Sioux Falls School District 49-5

Coding across the curriculum

Creating partnerships to support K-12 computer science initiatives

We have partnered with Code to the Future to implement Computer Science Immersion in three Title I elementary schools and two high-poverty middle schools. Students in grades K-8 are learning the fundamentals of coding and using their skills to complete projects that align with English Language Ar...

Today’s students become tomorrow’s teachers

Forging a career pathway for underrepresented students to enter teaching

Our current classroom teachers do not reflect the diversity of our student body. Partnering with the University of South Dakota, we have developed the Teacher Pathway Program. Juniors and Seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in education complete an introductory education course, earni...

Creating more options to support students’ specific goals

Empowering choice through specialized schools

Many see the charter school movement as evidence of the increasing demand for more choice in education. While South Dakota does not allow charter schools, we are able to provide our families with choices by developing schools with a specific focus. We currently have 1,586 students enrolled in spe...

Supporting grade-level literacy through summer school programs

Offering two months of summer school with a focus on foundational skills

Analysis of student reading scores over the past decade suggested that students, especially students in our Title I schools, started school without the same experiences as their more affluent peers. To address this readiness issue, we implemented an 8-week, full-day summer school in three Title I...