates as well as their 2011 annual reports.

• An informational item on South Dakota Innovative Lab Schools is also on tap.

The state Department of Education, the Mid-Central Educational Cooperative, the Department of Education, Sanford Research Laboratory, the PAST Foundation, and four area schools have worked on a system examining the benefits of low student population.

“We refer to it as a student-centered, standards-based delivery system,” according to the website.

• The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports on fourth- and eight-grade reading and math results were released Nov. 1.

All South Dakota public schools with eighth graders were part of the sample and two-thirds of the schools with fourth graders were sampled.

• The South Dakota Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Initiative will be discussed.

Board of Education members will be invited to offer input and ideas.

• Continued strategic planning for a statewide system for the four technical institutes is listed as an informational item.

It is referred to as “Vision 2012” and calls for the technical institutes in Mitchell, Watertown, Rapid City and Sioux Falls to share a common vision and goals.

• Secretary of Education Melody Schopp will also offer an update on her office.

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