Dakota ASSETS Overview

The main focus of the Dakota ASSETS grant is to recruit and select candidates to fill shortages for teaching positions that exist in South Dakota high need districts and schools. The word ASSETS is derived from the grant’s over-arching goal which is that All Students will be Served by Exceptional TeacherS whose knowledge, skills, and instructional approach result in improved student achievement.

Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE) has established a collaborative partnership with Black Hills State University, SD Teach for America, Sinte Gleska University, Oglala Lakota College, and South Dakota Department of Education to successfully implement this grant’s goals and objectives.

Dakota ASSETS performance objectives to be accomplished are:

1. To recruit and select outstanding candidates to fill shortages for elementary, secondary, and special education teachers in high need schools in western South Dakota.
2. To provide intensive, field-based training and preparation for teacher candidates that result in attainment of INTASC, ISTE, and NBPTS standards and teacher certification.
3. To place 80% of participants in secondary, elementary and special education teaching positions in high need schools.
4. To provide support (once they are teaching in a high need district & school) to participants for a minimum of one year through on-site mentoring/coaching and extended opportunities for professional development.
5. To review for revision selection and hiring procedures in partner schools to remove barriers to recruitment and employment for qualified candidates

The power of the Dakota ASSETS grant is that it was designed to incorporate the strengths, successes, and partnerships of previous federal grants which have been awarded to TIE.

	PAL, a Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers for Technology federal grant, represented a partnership with BHSU that caused their COE to embed their teacher preparation program in Professional Development Schools. (1999-2002)
	Teach Dakota, a Transition to Teaching federal grant, caused BHSU to develop and implement an on-line, accelerated teacher certification program.  (2001-2004)
	EveryTeacher, a Teacher Quality Enhancement federal grant, developed a successful model for mentoring support. (2003-2006)

In order to accomplish these objectives, ALL participants involved in one of Dakota ASSETS teacher certification programs:

• qualify for up to $5000 in financial assistance (in the form of scholarships and signing bonuses) by agreeing to teach in an eligible South Dakota high need school.
• and once a teacher in an eligible South Dakota high need school, mentoring & professional development support is provided for the first three years.

• BHSU’s Project SELECT is an accelerated 36 week certification program where teacher candidates are engaged in field-based experience at both a middle school and high school, and at the same time complete coursework leading to certification.  
  
  The Dakota ASSETS grant enhances BHSU’s RCAS Project Select program by adding an Elementary PDS component and replicating the existing secondary program at the Pierre and Douglas school districts.  It also enables them to enhance their on-line SPED certification program.
  
• Teach for America (TFA) is a nationally recognized program that has recruited over 12,000 candidates to the profession of teaching over its 15 years of operation. In the fall of 2004, TFA expanded its program to high need schools and students in South Dakota.  Currently, there are 50 SD Teach for America corps members teaching in Todd County, Crazy Horse, Little Wound, American Horse, and Saint Francis.
  
  This grant will enhance this program by enabling it to recruit more candidates for South Dakota and likewise offer their candidates mentoring and professional development support.   Take One!® which is a unique offering from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards® will be incorporated.
  
• Both Sinte Gleska University and Oglala Lakota College offer a Bachelor of Science in K-8 Elementary Education which enables paraprofessionals and others to obtain teaching certification. 
  
  This partnership is extremely valuable in finding qualified teachers for South Dakota high need schools.   

Shown below is the organizational structure of this grant.