Idaho State Department of Education

(BOISE) – Idaho high school seniors interested in being nominated for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program are urged to submit applications to the State Department of Education by Nov. 2.

(BOISE) – Draft parent and staff surveys, developed by education stakeholders as part of a new Accountability Framework for Idaho schools, are available online for review and feedback until Oct. 26.

(BOISE) – Nearly 600 education professionals from western states, including 175 from Idaho, will gather in Boise Sunday through Tuesday, Oct. 16-18, for the GEAR UP West conference, which this year will feature the State Department of Education’s Advanced Opportunities program.

(BOISE) – A former principal of Columbine High School, a therapist who specializes in combatting bullying and an expert who uses sled-dog teamwork principals to strengthen family engagement practices are among the speakers at this year’s Family and Community Engagement Conference.

(BOISE) – Three Idaho elementary teachers, two in science and one in mathematics, will be honored as this year’s state nominees for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) during the Idaho Math and Science Conference, Oct. 5-6, at Eagle High School.

(BOISE) – U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized two Idaho schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018.

(BOISE) – The Idaho State Department of Education is now accepting Holiday Card Contest submissions from Idaho students in grades K-6.

(BOISE) – The State Department of Education has reimagined its academics department with an infusion of mastery education principles and teams organized by district size, not subject matter.

(BOISE) – Idaho’s newly announced 2019 Teacher of the Year offers a distinctive blend of credentials and characteristics that make him stand out: In addition to being a skilled and passionate high school teacher, he leads the state’s most honored FFA program and serves as mayor of American Falls.

(BOISE) – The proposed teacher pay increases beyond the fifth year of the Career Ladder in the FY 20 Public Schools Budget were updated today.

(BOISE) – The state today identified schools for recognition and for targeted support and improvement (TSI) based on the performance of 10 subgroups of students. The identifications mark the second of three phases of information released from the state’s new accountability system.

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra will ask the Legislature to invest in immediate student safety needs, increased support for teachers and continued forward momentum for the state’s plan to improve K-12 education.

(BOISE) – Final 2018 results for the Idaho Standards Achievement Test are now available, posted Friday on the State Department of Education website.

(BOISE) – Students, families, and special education professionals across the state are expected to benefit from a new, web-based system to create Individualized Education Programs for students with disabilities.

(BOISE) – Idaho will provide coaching, professional development and other supports over the next three years to help elevate student performance in schools identified as underperforming or with low graduation rates by the state’s new accountability system. The state also will invest $6.3 million in improvement grants for underperforming schools that are part of the federal Title I-A program.

(BOISE) – Results from the spring Idaho Reading Indicator – the last time that early reading test will ever be given -- are out, and they reinforce why educators are happy a new, online test will be rolled out statewide this fall, Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said Friday.

By Sherri Ybarra - Superintendent of Public Instruction

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra is revisiting plans for a new chief policy advisor after Will Goodman, who had planned to rejoin the State Department of Education Sept. 17, told her he wants to remain with the Mountain Home School District.

(BOISE) – With a $13.4 million state investment in providing college-level courses to high school students across Idaho, the State Department of Education’s Fast Forward program saved students’ families more than four times that amount -- $55 million -- in college costs.

(BOISE) – On Aug. 1, more than 100 educators, policymakers and tribal leaders will gather in Boise to promote equity and best practices for teaching American Indian students by identifying strategies and gathering cultural knowledge.

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra named former chief technology officer and veteran educator Will Goodman to the position of chief policy advisor in her administration.

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra named former chief technology officer and veteran educator Will Goodman to the position of chief policy advisor in her administration.

(BOISE) – Students at 121 schools across Idaho will receive free, fresh fruit and vegetables during the coming school year thanks to state-administrated grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra announced.

(BOISE) – Students at 121 schools across Idaho will receive free, fresh fruit and vegetables during the coming school year thanks to state-administrated grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra announced.

(BOISE) – Two Idaho teachers are among 140 math and science teachers across the nation selected to win Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Lynnea Shafter teaches special K-5 STEM classes at Barbara Morgan STEM Academy in Meridian, and Susan Darden teaches 6th grade general mathematics at Galileo STEM Academy in Eagle. Darden also teaches a history class.

(BOISE) – June is a big month for collaborations between the State Department of Education and Idaho higher education to help math teachers come up with new, effective ways to teach thousands of Idaho children.

(BOISE) – An online analysis tool developed by the State Department of Education allows parents, educators and others to quickly access and compare SAT scores for Idaho schools and school districts.

(BOISE) – Preliminary statewide results from assessments taken by Idaho students this spring show encouraging increases in students’ proficiency in English and math through the ISAT and a puzzling dip in 11th graders’ performance on the SAT college entrance exam.

(BOISE) – When school starts anew at the end of summer, young students throughout Idaho will take a new evaluation designed to identify how best to help them maximize their reading readiness and skills.

(BOISE) – Students at 17 middle and high schools across Idaho will team with adult advisers to fight against teen suicide by decreasing risk factors and building positive influences, thanks to state Sources of Strength grants.

(BOISE) – Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra today appointed Peter McPherson as chief deputy superintendent. He replaces Pete Koehler, who retires June 29.

(BOISE) – A student from Boise High School and one from Moscow High School have been named as Idaho’s Presidential Scholars for 2018, Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said Tuesday.

(BOISE) – Any time is the right time to let teachers know you appreciate them, but that’s doubly true during National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7 through 11, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra said.

(BOISE) – Next week, 22 teachers in the Treasure Valley and Magic Valley will get time off as part of the State Department of Education’s celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week.

(BOISE) – The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which annually selects top graduating high school seniors from each state, has selected eight semi-finalists for the state of Idaho, all selected for their outstanding achievements.

(BOISE) – For Caldwell teacher Becky Mitchell, this is “the week of weeks.” She’s in Washington, D.C., as Idaho’s Teacher of the Year, spreading the word about Idaho education, networking with other top teachers, absorbing teaching resources at Smithsonian museums, and encountering people and places she previously had only imagined.