Category: Education

Education, South DakotaLeave a comment

South Dakota ranks 21st in child well-being according to data book

Gary Dickson

South Dakota’s education rankings show a decline in fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math skills. Despite some improvements, disparities in educational attainment persist for low-income and minority students. The state also faces challenges in children’s health insurance coverage. Investment in early education and support for families is crucial to address these issues and ensure children thrive. Continue reading South Dakota ranks 21st in child well-being according to data book

Education, IowaLeave a comment

Iowa Board of Regents approves tuition increases for fall 2024

Gary Dickson

The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved tuition and fee increases for public universities, leading student leaders to push for reduced budget burdens on students. They emphasized the negative impact of rising costs and called for increased state allocations to ease the financial strain on students. University presidents also received significant salary increases. Continue reading Iowa Board of Regents approves tuition increases for fall 2024

Art, Education, South DakotaLeave a comment

Dakota Valley student to compete in Poetry Out Loud national finals

Gary Dickson

Grace Powell, a senior at Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, SD, won the South Dakota Poetry Out Loud state contest. She will compete in the national finals in Washington, D.C., with the chance to win a top prize of $20,000. The competition aims to promote poetry education and public speaking skills among high school students. Continue reading Dakota Valley student to compete in Poetry Out Loud national finals

Education, South Dakota, SportsLeave a comment

Ripperda, Coyote squads recognized as USTFCCCA All-Academic

Gary Dickson

South Dakota senior Abby Ripperda, in addition to the Coyote men’s and women’s cross country teams has earned USTFCCCA All-Academic honors as announced by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
 
Ripperda is one of 174 women to receive recognition from the USTFCCCA, including being one of three from the Summit League. To be eligible for the award, honorees must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 and have finished in the top 25 at the NCAA Regionals or as an All-American at the NCAA Championships. Continue reading Ripperda, Coyote squads recognized as USTFCCCA All-Academic

Education, Government, South DakotaLeave a comment

Lawmakers endorse summer children’s food program, nix expansion of reduced price school meals

Gary Dickson

A bill to include South Dakota in a summer food program for children advanced to the next step of the legislative process Wednesday in Pierre, while legislation to expand eligibility for reduced-price school meals was rejected.

Lawmakers moved a bill forward that addresses the federal government’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program for Children. It provides eligible low-income families with $40 per child, per month in preloaded cards to buy groceries during the summer months. Continue reading Lawmakers endorse summer children’s food program, nix expansion of reduced price school meals

Education, Government, IowaLeave a comment

Iowa House Democrats introduce bill to tackle rising tuition rates

Gary Dickson

Avery Dettvarn didn’t realize just how expensive her college dreams were until she began the application process.

She said at a press conference Wednesday that she felt her heart break when her high school counselor said she wouldn’t be able to attend college if she couldn’t afford to fill the gaps left after seeking out public and private loans, financial aid and scholarships in order to pay for her tuition.

Now a University of Iowa second-year student, Dettvarn accepted a loan from a family member to help achieve her dream because no relatives had a credit score high enough to co-sign for a private loan. Not everyone can receive the same support she did, she said. She came to the Capitol to advocate for students who have struggled with tuition and fees, and to show her support for legislation that would keep costs from crawling even higher over the course of their college career. Continue reading Iowa House Democrats introduce bill to tackle rising tuition rates

Education, Government, South DakotaLeave a comment

South Dakota literacy improvements likely to cost more than $6 million

Gary Dickson

South Dakota educators have pointed to dramatic literacy successes in the state of Mississippi as evidence for lawmakers to support a proposed $6 million investment into expanded phonics-based reading curriculum and teacher training.

But as the appropriation supported by Gov. Kristi Noem moves forward in the Legislature, a top literacy official in Mississippi said that while South Dakota’s plan is a good place to start, a one-time investment is unlikely to reverse falling reading rates in the Rushmore State.

House Bill 1022 would provide the South Dakota Department of Education with $6 million for a four-year statewide teacher training effort in the science of reading (SOR), an intensive approach to reading instruction at the elementary level that relies in part on phonics, or using sounds within words rather than letters to help children read. Continue reading South Dakota literacy improvements likely to cost more than $6 million

Education, Government, Iowa2 Comments

Iowa lawmakers consider requiring students, teachers to sing national anthem at school each day

Gary Dickson

Iowa students would be required to sing part of the national anthem at school each day under a bill advanced Wednesday by a House Education subcommittee.

Rep. Sue Cahill, D-Marshalltown, stood and led the room in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” during her closing comments.

Cahill said she sang because “our Capitol is the perfect place to show patriotism,” but requiring the singing of the national anthem in school classrooms each day is not the best path forward as it would be “mandating patriotism for students.” Continue reading Iowa lawmakers consider requiring students, teachers to sing national anthem at school each day

Education, South DakotaLeave a comment

School voucher program backed by many South Dakota voters: poll

Gary Dickson

According to a recent poll conducted by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, nearly half of registered South Dakota voters support the creation of a school voucher program in the state.South Dakota is not one of the 16 states that offer school vouchers. A legislative measure to enact a voucher system failed by a wide margin in its first committee stop in 2023.

As of Jan. 10, a voucher bill had not yet been filed for the 2024 legislative session, which just began, though some backers do expect some form of legislation will be filed this session.

The poll showed that 48.8 percent of respondents support the development of a voucher system, while 45.6 percent do not, with 5.6 percent undecided. Continue reading School voucher program backed by many South Dakota voters: poll

Education, Government, IowaLeave a comment

Federal judge hears arguments in lawsuit challenging Iowa book law

Gary Dickson

A U.S. District Court judge heard oral arguments Friday about whether to stop enforcement of measures in an Iowa education law that ban certain books with sexual content from K-12 school libraries.

The lawsuit challenges sections of Senate File 496 that require schools to remove books with depictions of sex acts. It also challenges a provision requiring schools to inform parents if a student requests the use of a different name or pronouns than what they were assigned at birth. The lawsuit claims those and other measures violate Iowa students’ constitutional rights to equal protection, free speech, free association and due process, the lawsuit claims. Continue reading Federal judge hears arguments in lawsuit challenging Iowa book law