South Dakota Releases Annual Report Card: 45% Proficient in Math, Graduation Rate 88%
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Department of Education released its annual statewide public school report card on November 6, covering 147 districts, 645 schools and more than 135,570 students. The data show small gains in math, attendance and on-time graduation for the 2025-26 school year, with slight declines in English and science. In math assessments for grades 3-8 and 11, 45% of students statewide scored at or above grade level. The graduating class of 2026 posted an average ACT score of 21.1, nearly two points above the national average of 19.2.
Secretary of Education Joseph Graves noted that spring 2026 was the first time the ACT was used as the statewide grade-11 assessment for school accountability, replacing the Smarter Balanced assessment. Eighty-eight percent of students attended at least 90% of school days, up one percentage point; the four-year on-time graduation rate for the class of 2026 was 88%, up from 86%; and the high school completion rate — earning a diploma or equivalent by age 21 — was 91%. The report card is published annually and compiles data on enrollment, diversity, test scores, attendance and graduation.
Source: South Dakota Department of Education
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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