High school graduation requirements in South Dakota may be revamped and the state is seeking input on what the public would like to see included.
The South Dakota Department of Education encourages the public to engage in a conversation about proposed revisions to South Dakota’s high school graduation requirements by submitting their comments on the proposal by Thursday, July 12.
Review the proposed requirements compared to the current requirements here or the full written proposal here and submit public comment here.
Proposed changes to the graduation requirements aim to combine opportunities for rigor, student engagement and flexibility with multiple opportunities available for students to meet their postsecondary and career goals within a framework of general high school graduation requirements.
“One major change in these proposed requirements is the concept of endorsements,” Secretary of Education Don Kirkegaard said.
“The proposed requirements would allow all students to graduate with the same high school diploma, but additionally, students could earn advanced endorsements, which signify students have taken coursework with a specific focus.”
Students could earn more than one advanced endorsement, since they share some of the same course requirements. Students would not be required to earn endorsements.
The proposed endorsements are as follows:
- Advanced: indicates a student has pursued the coursework consistent with entrance requirements for postsecondary education at a university
- Advanced Career: indicates a student has career experience in a concentrated area, based on academic and/or workplace experience and a related credential
- Advanced Honors: indicates a student has pursued advanced rigorous, academic coursework consistent with the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship course requirements
The state Board of Education Standards will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule changes at its meeting in Pierre on Monday, July 16, where individuals may also provide comment.