North Dakota Administrative Code › Title 67 - Public Instruction, Superintendent of › Article 67-01 - General Administration › Chapter 67-01-01 - Organization of Department › Section 67-01-01-01.1 - Organization of the department of public instruction

Current through Supplement No. 393, July, 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.