Welcome to the North Dakota Program Help & Support
Welcome to the North Dakota Program Help and Support website.
All North Dakota schools are required by NDCC 15.1-06-06 to engage in annual continuous school improvement. Each year, schools examine their current reality including demographics, culture, technology, finances, and academic performance, and use that information to identify priorities, implement actions, and document evidence of improvement. This ongoing cycle ensures schools are continually assessing progress and responding to the evolving needs of students and communities.
While schools maintain a 3 to 5 year Strategy Map to outline long-term goals, the emphasis of North Dakota’s system is on the annual evidence-based improvement process. Schools are expected to review their data each year, update improvement actions, and demonstrate the progress they are making over time. The Department of Public Instruction administers and monitors these tools via Cognia’s continuous improvement platform.
Schools and districts can use the page menus on this website to navigate to helpful resources to enhance their school’s continuous improvement plans and guide school improvement initiatives.
Continuous Improvement Plan & Cognia Updates
Continuous Improvement Training Videos Now Available + Platform Updates
If you weren’t able to join Cognia and NDDPI for in-person trainings this spring, training videos are now available on the (opens in new tab) Continuous Improvement Plans 2026-27 tab of the Cognia partnership page. Videos 1 through 5 are ready to access, covering everything from Getting Started through the Planning Phase. These compliment the six in-person sessions held across the state this spring and are available anytime for your teams.
The New Cognia Improvement Platform is Live
All North Dakota state contract members now have access to the New Cognia Improvement Platform. This replaces the previous system and brings everything into one connected space: improvement planning, surveys, observations, and reporting tools are all accessible through a single sign-on via Cognia Home.
Important: All schools must submit their Strategy Map in the new platform
The previous platform has been retired and is no longer in use. Please confirm with your continuous improvement teams that plans are not being submitted there. If you have not yet logged in, now is a good time to get oriented to the Cognia Improvement Platform.
Strategy Map Due Date Update
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, the annual Strategy Map date is moving from June 1 to September 1. This change gives districts and schools more time to finalize plans using current staffing and data as the new year gets underway. Plans may still be submitted earlier if that fits your local planning calendar.
For questions about strategic plan requirements for school approval, contact (opens in new tab)Arlene Wolf, Office of School Approval & Opportunity.
Need Support?
Resources
Cognia
(opens in new tab) How to Access Cognia Resources
ndclientcare@cognia.org
1-866-239-0844
Using Survey Results for Improvement Teacher/Leader Professional Development
professionalservices@cognia.org
1-888-413-3669
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
ND Professional Development Calendar:
Click (opens in new tab) here for the ND Professional Development Calendar.
Office of School Approval and Opportunity:
701-328-2755
(opens in new tab) NDDPI Student Engagement
(opens in new tab) http://www.insights.nd.gov/