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Resource Center

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The North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) is dedicated to gathering local, regional, and national resources for anyone in the education field. This resource center is designed to be a one-stop-shop to help school, educators, students, parents, and caregivers by providing access to educational supports and resources.

The linked resources on this page were carefully chosen for their alignment to North Dakota K-12 Education Content Standards. Particular attention has been given to identifying best practices and guidance in supporting ALL students and providing suggestions for educator professional learning. Local public school districts decide which curriculum, materials, and resources are used within their district; therefore, these resources may or may not be aligned to a student's specific coursework. Please be sure to cross-check your students' and school's specific materials to ensure appropriate use.

Disclaimer: To provide a wide variety of resources to assist families and educators, this site links to external websites. All external links operate independently from the NDDPI. The department has established a regular review process in an attempt to keep this information up-to-date and accurate. However, neither the State of North Dakota nor any agency, officer, or employee of the State of North Dakota warrants the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information published by this system, nor endorses any content, viewpoints, products, or services linked from this system, and shall not be held responsible for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of such information. 

Do you have a resource recommendation?

Companies wishing to share their information on this page are encouraged to complete a Vendor Resource Form. All solicitations will be reviewed to ensure alignment with our North Dakota K-12 Standards.  

Medium
Academic

Career & Technical Education

ELA

Fine Arts

Foreign Language

  • STARTALK - Site provides information and strategies to teach foreign languages.

Health and PE

  • CHS Farmer's Alliance Cooperative - Safety information for rural areas including farm safety.
  • ND SHAPE - Site links to resources from SHAPE America to encourage healthy habits and physical activity.
  • Shape America 2020-21 - Resource for teachers of physical education and health providing considerations for re-entry in the fall.

Math

Science

Social Studies

STEM

Academics - Multiple Subjects
  • Annenburg Learner - Site provides professional development and interactive classroom resources.
  • Continuous Education Toolkit for School Systems-Academic Resources - List of resources to assist schools with continuous learning.
  • Curriki - Site curates teacher created academic resources for multiple subjects.
  • Google Search Education - Resources to instruct students in conducting searches for academic sources.
  • Great Lakes Equity Center - COVID-19 resources contain links to sites that would be helpful to teachers, principals, and parents; links are found below resources provided by the group. 
  • Ignite My Future in School - Activities and lessons to download. Science, Social Studies, ELA, STEM, Math, Fine Arts for middle school students.
  • Khan Academy - Site provides academic support and tutorials for students.
  • LearningKeepsGoing.org - SETDA site that provides eLearning resources  during COVID-19, including educational resources, articles with parent tips, and webinars.
  • Lexile and Quantile Tools - Site provides instructional tools for teachers based on quantile and lexile scores.
  • Library of Congress - Digital collections at the Library of Congress; valuable Social Studies document site among other resources.
  • Library of Congress film and video collections - Site leads to a collection of films and videos pertaining to a variety of topics including history and  music.
  • National Geographic - Site provides resources in multiple subject including lesson plans.
  • ND Gifted Children - Provide resources to meet the needs of gifted students.
  • NDOER Commons - Site curates collection of teacher created resources for a variety of subjects.
  • ND State Library - Site contains digital resources sorted by audience, along with teacher guides that accompany resources.
  • Smithsonian Kids - Multiple subject activities for students in science, social studies, and art. 
  • We Are Teachers - Site provides resources for multiple subject areas and grade levels.  The site also has professional development and training resources for educators.
Academics - ND Studies
Assessment
  • ACT for Educators - ACT information for educators.
  • ACT for Students and Families - ACT information for students. Site includes practice activities to help prepare for the ACT test.
  • AP Classroom - Site for AP teachers providing support for AP classes.
  • AP Students - Site for AP students which provides instructional supports and AP Exam practice.
  • Cognia Resources - Schools and districts can find helpful resources on administering, using, and interpreting these Student Engagement Surveys and Strategy Maps to enhance their school’s continuous improvement plans and guide school improvement initiatives.
  • College Board Educator Information - Information and resources related to College Board's Suite of Assessments.
  • Counselor Toolkit - Site provides information related to ACT test including updates for COVID-19.
  • Lesson Planning with Formative Assessment - Links to resources, lesson plans, units, and template related to using Formative Assessment to help drive instruction.
  • Lexile and Quantile Tools - Site provides instructional tools for teachers based on quantile and lexile scores.
  • PSAT Information and Resources - Information on scores, test content, test taking tips, practice tests.
  • SAT Practice - Online resources to help prepare for the SAT exam and college readiness.
Counseling
Department of Health School Resources
Distinguished Teacher Exemplar
  • Distinguished Teacher Exemplar–Keeping student learning at the top of their minds, our network of North Dakota State Teachers of the Year stepped forward, offering innovative tips to improve instruction and ways to resolve some growing pains with distance learning. To continue this momentum, the Department of Public Instruction in July invited former State Teachers of the Year, STOY nominees, and other classroom leaders to discuss how they overcame the challenges that they met with distance learning. 
Early Childhood
Family Engagement
Funding
Health and Safety
Intervention
ND OER Commons
Re-Entry
Social and Emotional Learning
Special Education
Teacher Support - Professional Development
  • 10 Ways to Personalize Learning - Resource provides strategies to help personalize instruction to meet student needs.
  • ASCD - Site provides informational webinars about curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment.
  • Blackboard -Video to assist educators with using this LMS platform.
  • Blended Learning and Flipped Classrooms Definitions - Video defining blended learning and flipped classrooms and explains how these strategies may be helpful to students.
  • Blended Learning Resource Roundup - Site provides resources to help train educators and start using blended learning.
  • Canvas - Videos to help educators use the Canvas LMS system.
  • Cognia - Resources for improving teaching practices and schools.
  • Corwin - Publishing company hosts webinars and coffee talks in a variety of subject areas on instructional strategies for educators.
  • Differentiated Instruction Definition and Professional Learning - Link connects to videos providing definitions of and resources for differentiated instruction.
  • Differentiated Instruction Resource Roundup - Site provides resources to help train educators and start using differentiated instruction. 
  • Education Reimagined - Site provides information on personalized learning.
  • Educator's Guide to Flipgrid - Site provides information to help teachers use Flipgrid to record lessons and communicate with students remotely.
  • EduTech - Contains a list of COVID-19 resources and training for teachers on TEAMS.
  • EduTech You Tube Training Videos - Videos to help educators navigate TEAMS and PowerSchool.
  • Edutopia - Site contains professional development videos and articles for educators.
  • Flipgrid - Site contains information to help teachers use Flipgrid to create teaching videos for distance learning.
  • Getting Started with Personalized Learning - Resources to assist school with the move toward personalized learning.
  • Google Classroom: Eric Curtis - Videos to help educators navigate Google Classroom Tools.
  • How to Measure and Increase Student Engagement - Resource identifies levels of students engagement, explains how they may be measured, and provides strategies to improve students engagement.
  • Intervention Central - Provides educational and behavioral resources for teachers to assist with providing intervention for students.
  • Instruction Partners - Provides resources for curriculum development and instruction.
  • LINCSpring - Professional development tool which help train staff in innovative practices designed to increase student performance.
  • Marzano Resources - Resource provides tips to help increase active student engagement in learning. 
  • Moodle - Videos to help educators use the Moodle LMS platform.
  • National Comprehensive Center - Site provides information and resources for literacy education, assessment and standards based instruction.
  • National Math + Science Initiative (NMSI) - Training videos for math and science instruction.
  • ND United – Resources for educators; contains link to NEA classroom resources.
  • NDCEL - Resources for administrators.
  • NDREA - Site contains links to the Regional Education Associations in ND.  These groups have professional development opportunities and instructional resources listed on their individual sites.
  • Professional Learning State and District Planner - This resource is a school/district planning guide for professional development plans that is data driven and aligns to vision and continuous improvement.
  • Schoology - Video helps teachers learn to use the LMS platform.
  • Screencastify Instructional Videos - Videos to help educators use Screencastify to record teaching videos to use with distance learning.
  • Screencastify Training - Videos to help educators use Screencastify to record teaching videos to use with distance learning.
  • SeeSaw Tutorials for Educators - Videos to help teachers navigate SeeSaw and use that tool for recording lessons and communicating with students.
  • Solution Tree - Site provides professional development resources for teachers.
  • Teach Thought - Site provide information on innovative instructional practices.
  • Teaching with Accessible Video - Article that explains how to create accessible videos.
  • ThoughtCo - Site provides ideas and strategies for educators.
  • TIES Center - Distance Learning Engagement Framework - Resources to assist schools with distance learning.
  • Zoom instructional Videos - Videos to help teachers navigate Zoom as a communication tool during distance learning.
Transportation

National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT) –  is the leading trade association in the student transportation industry, a vibrant and diverse community of people and organizations that share a passion for safe and efficient student transportation. 

National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation (NASDPTS) –  the purpose of the association is to provide leadership, assistance and motivation to the Nation's school transportation community with the goal of providing safe, secure, efficient, economical, and high-quality transportation to school children on their trips to and from school and school-related activities.

National School Transportation (NSTA) – is the leading resource for school bus transportation solutions. Our member organizations will be recognized as providing the safest, most secure, environmentally-responsible and cost-effective school bus transportation services. 

Child Abuse and Educational Neglect

With the rapid exodus of children from schools to homes last spring, it seemed only fair to offer schools and families some ‘grace’ while everyone was making the sudden adjustment to distance teaching and distance learning. While Child Protection Services has continued to respond to reports of suspected child abuse and neglect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have now entered a new phase of varying models of teaching and learning, unique to each school district and family. The following guidance is offered around responding to reports of suspected child neglect involving educational neglect.

Guidance:

A school should first assure they are meeting all requirements set forth by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the North Dakota Department of Health for safeguarding the health and safety of students.

North Dakota Compulsory Attendance law (N.D.C.C. 15.1-20-03) charges each teacher and administrator with enforcement of compulsory school attendance provisions, which include the school administrator’s review into the cause of absences. The administrator may determine educational neglect if:

  • A child is without proper education;
  • The reason for absences is not due primarily to a lack of financial means;
  • A person responsible for ensuring that the student is in attendance has not made substantial and reasonable efforts to comply with the requirements; and

There is reasonable cause to suspect that absences are due to actions or inactions by a person responsible for a child’s welfare.

The school shall review the cause of absences prior to reporting educational neglect as specified in N.D.C.C. 15.1-20-03. Educational neglect should not be reported when the person responsible for ensuring that the student is in attendance has made substantial and reasonable efforts to comply with the requirements but is unable to compel the student to attend school.

Since each school district is required to define an excused absence and is required to document a verbal or written excuse supplied by the student's parent, teacher, or school administrator that may be requested to verify a student's absence, documentation of excused absences (as well an attendance record) must be provided at the time educational neglect is reported or within 48 hours of making a report as required by N.D.C.C. 50-25.1-04.

At the same time, schools must define distance learning during COVID-19 what “school engagement” looks like to them. 

  • When school attendance processes have changed, student engagement remains paramount. During COVID-19 disruption, school districts and administrators should make sure regular connections are made with students and families.
  • Teachers and support staff should connect with all students to maintain their relationships, assist with issues and concerns related to assignments, and encourage full participation in continued learning opportunities.
  • Schools should identify students who were chronically absent pre-COVID-19 or otherwise identify, as required, additional needed support and determine if support can be provided in any way, including virtually.
  • School administrators and support staff should reach out to students who are not signing into online learning or engaging in other continued learning opportunities. 

Educational Neglect:

Educational neglect should be reported to Child Protection Services in your local Human Service Zone. This report may be concurrent with the reporting requirement for law enforcement.

When reporting suspected educational neglect, keep in mind that Child Protection Services can only become involved for reports of reasonable suspicion of non-compliance with the state’s compulsory school attendance law and not for any other reason, such a non-compliance with school policies or School District plans.

In addition to demographic information concerning the child, such as name, date of birth, race, etc. along with the parents’/caregivers’ names, address and contact information, other information that may be requested when speaking with Child Protection Intake includes:

  • Would the school be willing to go to the home if needed with CPS staff in the human service zone?
  • Are there any safety concerns?

(i.e. weapons, gang affiliations, pets, etc.)

  • Describe the nature and extent of the suspected educational neglect, including any available information on siblings
  • What did the child say about the concerns?
  • How is this harming the child(ren)?  How was the child(ren) affected?
  • What behavior is the child displaying?
  • How frequently is this happening?
  • How safe does the reporter believe the child is right now?  In the near future?
  • What do you think should happen/what made you decide to call today?
  • Is the parent/caregiver aware of the situation?  Has the reporter talked to the parent/caregiver about the concerns?
  • Who else was present? Who else knows about the situation? Who else might have useful information? What information might this person have? Do you have contact information for these individuals?
  • Has there been any law enforcement involvement?
  • Who are the family’s natural supports? (friends or family members if known)
  • Has the reporter or others tried to help the family? In what ways?
  • Describe any current or past involvement with services (if known) Who are/were the service providers and what services are/were being received/for whom? (if known)
  • What was the outcome of the services they have previously received? (if known)
  • Are there other stressors in the family? (if known)
  • What are the strengths of the family? (if known)
  • Are there other concerns?
  • Describe any action taken by the reporter.
  • Willingness of the reporter to share with the family his/her role in initiating the report or to participate in the assessment process (if appropriate)?

Helpful sections of the child abuse and neglect law:

  • N.D.C.C. 50-25.1-02(1). Definitions.
    14. "Neglected child" means a child who, due to the action or inaction of a person responsible for the child's welfare:
     
    • a. Is without proper care or control, subsistence, education as required by law, or other care or control necessary for the child's physical, mental, or emotional health, or morals, and is not due primarily to the lack of financial means of a person responsible for the child’s welfare];
       
  • 50-25.1-04. Method of reporting.
    All persons mandated or permitted to report cases of known or suspected child abuse or neglect shall immediately cause oral or written reports to be made to the department or the department's designee. Oral reports must be followed by written reports within forty-eight hours if so requested by the department or the department's designee. A requested written report must include information specifically sought by the department if the reporter possesses or has reasonable access to that information. Reports involving known or suspected institutional child abuse or neglect must be made and received in the same manner as all other reports made under this chapter.

For questions or more information on educational neglect in North Dakota, please contact:

Joe Kolosky, Director
Office of School Approval & Opportunity                      

Tara Fuhrer, Director
Office of Early Learning