North Dakota Content Standards serve as expectations for what students should know and be able to do for each grade span. The standards serve as goals for teaching and learning. In North Dakota, the content standards serve as a model. Each school district may set more rigorous standards; however, no district shall use any state content standards less rigorous than those set forth in the North Dakota Century Code 15.1-21.
Local school districts determine the curriculum (how standards are taught) they will adopt to meet the standards.
- Computer Science and Cybersecurity K-12 Standards - 2019
- Dance K-12 Standards - 2019
- Early Learning Standards - 2018
- English Language Arts/Literacy K-12 Standards - 2017
- Foreign Language Standards - 2001
- Health Education K-12 Standards - 2018
- Library and Technology K-12 Standards - 2012
- Mathematics K-12 Standards - 2017
- Media Arts K-12 Standards - 2019
- Music K-12 Standards - 2019
- Physical Education K-12 Standards - 2015
- Science K-12 Standards - 2019
- Social Studies K-12 Standards - 2019
- Theatre Arts K-12 Standards - 2019
- Visual Arts K-12 Standards - 2019
To access a machine readable version of the official North Dakota Content Standards, please visit the North Dakota CASE Server. The CASE version of the standards can be uploaded to student information systems, curriculum mapping programs, and a variety of other uses.
To access the priority standards and proficiency scales developed by the North Dakota Regional Education Association, please visit NDREA.org.
The North Dakota Department of Career and Technical Education (NDCTE) also has content standards to assist in preparing students for entry into industry sectors for post-secondary education. The NDCTE develops these standards to ensure each program area offers courses that allow students to acquire essential knowledge and skills.
More information can be found on the NDCTE website.
State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler is inviting North Dakotans to review and comment upon a new set of academic content standards for learning languages other than English, which are being updated for the first time in two decades.
The standards are called the North Dakota Indigenous and World Language Standards. They will replace a previous document called Foreign Language Content Standards, published in May 2001.
The standards are concise, written descriptions that outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education. They describe what students should have learned once they have reached a certain performance level. The academic standards do not direct the use of specific teaching practices, curriculum, or testing methods that are used to measure language proficiency.
North Dakotans who are interested in reviewing the standards may find them on the website of the state Department of Public Instruction. Reviewers who wish to leave comments may use this form (Link) to do so. A complete list of academic content standards, for subjects ranging from math and English language arts to theater, health, and dance, is posted here.
Public comments will be reviewed by department staff along with a review committee made up of representatives of business, industry and labor, community leaders, and the general public. The review committee will draft recommendations for the educators on the standards development committee who are revising the standards.
For more information about the standards review process, please contact Davonne Eldredge, Assistant Director of Academic Support, at deldredge@nd.gov.
North Dakota’s minimum high school graduation requirements include three units of foreign languages, Native American languages, fine arts, or career and technical education courses. Students must pass at least 22 units of coursework to graduate.
The NDDPI has been putting more emphasis on the usefulness of learning a language other than English in high school. The state recently joined a national Seal of Biliteracy program, which honors students who learn a second language by placing a gold or silver seal on their high school diplomas.
Indigenous and World Language Content Standards for Public Review-Draft 2
| Laura Abuhl | Williston Basic School District | Williston, ND |
| Daniel Cahoon | Mandan School District | Mandan, ND |
| Jill Charleboix | Mandan School District | Mandan, ND |
| Jodi Connell | Glenburn School District | Glenburn, ND |
| Alex DeCoteau | Belcourt School District | Belcourt, ND |
| Martina Dvorak | Great Northwestern Network | Mandan, ND |
| Kathryn Froelich | Central Region Education Assoc. | Bismarck, ND |
| Megan Hibbs | Velva School District | Velva, ND |
| Laine Martinez | Bismarck School District | Bismarck, ND |
| Cody Mickelson | Jamestown School District | Jamestown, ND |
| Emily Parrill | Grand Forks School District | Grand Forks, ND |
| JT Shining One Side | Dunseith School District | Dunseith, ND |
| Jane Van Hatten | West Fargo School District | West Fargo, ND |
| Christina Walker | West Fargo School District | West Fargo, ND |
| Paula Williams | Dickinson School District | Dickinson, ND |
The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction is currently in the process of revising the current 2001 Foreign Language Standards. As a part of this process statewide committees of representative content specialists have been meeting to review, revise, and develop new content standards.
The department is inviting applicants from businesses and industry, community leaders, parents, and teachers to serve as a review committee member responsible for reviewing content and providing comments on the initial draft of the North Dakota State Indigenous and World Language Content Standards.
These comments will be used to guide the development committee as they continue writing and revising the standards. Once the final draft is completed, the committee recommendations for the revised standards will be submitted to the state superintendent for final approval. If approved, the recommendations will result in adopting a new generation of academic standards that will guide school districts in the development of local curricula.
To apply as a review committee member, please complete the application form below. Applications are due October 5, 2021.
Application for Review Committee Members-Indigenous and World Language Content Standards