State Report

South Dakota

South Dakota is building the foundation for high school transformation across 4 policy actions.

State Report

South Dakota

South Dakota is building the foundation for high school transformation across 4 policy actions.

Overview

South Dakota’s state leaders have adopted a number of policies that can serve as a launching pad for communities seeking to reimagine high school learning for students. State leaders have created flexibility from seat time requirements, empowering school systems to award students credit towards graduation based on demonstrations of proficiency. To support postsecondary readiness, state leaders have adopted graduation requirements that ensure that students who receive a high school diploma are able to apply to the state’s public institutions of higher education.

While local universities provide dual credit opportunities for the state’s high school students, state leaders could explore additional opportunities to support postsecondary readiness by requiring every school system to provide advanced coursework opportunities to students. State leaders in South Dakota could also consider working with local communities to develop a Portrait of a Graduate that reflects the broad set of competencies that all South Dakota graduates should have by the end of high school. This effort could also provide a jumping-off point for a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led high school redesign.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Share your story

We want to hear how high school shaped your path—and how you think it needs to change.

Highlights from South Dakota

South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
South Dakota’s economy will add an average of 56,000 job openings annually through 2031, of which 39,000 (70 percent) will be for workers with postsecondary education, including college degrees and workforce credentials.¹
¹ Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., Van Der Werf, M., & Quinn, M. C. (2023). After everything: Projections of jobs, education, and training requirements through 2031. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/projections2031/#resources
Strong high schools are essential for meeting that demand, which will pay huge dividends to individuals and the state as a whole. Economists estimate that South Dakota’s 5.5 percentage point increase in college degree attainment between 2010 and 2020 will translate into $15 billion in additional net lifetime earnings for the state’s residents.²
² Carnevale, A. P., Strohl, J., Peltier Campbell, K., Guilash, A., Cheah, B., Nyhof, E., & Fix, L. (2024). Learning by degrees: Gains in college degree attainment have enriched the nation and every state, but racial and gender inequality persist. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/attainmentgains/#resources
In South Dakota and elsewhere in the nation, boosting student achievement will be central to realizing these gains. In 2025, 42 percent of South Dakota seniors graduated ready for college in math and 62 percent did so in English (60 percent of students participated in this year’s ACT).³ 33 percent of South Dakota’s 8th graders (the high school graduating class of 2029) demonstrated proficient math skills on the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam, down six percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. 29 percent were proficient in reading.⁵
³ ACT. (2024). Average 2024 ACT test scores by state. https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/scores/average-act-test-scores-by-state.html
⁵ The Nation’s Report Card. (2024). Data tools: State profiles. The National Assessment of Educational Progress. https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=2&sub=MAT&sj=&st=AP&year=2024R3
Improving these results is important not only for college readiness, but also for earning power. Better math skills would boost the wages of South Dakota workers by $463 annually, totaling $9,274 over a 20-year period. Stronger reading skills would increase their wages by $1,064 per year, adding up to $21,287 over two decades.⁶
⁶ Boser, U. (2020). Education and income: How learning boosts salary. The Learning Agency. https://media.the-learning-agency.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/01151624/white_paper_education_and_the_economy.pdf
A range of studies underscore the role of durable competencies in supporting academic achievement. Their integration with academic coursework strengthens and reinforces the acquisition of knowledge and skills in disciplines like literacy, math, and science.⁷
⁷ Balfanz, R. (2023, September). Centering school connectedness. State Education Standard: The Journal of the National Association of State Boards of Education, 23(3). https://www.nasbe.org/centering-school-connectedness/; Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.

Progress

High school is where America’s future takes shape. Today’s students are tomorrow’s innovators, problem solvers, and leaders—but our schools are still rooted in a century-old model built for the industrial age. As automation and AI transform the job market, too many students leave high school unprepared for what comes next.

South Dakota

South Dakota

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Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data

Mastery-Based Credits

Core Competencies

K-16 Alignment

Community-Led Redesign

Postsecondary Credits

Internships and Apprenticeships

Professional Development

Next-Generation Assessments

Next-Generation Assessments

Success Data