With spring just flying by, the time has come to share some additional updates about Tanager Happenings as the 2025-26 school year begins to wind to a close.

On March 17, our Tanager juniors took a run at the statewide ACT and it turns out hard work and preparation combined with a wee bit of luck helped our juniors to a respectable 19.0 composite test score. To help put this number in perspective, the ACT national average is a 19.4 overall score -- with only 36% of high school students nationwide taking the test! Testing all students vs a select few will always tend to skew scores lower and yet we feel good knowing our student's average score as a building nearly equaled the overall national average which still tends to represent just the top 1/3 of students nationwide.

While colleges are the most common users of ACT scores, In recent years, the ACT has been viewed as a solid predictor of success for more than a traditional 4-year college experience. Several other entities use them to evaluate academic ability and potential. Common in management consulting (e.g., McKinsey, Bain), investment banking (e.g., Goldman Sachs), and software engineering. Companies will use the test as a "raw brainpower" metric or predictor of effective problem-solving skills and even a standardized data point to compare applicants from different educational backgrounds.

Additionally, many organizations use ACT scores as a primary eligibility criterion. Scores are often used to determine the amount of financial assistance a student receives. Some state universities offer automatic scholarships triggered specifically by reaching a certain ACT score threshold.

This year's juniors have now set the bar by which future classes will be measured. We will continue to challenge our students to strive to score higher on this assessment, but feel good about the starting point this class has established.

Perhaps the most positive outcome of the testing was a score that verified a long-standing belief that the previous assessment - the Smarter Balanced assessment - did not accurately reflect our student's abilities in math and science. Statewide, schools struggled with math scores and to a lesser degree, science scores on the Smarter Balanced assessment and yet South Dakota's students continue perform among the top students academically - nationwide. Something wasn't adding up (pun intended). This spring's ACT results will stand, I predict, to vindicate not just our math teachers - but all math teachers statewide - and the statewide ACT marks will better reflect South Dakota student's academic abilities as a whole.

This outcome goes to show that these "birds" just continue to soar!

... as always - GO, TANAGERS!

Jon

Attendance habits aren't just about high school; they build over time. 

The link between the classroom and the stage at graduation is undeniable. 

Showing up to school is about more than just grades; it's about building the "soft skills" required for the real world.

When one student is absent, it impacts the entire "team."

Missing just 10% of the school year (about 18 days) can significantly lower test scores and make a student four times more likely to drop out of high school. U.S. Department of Education (.gov)

 

If your student is facing barriers to getting to school—whether it’s health, transportation, or stress—please reach out to our counseling office. We are here to help!

On Thursday, April 23rd, all seniors will attend our Annual Senior Health Day experience. The seniors report at 8:30 to the building and attend a ninety minute rotation of three short seminars put on by local health care professionals. The seminars are hosted by Amy Richardson, Anthony Burbach and Nathan Steussy of the Vermillion Fire Department EMS team. This event is an annual tradition in Vermillion which is required because it was started over a decade ago to ensure VHS seniors meet certain requirements for the Department of Education that are typically not part of the Health class curriculum or are not covered in the same depth. After the three primary workshops, USD Health Science students will have a series of stations for our students to visit and take part in that will last through 2nd block classes.

We ask all parents to remind their seniors that they cannot miss Health Day as it is a graduation requirement.

A long-time challenge for parents has been finding a good balance in their child’s extracurricular schedule. On one side there is a pressure for early specialization; picking one activity or sport and trying to master it. On the other side is the risk of over-involvement leading to physical and mental exhaustion.

We know the benefits extracurricular activities provide for students. However, athletes are being pressured to choose a “main” sport early in their development. The most common reason is the belief that early focus leads to elite performance or better college opportunities. However, research suggests that there can be significant long-term physical and mental concerns associated with this belief. The same can be true for over-involvement.

Physically, early specialization and over involvement increases the risk of overuse injuries. Repetitive stress on the same muscles, joints, and growth plates, especially during important developmental years, can lead to stress fractures, tendonitis, and chronic joint pain. Without the right amount of rest or cross training young athletes may also miss out on the development of overall athleticism.

Mentally, the impact can be just as significant if not worse. Young students may experience burnout, reduced motivation, and increased anxiety. This turns the activity into a source of stress instead of positive experience.

Experts generally recommend a good balance. Delaying specialization and encouraging the exploration of more than one activity. This should be done with the idea that students have some empty space in their week for them to “just be a kid”. Ultimately, the goal in all school programs should be about developing well-rounded students both physically and mentally.

In the Spring 2026, South Dakota public schools utilized the ACT as the state assessment for juniors. This change was designed to provide more meaningful testing for students and families while supporting college and career planning.

This means that:

  • All South Dakota public school juniors will take the SD-ACT online

    during the school day at no cost.

  • This will typically occur in March and include all testing subjects:

    English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing.

  • The results will be used to measure student performance on district

    and high school Accountability Report Cards.

  • Students can retake the ACT at their own expense should they

     wish to attempt to improve their scores.

“For many years, South Dakota students have been outscoring their counterparts nationally and regionally on the ACT. Even though we know testing all students will reduce our average scores 1.5 to 2.5 points, we still expect solid results and the kind of scores which will open doors for even more students to pursue postsecondary educational opportunities,” said Secretary of Education Joseph Graves.

The SD-ACT will be our state summative assessment, reducing testing for over 60% of South Dakota’s high school students who took both the former state assessment and the ACT.

We’ve carefully reviewed the ACT and confirmed that it is aligned with South Dakota’s content standards in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. That means the test reflects what is being taught in classrooms across South Dakota.

While the ACT is often associated with college admission, it also offers valuable insights into students’ skills and career readiness. Regardless of postsecondary plans, ACT results can highlight individual strengths, support informed career exploration, and help connect students with a wide range of opportunities—including university programs, technical education, apprenticeships, and direct entry into the workforce. We know from student experiences in other states that require the ACT it has led some students who did not intend to pursue any kind of postsecondary study to set their sights a bit higher as they realize they are perhaps ”college material” after all.

Unlike traditional state assessments, the ACT is a nationally recognized credential. Scores can be used for college applications, scholarships, and job applications, giving students a head start on the path they choose.

This test administration is free for students, saving parents money.