Rapid City Area Schools District 51/4
300 Sixth Street
Rapid City, South Dakota, 57701-2724
Katy Urban, Communications Manager
Superintendent Office
(605) 394-4091
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Board of Education topics to watch:
The following is a list of topics to watch during the December 14 Board of Education Annual Meeting. This meeting will take place in the Council Chambers of the City/School Administration Center – 300 Sixth Street – at 5:30 p.m.
Here’s a link to the agenda: http://intranet.rcas.org/administration/SoS/BOEAgenda/2015-16/Pages/2015-12-14%20Board%20of%20Education%20Meeting.aspx
*Calendar Committee Update – The Board will discuss the conversation and survey regarding a possible change to the District’s traditional school calendar. No decisions on a start date will be made at the December 14 meeting.
*Chamber of Commerce Guiding Principles on K-12 Education 2016 Legislative session – The Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce is showing their support of K-12 education this session.
*Every Student Succeeds Act – What the passage of this Act means for our students
*Curriculum changes, science and social science (see explanation below)
After nearly 10 years, social science, more commonly known as social studies, standards are changing. The South Dakota Department of Education finalized the changes this past August, giving local districts in the state the opportunity to decide which new U.S. History standards they would like to teach: Modern or Comprehensive. Out of 21 teachers voting on the choice, all but four chose Comprehensive. This means high school students will study our nation’s history from the founding years to the present.
Right now, social science teachers are redesigning the courses to fit the new standards. If approved, the most obvious change will come in the fall of 2017. Incoming freshman will no longer take Civics. Curriculum Specialist Liz Venenga says, “It’s not about doing less, it’s actually about doing more.” Instead of having one half credit dedicated to just Civics, the content found in the current course will be integrated into U.S. History 1, 2 & 3 as well as other social science courses. Currently, there are only two districts in the state that still require Civics as a stand-alone course. In the fall of 2016, teachers will begin to work in the new standards. New text books and materials to support the new standards will be ordered beginning in the summer of 2016.
Beyond just middle and high school, the new social science standards will be integrated into K-5 classrooms as well. One emphasis will be to teach students what “practicing citizenship” looks like. This can take shape in a number of different ways - from the groups of students who visit the state capitol during the legislature each year, to the students who raised money to help animals at the Humane Society of the Black Hills.
This Monday night, the Board of Education will discuss the new social science standards. The Board will not vote on the course redesign until later in 2016. Also, on Monday, the Board will talk about the new science standards, which will go into effect in the fall of 2016.
The most notable change in science for high school students is the offering of multiple science paths for students. Right now, all high school freshman are required to take Physical Science 1 & 2. Starting this fall, students will be able to take Biology as freshman and then take Chemistry as a sophomore and Physics as a junior. Three credits of a lab science are still required. While, Biology and either Physics or Chemistry are required, students will have a variety of ways to get their third credit of science.
The Board will vote on the science course redesign and varied course options at their January 20 meeting.