Great teachers recognize great assessments. As policy and education leaders work to make sure state tests are measuring the problem-solving, writing, and critical-thinking skills students need for success, they should convene and rely on teachers to review test quality and help answer the question: Do the questions on our state test reflect…

The Board of Regents of South Dakota's public colleges and universities decided in 1984 to implement a Value-Added Testing program (an exit test required for graduation) modelled on the Northeast Missouri State University plan. The plan was intended to increase student learning, improve curricular design, and encourage excellent teaching.…

This paper, which highlights the findings of a recently completed doctoral dissertation, attempts to: (1) identify the desirable professional competencies of superintendents as perceived by South Dakota school board members and superintendents, themselves; and (2) determine which competencies, when performed unsatisfactorily, are the most common…

This handbook is intended to assist South Dakota school districts in developing and implementing educational programs for gifted students. It is noted that state regulations provide a minimum standard for gifted programs, but do not limit services and leave room for flexibility in planning according to each district's needs. The first section…

This report presents the results of a modified version of the 1983 Gallup Poll survey of parents of school-aged children in South Dakota. Parents of elementary and secondary school students were asked to grade the nation's and their state's schools and were surveyed on the following topics: their perceptions of the causes of discipline problems,…