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Rolling into the New Year with the start of the 66th Legislative Assembly
Kyle Davison, SEEC Executive Director, is off to the legislature! Re-elected to his second term (third session) he represents District 41 in Fargo. He is once again on the Education Committee and Government and Veterans Affairs (Chairman). January 28, 2019 is Education Day at the Legislature so if you are out there, stop by and say hi to Senator Davison!
Resources for Legislative Updates:
- For those interested in specific, education-related updates, NDDPI will be publishing a weekly newsletter called the Capitol Tablet which you can find here.
- For superintendents and principals, remember you can go to the N.D. Council of Educational Leadership's website here and log in.
- For all others who are interested in areas beyond education, you can find directions for the 66th Legislative Session bill tracking here.
- Lastly, for standing, conference, interim, and administrative rule making hearing schedules, as well as access to Bill Status, documents, the ability to view floor session schedules, and the meeting rooms map, download the ND Legislative Daily app:
1. Search for North Dakota Legislative Daily in your app store
2. Download the app
3. Tap to connect the hearing with your calendar
4. Tap to allow receiving notifications
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In this issue:
- Pilot Site Opportunity
- ND Afterschool Day on the Hill
- Healthy Schools Summit
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From Our Staff to Yours
Happiest New Year wishes from the SEEC Staff
From all of us here at the South East Education Cooperative we wish everyone a safe and happy New Year!
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Legislative Update
Governor, Lawmakers at Odds Over State Student Aid Increase
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Gov. Doug Burgum, Dec. 26, 2018 in Bismarck. (Tom Stromme/Tribune)
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Bismarck Tribune Article by Blair Emerson on Dec. 27, 2018
North Dakota school districts were spared from budget cuts last legislative session, but the state student aid formula remain flat at about $9,646 per student.
As a result of such leveled payments, some schools saw larger class sizes or cut some elective programs. Less money for districts also resulted in minimal salary increases for teachers over the past two years.
But, for the next two-year budget cycle, Gov. Doug Burgum has recommended a 2 percent increase in the state student aid formula for each year of the biennium - increasing to $10,036 per student for the 2020-21 school year. The increase is welcomed by education leaders in the state, but leaves some lawmakers wondering if the state can afford it or if it is enough.
"That's our first priority: to definitely increase the per pupil payment as much as we can," said Sen. Don Schaible, R-Mott, who chairs the Senate Education Committee.
Sen. Erin Oban, D-Bismarck, said the 2 percent increase each year is not enough given the growing challenges schools are seeing related to meeting the basic needs and behavioral health needs of students.
"When we hear over and over again that kids are coming to school with more and more challenges to be met, but less funding, at some point that's a formula that just doesn't work," said Oban.
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Fairmount Public School:
Educating all Individuals to be Lifelong Learners
The Mission of Fairmount Public School states: "Fairmount Public School, in a partnership with families and the community, educates all individuals to be lifelong learners and responsible citizens in a global society." As a smaller school district, Fairmount can fulfill this mission partly in thanks to their ability to develop meaningful relationships.
"We are a very small school district. But this makes us unique because you're able to develop relationships with the community, teachers, and students," said Jay Townsend, K-12 Principal of Fairmount Public School. "I've always said that I have two families - my immediate family that includes my wife and two kids and my work family."
Townsend has spent 11 of his 15 years as an educator in his current position with Fairmount Public School. Prior to this, he taught K-12 Physical Education and Grades 7-12 Business Education. His decision to become an educator began developing when he was in college, stemming from a desire to be a positive role model.
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Full Service Community Schools:
Three Pilot Site Schools Sought!
The ND Full Service Community Schools (NDFSCS) Consortium, comprised of representatives from PATH, Mid-Dakota Education Cooperative (MDEC), Missouri River Education Cooperative (MREC) and the South East Education Cooperative (SEEC), was awarded funding over the course of 5 years from the U.S. Department of Education to support selected North Dakota schools for the purpose of implementing a Full-Service Community Schools Model.
The goal of the NDFSCS Consortium is to enhance system readiness for future North Dakota schools to become full-service community schools. The Consortium supports schools by facilitating partnerships between schools and communities to provide supports leading to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities.
The NDFSCS Consortium is working to develop a Full Service Community Schools (FSCS) ecosystem within North Dakota through the development, adoption, and expansion of the FSCS model in urban, rural, and high-poverty schools across the state, while enhancing pre-service curriculum for future educators.
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ND Afterschool Day on the Hill
April 3, 2019 | Bismarck State Capitol | 10am-2pm
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Join the ND Afterschool Network for Afterschool Day on the Hill on April 3, 2019! We'll gather in Bismarck at the State Capitol Building to showcase the amazing afterschool programs throughout ND from 10am-2pm.
Students, programs, and afterschool professionals from across the state are welcome to join us! A limited number of booth space is available, please register ASAP if you'd like to display or feature your program.
Anyone can advocate for afterschool. It is important to note that, if your program is funded by federal grants, you may not use your federal dollars to lobby elected officials. You can, however, communicate the successes of your programs and hopes for continued support. In order for our field to grow so we can reach all North Dakota students, it is important that we promote and educate the value of afterschool programs not just when we need to, but all of the time! This extends to policymakers, potential funders and partners, youth, parents, businesses & more.
Afterschool Day on the Hill is a great way to give students in your program a look at the legislative process, get to know your legislators, and connect with afterschool champions
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Healthy Schools Summit: March 28, 2019
Save the Date
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N.D. English Learners Boot Camp
Educators Dive into District Practices
On January 3-4, educators from Jamestown, Kidder County, Sargent Central, and Ellendale gathered for the N.D. English Learners Boot Camp Training in Fargo. Among those in attendance, there were EL, colony, and mainstream teachers as well as instructional coaches.
Some were completely new to their EL role, while others were more veteran but every topic held some new learning for everyone! All dove deeply into district practices to determine alignment with state and federal laws. Each session participant asked questions about their local EL programming to ensure compliance and evidence-based best practices are being followed.
The two day training ended with participants examining their local data (ACCESS, MAP, STAR) using multiple tools (EL Norms, ACCESS Growth Charts, Insights dashboard). Questions about individual student achievement and growth as well as programmatic effectiveness were explored during this work session.
9 our of 9 (100%)
attendees completed the post-event feedback survey and overall:
- 100% of participants felt that each of the topics were "very helpful."
- 100% of respondents noted improvements in their understanding for the topics assessed.
- 100% of participants indicated "substantial" increases in their knowledge and skills.
Amid the positive feedback, one educator stated,
"This training should be mandatory for administrators!"
If you're interested in finding out more information about ND EL Boot Camp, please reach out to Kerri Whipple at
kerri.whipple@k12.nd.us.
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Educators in Industry
K-12 Externship Program
The Educators in Industry: K-12 Externship Program provides four-week summer externships for K-12 teachers, administrators, career advisors, and other educators to provide a firsthand look at how the engineering design process and 21st century skills are currently being used in an industry environment. Participants will earn 3 continuing education credits at no cost, and will receive a $2000 stipend for completing both the summer experience and associated coursework. The 2019 program dates are June 3-28 with applications due Feb. 1, 2019.
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NDMTSS Conference: June 10-12, 2019
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Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS):
New Training Opportunities and Reference Guides
There are now statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) courses for all levels of experience scheduled and open for registration to those interested, see link below! Additionally, SLDS has new reference guides to assist your effective use of the wealth of data available. These can be found within the SLDS portal but copies are linked below for your reference.
SLDS Quick Reference Guide
The SLDS Quick Reference Guide presents a short definition of what each report will display and what permissions are needed to run each report. Check out this Guide to see how it could help you.
SLDS Reports Reference Guides
The reference guide has been updated to include the "Reports" that are currently available within the "Reports" area. The Reports Reference Guide provides guiding questions that can be answered with each report, the report description, and the intended audience.
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SEEC Upcoming Events
Click an event title below to view more information and/or register.
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Date
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Event Title, Location
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Jan. 16
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Jan. 18
Feb. 1
Feb. 5
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Jan. 22
- Jamestown
March 4
- Richland (Elementary)
March 11 - Jamestown (Secondary)
March 28 or April 2
8-10am or 2-4pm online
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Part 1: Intro to Learning Walks & Making Learning Visible with Kevin Feldman
Part 2: Strategies for Making Learning Visible
Part 3: Online eWalks (Microteach & Feedback)
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Jan. 28-29
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Feb. 5 -
Devils Lake
Feb. 6 -
Valley City
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Feb. 11-12
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Feb. 19
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NDMTSS: Developing Pathways for Academics (MTSS Year 1) - Bismarck |
Feb. 25-26
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Outside Opportunities
Conferences, REA statewide opportunities, and more
- Jan. 30: Introduction to the SLDS (Casselton)
- Feb. 6: Putting Action into Practice (West Fargo)
- Mar. 20: Deeper Dive into Reports (West Fargo)
North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) Preparedness Training
ND K12 Technology Showcase
- Feb. 13, (Bismarck)
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South East Education Cooperative
1305 9th Ave S Fargo, ND 58103
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