Current through Supplement No. 394, October, 2024
1.
History. From 1864 to
statehood, North Dakota was served by a territorial school board and a
superintendent. In 1889, the constitution of North Dakota provided for a state
superintendent of public instruction. William Mitchell was the first state
superintendent. The 1890 legislative assembly enacted a provision that the
superintendent of public instruction must hold a teacher's certificate of
highest grade issued in the state. Statutes were also enacted at that time to
provide that the state superintendent of public instruction shall have general
supervision of the common and secondary schools of the state and shall be an ex
officio member of the board of university and school lands. Effective January
of 1991, authority for the supervision of the state schools for the deaf and
blind and the state library was transferred to the office of the
superintendent.
2.
Superintendent. The superintendent is an elected, constitutional
officer who supervises the kindergarten through grade twelve education system
in North Dakota. The superintendent must be a qualified elector of the state
who is at least twenty-five years old. The superintendent is charged with
responsibility for the general supervision of elementary and secondary schools
and to assure that North Dakota public and nonpublic elementary, middle-junior
high, and high schools comply with statutory minimum requirements. The
superintendent administers the state accreditation and education improvement
processes; manages the issuance of credentials to administrators, driver
education instructors, counselors, library media personnel, and title I and
special education personnel; administers summer school programs at both the
elementary and high school levels; administers the statewide standardized
achievement testing program; adopts and administers rules relevant to the
accreditation process; and administers the school food programs and the
federally funded technology grant program and is responsible for the
administration and implementation of the federal Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. In 1989 the legislative assembly provided that the office of the
superintendent of public instruction was to be known as the department of
public instruction.
3.
Administrative units.
a. Fiscal
management. This unit is responsible for maintaining the department's budget,
accounting, preparation of financial statements and reports, maintaining grants
and contracts, processing of payments and revenue, and payroll operations. This
unit also interprets and implements state and federal program statutes, state
and federal regulations, and policy directives. This unit is also responsible
for activities in the area of school district finance. This unit supervises the
distribution of state aid and assists with the implementation of the uniform
accounting system. The unit provides technical assistance to schools and school
districts regarding annexation, reorganization, and dissolution procedures;
provides support and technical assistance for open enrollment; approves school
construction; and manages school construction loan programs.
b. Human resources management and office
services. This unit performs personnel services for the department, including
recruitment, salary administration, performance management, training, and
policy development.
c. Child
nutrition and food distribution. This unit administers United States department
of agriculture's child nutrition programs, nutrition education and training
programs, and commodity assistance for schools, institutions, and low-income
individuals.
d. Management
information systems. This unit is responsible for collecting data from all
North Dakota schools for state and federal reporting. This unit also is
responsible for oversight of the external and internal websites. In addition,
this unit provides technical assistance and support for department staff and
its partners.
e. School approval
and opportunity. This unit assists kindergarten through grade twelve schools in
providing quality education, administers the accreditation program, and reviews
public and nonpublic schools for statutory compliance. The unit also
administers the issuance of credentials for administrators, counselors, and
library media personnel. This unit administers the twenty-first century
community learning centers grant, a competitive grant that provides
opportunities for student academic enrichment in an afterschool or out of
school time setting. This unit also is responsible for administrative rules
development and updates. In addition, this unit processes and approves student
applications for the North Dakota academic and career and technical education
scholarship program.
f. Education
equity and support. This unit provides financial and technical assistance to
state and local educational agencies to meet the needs of all children. This
office oversees title I, homeless education program, neglected and delinquent
education program, and title IV. The purpose of title I is to provide
instructional services and activities to meet the needs of disadvantaged
children identified as failing, or most at risk of failing, the state's content
standards. The purpose of title IV is to provide student support and academic
enrichment, with the goal of creating safe, healthy, and well-rounded children.
Multitiered systems of support, foster care programs, safe and healthy
portfolios, etc. are coordinated through this office. This office also is
responsible for the overall administration of school improvement grants to the
lowest performing schools in the state, those identified as targeted support
improvement, and comprehensive school improvement.
g. Special education. This unit prescribes
state and federal rules and regulations for special education and assists
school districts and special education units in the development and
administration of special education programs for the IDEA B 611 and 619
programs.
h. Academic support. This
unit encompasses multiple facets of the division of student support and
innovation providing students, and the schools that serve those students, with
student-centered resources as well as professional learning and development
opportunities for educators. This unit closely collaborates with other units
throughout the division and department, and several education and social
service agencies across North Dakota. Key initiatives the unit supports span
across early childhood education programs through grade twelve and include
projects supporting the transition to higher education and career. These
projects include leveraging the senior year; advanced coursework opportunities,
including advanced placement, dual credit, and early entry; college-ready
English and math developmental coursework; multiple professional learning and
development opportunities; early childhood education programs through grade
twelve standards development and implementation support; North Dakota
comprehensive literacy program; dyslexia pilot; music education grants;
leadership scholarships and opportunities; civics education supports; and the
federal title II program.
i.
Assessment. This unit provides professional services and guidelines to
administer the North Dakota state assessment, North Dakota alternate
assessment, ACCESS for English language learners, and the ACT aspire in
accordance with state and federal law. This unit also coordinates the national
assessment of education progress in accordance with federal laws through the
United States department of education. In providing the mentioned assessments,
the office also plays a role in school accountability and measuring student
learning. The adult education program, including GED testing program, provides
funding and technical assistance to regional adult learning centers and
monitors progress of each funded location and is also a part of this
unit.
j. Indian and multicultural
education. This unit administers the title III and migrant summer program
funding and assists school districts in the development and administration of
English language learner, migrant, and Indian education programs.
k. Outreach and engagement. This unit
disseminates information about the department's initiatives and operations to
families, students, educators, and other education stakeholders, as well as to
legislators, policymakers, and the news media using a number of methods,
including traditional and social media channels.
4.
Divisions.
a. North Dakota state library. The state
library was established as the public library commission in 1907 and occupied a
single room in the state capitol. In 1909, the library's name was changed to
the state library commission. The commission consisted of three members - the
superintendent of public instruction, the president of the North Dakota library
association, and a member appointed by the governor. In 1927 the library was
removed from the board of regents; it came under the auspices of the director
of institutions until administrative authority was transferred to the
superintendent of public instruction in 1989, effective January 1, 1991. The
state library commission occupied the liberty memorial building on the capitol
grounds from 1936-70 and later moved to the Randal building north of Bismarck.
The agency's name was changed to the North Dakota state library in 1979 and in
1982 the state library returned to the liberty memorial building, its present
location.
Today the superintendent appoints the state librarian. The
state library specializes in state-of-the-art information services to state
agencies and the general public and assumes a leadership role in promoting the
development of library service for all North Dakota residents. Major goals of
the state library are to provide library services to state government officials
and employees, provide library services to patrons without direct local library
services and to persons who are blind and physically disabled, and to provide
libraries with consulting services in areas of collection, development, and
evaluation. The state library coordinates the sharing of resources, provides
continuing educational opportunities for librarians and public trustees, and
maintains the state document depository program.
b. North Dakota vision services - school for
the blind. The school for the blind was created by the constitution in 1889,
established by the legislative assembly in 1895, and opened in Bathgate, North
Dakota, in 1908. In 1952, a constitutional amendment authorized selection of
another location. An initiated measure adopted in 1958 provided funds for a new
school located near the university of North Dakota in Grand Forks. The new
facilities, administered by the director of institutions, opened in September
of 1961. Authority for the supervision of the school was transferred to the
department of public instruction in 1989, effective January 1, 1991. The 2001
legislative assembly changed its name to North Dakota vision services - school
for the blind and it now functions as a statewide, comprehensive resource
center and works cooperatively with related agencies in providing a full range
of services to all persons who are blind or visually impaired, including those
with multidisabilities. The superintendent of public instruction appoints the
school superintendent. Land grant income and legislative appropriation support
the school.
c. North Dakota school
for the deaf. The school for the deaf, created by the constitution in 1889 and
established by the first legislative assembly in 1890, opened in 1890 and was
located in Devils Lake, North Dakota. The school for the deaf was administered
by the director of institutions until January 1, 1991, when supervision was
transferred to the department of public instruction. The school provides a free
educational program for deaf children between the ages of birth and twenty-one.
In addition to the school's traditional role as an educational institution,
North Dakota school for the deaf also has become a resource center on deafness,
serving the needs of hearing-impaired citizens statewide. The school is
supported by land grant income and legislative appropriation.
