Yankton schools prepare juniors for state-mandated ACT as new statewide assessment
October 14, 2025 | Yankton School District 63-3, School Districts, South Dakota
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The South Dakota Department of Education has designated the ACT as the statewide assessment for all 11th graders, and Yankton School District staff told the school board what that change will mean locally and how the district plans to implement it.
Todd Dvoracek, district staff member who oversees state testing coordination, said the change replaces the Smarter Balanced assessment for juniors and that the state will provide the test at no cost to students. Dvoracek told the board that the district tentatively scheduled an in-school testing session in March and that the state plans to convene a committee after results are in to set cut scores (the proficiency bands used on the district and state report cards).
“Now, the ACT isn't anything that's new. What's new is it's gonna be all students are taking the ACT assessment,” Dvoracek said, adding that the district is arranging parent information nights, coordinating accommodations for students with IEPs or 504 plans, and embedding ACT prep across subject areas.
Board members and staff discussed practical concerns: whether students who already take the ACT independently (for college admissions in fall or winter) will have those scores reflected in district accountability (Dvoracek said the state has told districts that report-card calculations will use scores from the testing session administered for schools). Board members cautioned that average statewide scores may drop when all juniors are required to take the test, because previously fewer, self-selecting students participated.
Dvoracek and other staff said the state will convene a committee of educators to determine cut scores after the state receives the test results. The board discussed the need to advocate for appropriate norms and noted that other states using the ACT set different benchmarks. District staff said they had been in contact with the Department of Education and regional colleagues to coordinate scheduling, accommodations and score reporting.
The board asked for follow-up reporting later in the school year; staff said they plan to return with implementation updates and data once testing and the state's norming process are complete.
Todd Dvoracek, district staff member who oversees state testing coordination, said the change replaces the Smarter Balanced assessment for juniors and that the state will provide the test at no cost to students. Dvoracek told the board that the district tentatively scheduled an in-school testing session in March and that the state plans to convene a committee after results are in to set cut scores (the proficiency bands used on the district and state report cards).
“Now, the ACT isn't anything that's new. What's new is it's gonna be all students are taking the ACT assessment,” Dvoracek said, adding that the district is arranging parent information nights, coordinating accommodations for students with IEPs or 504 plans, and embedding ACT prep across subject areas.
Board members and staff discussed practical concerns: whether students who already take the ACT independently (for college admissions in fall or winter) will have those scores reflected in district accountability (Dvoracek said the state has told districts that report-card calculations will use scores from the testing session administered for schools). Board members cautioned that average statewide scores may drop when all juniors are required to take the test, because previously fewer, self-selecting students participated.
Dvoracek and other staff said the state will convene a committee of educators to determine cut scores after the state receives the test results. The board discussed the need to advocate for appropriate norms and noted that other states using the ACT set different benchmarks. District staff said they had been in contact with the Department of Education and regional colleagues to coordinate scheduling, accommodations and score reporting.
The board asked for follow-up reporting later in the school year; staff said they plan to return with implementation updates and data once testing and the state's norming process are complete.
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