State education officials are concerned with the lack of progress South Dakota is making to prepare high school students for the next phases of life. Education Secretary Melody Schopp says part of improving this problem is increasing the number of fourth grade students who are proficient or advanced in reading. Research shows students who aren’t proficient at a young age are less likely to graduate high school on time, and right now, South Dakota is showing little progress. Schopp says it’s the goal of the department to continue emphasizing common core subjects at all levels for success.
“For kids who don’t meet those benchmarks on the ACT, they are identified as needing remediation, which, number one, costs about $900 a course, and takes up about the first semester of their college experience. The Board of Regents is doing a lot of things to really take those costs down, but what we’re doing is we’re taking remediation and moving down to into the high school. The dollars you gave us last year, we’re sending out letters to every junior after they take the ACT. Based on those letters, we let them know if they’re going to need a remediation course, and then we offer it at no cost at the high school,” Schopp says.
Schopp says the department is working to increase the availability of Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses to help students earn college credit before graduating from high school. She says schools are also measuring students’ work skills to see if they’re ready to enter the workforce.