Third round of South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway funded
March 30, 2025
The South Dakota Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway (TAP) Program will accept another estimated 50 students with a third cohort, thanks to funding provided by the South Dakota Department of Labor.
TAP launched in the fall of 2023 with the goal of assisting paraprofessionals, or teacher’s aides, in South Dakota schools, to become licensed teachers. The program provides significant funding to keep costs low for participants, who are only responsible for up to $1,000 a year in tuition, books, and state assessments.
This program gives participants the opportunity to continue working as teacher aides in the classroom and earning an income, while taking classes and learning through their work in the classroom.
This statewide initiative is a collaboration between the South Dakota Department of Education, the South Dakota Department of Labor & Regulation, the South Dakota Board of Regents, the Regional Educational Library, Dakota State University, Northern State University, and local school districts.
“It’s a true honor to partner with great people around the state to help address the teacher shortage,” said Dr. David De Jong, DSU dean of the College of Education & Human Performance.
The program has had seven graduates so far, all of whom have signed teaching contracts, according to De Jong.
“The South Dakota TAP program is gaining attention from neighboring states and throughout the United States,” he said. “We hope to help other states start their own teacher apprenticeship pathways and possibly enroll their teacher apprentices in Dakota State’s online education programs.”
For more information, visit South Dakota Department of Education.