STARS Connections
The official newsletter for SD-STARS - December 2021
Perkins report card coming to SD-STARS in January
Starting in January, CTE data will be more accessible than ever before! Perkins V has placed an emphasis on highlighting CTE success and opportunities for continued growth while making data driven decisions. To improve access to CTE data, the CTE team has invested significant time and resources into a new Perkins Annual Report Card.
The new Perkins-Annual Report Card (Perkins-ARC) will showcase data by Career Cluster, student population groups and demographic information. The public will have access to CTE performance data alongside existing district accountability information found at https://doe.sd.gov/reportcard/ by the end of January. The Perkins-ARC will also include secured access via SD-STARS for district CTE leaders to take a deeper look into their CTE performance including student level rosters and unsuppressed data.
Districts will be invited to participate in a preview window of their district’s CTE performance data between Jan. 4-14. During this time, CTE’s annual Improve22 sessions will be held to provide technical support and training related to navigating the new Perkins-Annual Report Card in SD-STARS.
Only those granted certain permissions in SD-STARS can access the Perkins-ARC. Read more about these permissions...
Enhancements and STARS Reports news
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New data in SD-STARS
The South Dakota Science and South Dakota Science Alternate assessments have been loaded. Results for the SD-SCI/SD-SCI Alt can be viewed in any of the reports under the Assessment Reports category in SD-STARS. Please note, not all assessment reports display the alternate scores. Review the Report Data Interpretation Guide (DIG) to see if the report contains alternate data.
Dual Credit
The SD-STARS loaded the 2020-21 summer dual credit data. Data on students who participate in the state-sponsored dual credit program come from the Board of Regents and each of the technical colleges every term. Districts can view these data by using the five dual credit reports in SD-STARS.
Recap of regional trainings
The SD-STARS team provided six regional trainings across the state, in Mitchell, Aberdeen, and Rapid City.
Read more...
Topical webinars coming in 2022
SD-STARS is providing three topical webinars starting in January 2022.
Become a SD-STARS Power User
Currently, any reporting that districts access in SD-STARS is created by the Department of Education. STARS Analytics allows trained individuals, known as Power Users, access to raw data found in SD-STARS for their district. Power Users can then use that data to create their own reports, for their own district, with their own goals in mind.
The SD-STARS team will be training Power Users in three locations, across South Dakota.
Locations and dates for Power Users Training are:
- Sioux Falls – March 29 and 30 (9-5 p.m.)
Sign Up Here: https://southdakota.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=13402
- Pierre – April 5 and 6 (9-5 p.m.)
Sign Up Here: https://southdakota.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=13403
- Rapid City – April 12 and 13 (9-5 p.m.)
Sign Up Here: https://southdakota.gosignmeup.com/public/Course/browse?courseid=13405
- Virtual Follow up – May 5 (10-12 p.m.)
Districts with interested individuals are required to send teams of 2-3 participants to the training. More information will be available in January 2022.
Get to know the SD-STARS Training Center
The SD-STARS Training Center is where users can find many resources on reports, and everything related to SD-STARS.
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Resource explains types of assessments for parents, stakeholders
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Ask the experts
Following are questions that educators have asked the SD-STARS team. If you have a question to pose to the team, contact STARSHelp@state.sd.us.
Is there a report that can help identify "bubble" students?
"Bubble" students are those who have a score within a certain range for each proficiency level. Read more for the complete answer...
Is there a report in SD-STARS that shows past state assessment scores for students?
The Student Longitudinal Achievement report found under the Reports > State Reports > Assessment Reports category displays historical results on state assessments for current students. Read more for the complete answer...
FERPA flyers from U.S. Dept of Ed
The U.S. Department of Education Privacy Technical Assistance Center has created eight flyers for schools and education stakeholders to use to help share the message to protect student data. You can access all flyers at https://studentprivacy.ed.gov/flyers-ferpa. Schools are encouraged to print and hang them in high-traffic areas like teacher lounges, and printer/copier areas.
This month’s feature flyer: “Remember it’s up to you to keep student data safe.”
STARS Certified Trainers
State offices closed
State offices closed for holidays on the following days:
- Dec. 24 - Christmas Eve
- Dec. 31 - New Year’s Eve
- Jan. 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Happy Holidays from the SD-STARS Team!
About us
South Dakota STARS Connections is a bi-monthly publication for South Dakota administrators and teachers, produced by the South Dakota Department of Education. This publication is intended to communicate news and events regarding the South Dakota Student Teacher Accountability and Reporting System (SD-STARS), our Statewide Longitudinal Data System. To view an online edition of this newsletter, go to doe.sd.gov/publications.aspx.
Contact us with story ideas or questions.
CONTACTS
General Mailbox, for the quickest response to any question
Sara Kock, Team Lead
(605) 220-6548
Kim Carlson, Project Manager
(605) 773-8062
Jay Lamb, Support Lead
(605) 295-7260
Email: STARSHelp@state.sd.us
Website: doe.sd.gov/sdstars
Location: 800 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD, USA
Facebook: facebook.com/sddoe
Twitter: @sddoe