Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Krista Morrision, Ed.D.

Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Nellie Two Elk

Coach for Lakota Culture, Language, and Outreach

Ptáyela Waúŋspeič’ičhiyapi

We are learning together.

Lakota integration image

Lakota Culture and Language Committee

Facilitators:

Krista Morrison, Ed.D.

Roberta Bizardie

Members List

The Lakota Culture and Language Committee (LCLC) works as an advisory group for Todd County School District, providing a vision and strategic plan for Todd County School District for the following goals:

  1. Integrate culturally responsive instruction by using Sicangu Indigenous Principles of Learning.

  2. Integrate the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings and Standards across all content areas.

  3. Foster and strengthen students’ identity development through Lakota culture, values, and language as the core of students’ experiences at TCSD.

  4. Build cultural competency for our students, teachers, staff, and educational leaders.

Očeti Sakowin Essential Understanding (OSEU) Curriculum Education Policy

Policy

Letter from the Superintendent

Press Release

On November 23, 2020, the TCSD School Board adopted a policy to integrate OSEUs and culturally responsive instruction across all grade levels and content areas. Overall, the policy mandates the development of a committee to lead and monitor implementation, which is the Lakota Culture and Language Committee, featured above. It also directs TCSD educational leaders to 1) develop a scope and sequence of for OSEU integration, 2) Create benchmark assessments based on grade level expectations, and 3) monitor student performance and progress on OSEU grade level expectations.

2022 - 2023 Expectations for OSEU Integration

On May 10th, the Lakota Culture and Language Committee met and agreed upon the following expectations for TCSD administrators and educators that will help us meet the expectations outlined in the district’s Oceti Sakowin Essential Understanding (OSEU) Curriculum Education Policy:

  1. All teachers will integrate one OSEU-aligned lesson or set of lessons once a month.

  2. All schools will use an OSEU lesson tracker, to include more detail about the lesson and Lakota culture/language content it addresses and to which OSEU standard it aligns. The tracker will be completed at the end of the following months: September, October, November, January, February, March, and April.

  3. Principals will observe one OSEU lesson formally or informally and ensure that all teachers are completing and tracking their lessons.

  4. All schools determine a time to review the Sicangu Indigenous Principles of Learning and reflection tool with staff during the first semester of the 22 – 23 school year.