Teachers and schools seeking to provide personalized learning experiences for students tailored to meet differing educational needs, environments and interests may seek flexibility. School districts may request and use flexibility to facilitate academic success.
South Carolina Education Flexibility Guide and Playbook
The South Carolina Education Flexibility Guide is an all-encompassing resource designed to provide schools, districts, and communities with policy guidance and direction for meeting the unique needs of students. The guide aims to make existing state level education flexibilities more transparent and readily accessible.
South Carolina state leaders have strived to provide an array of exemptions, options, and waiver opportunities to encourage innovative approaches to learning. The South Carolina Education Flexibility Guide provides a step-by-step overview of current flexibilities that exist in state law and regulation, encourages school districts to explore options, and provides the next steps they should take to personalize learning and to ensure all students achieve the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.
The South Carolina Playbook for Personalized, Competency-Based Learning is a new resource that should be viewed as a companion piece to the Flexibility Guide. The Playbook is full of field examples, advice from state and national leaders who have done this work, and recommendations on policy flexibilities schools and districts can use to take the next step on their journey.
Proficiency-Based Systems
State Board of Education (SBE) Regulation 43-234 allows districts to submit a proficiency-based, system-wide application to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). The application provides an overview of the district proficiency-based system.
A proficiency-based systems application should be completed for any school (9-12 grades) using a proficiency-based system for initial credit, credit through prior knowledge, or credit recovery (please see the Implementation Guidelines document for additional information). Proficiency-based applications are approved for the duration of the District Strategic Renewal Plan each 5-year cycle. The first year of a new 5-year district strategic or school renewal plan, a new proficiency-based application must be submitted. By April 30 of each year, districts will complete an evaluation of their proficiency-based systems plan and will submit it to the Online Form for District Waiver Request link located on the State Accountability webpage.
If a district has an approved proficiency-based systems application during a 5-year cycle but would like to make slight changes in procedures or resources, please indicate the proposed change(s) using the Proficiency-Based System Plan Evaluation form located in the Online Form for District Waiver Request link on the State Accountability website.
Contact proficiency@ed.sc.gov for additional information.
Competency-based Education
Local Education Authorities (LEAs) may currently seek a waiver of state regulations to support competency-based approaches to the extent that competency-based strategies are incorporated within a district strategic plan or school renewal plan and there are state regulations identified that impede implementation of the plan(s).
- SBE Regulation 43-261 provides that “Upon request of a district board of trustees or its designee, the State Board of Education may waive any regulation that would impede the implementation of an approved district strategic plan or school renewal plan.” [SC SBE Regulation 43-261. District and School Planning] See p. 7 of the Flexibility Guide for waiver process and application information.
If a district is seeking to implement a Competency-Based Education waiver, see the regulations below.
§ Section 59-19-360.
(A) (1) If a district or school is seeking to implement competency-based education, the State
Board of Education may exempt the school from state laws, policies, and regulations that hinder the implementation of certain competency-based practices. A district that wishes to obtain an exemption may submit a waiver application to the State Board of Education in a format developed by the State Department of Education. To be considered, a waiver application must:
- (a) be approved by the local school district board of trustees;
- (b) be aligned to the district strategic plan; and
- (c) provide for the implementation of the strategies described in the waiver application for all students in the school, which may be implemented in phases over a period of five or fewer years.
(2) A district must show evidence of the meaningful steps already taken to engage parents and community stakeholders. A district also must include a continued plan to seek parental outreach and consultation using guidelines approved by the State Board of Education when submitting a waiver application for approval by its local board of trustees and the State Board of Education, or the application may not be considered.
(3) A district whose waiver application is approved may request additional exemptions and may request amendments to its current approved waiver on a rolling basis.
(B) Competency-based education is designed to improve educational outcomes for students by advancing their mastery of concepts and skills.
Innovative Programs: Innovative Approaches and Locally Designed Subject Area Courses
SBE Regulations 43-231 and 43-232 permit schools to implement an innovative approach in grades K–5 and 6–8 if the innovative approach is approved by the local board of trustees and is incorporated in to the district strategic and school renewal plans.
SBE Regulation 43-234 allows schools with grades 9–12 to award credit for a locally designed subject area course if the course is aligned with current state academic standards for the particular subject area and approved by the local board of trustees. The course will then be reviewed for approval by the State Superintendent of Education.
Email innovativecourseapp@ed.sc.gov for additional information.
Locally Designed Subject Area Course applications are to be submitted to innovativecourseapp@ed.sc.gov.
Additional Flexibility Opportunities:
- The Flexibility Proviso in the 2017–18 Appropriations Bill 1.26 and 1A.14 allows some flexibility. All school districts and special schools of this state may suspend professional staffing ratios and expenditure regulations and guidelines at the sub-function and service area level, except for four-year old programs and programs serving students with disabilities who have Individualized Education Programs.
- According to SBE Regulation 43-261, “Upon request of a district board of trustees or its designee, the State Board of Education may waive any regulation that would impede the implementation of an approved district strategic plan or school renewal plan. The State Board of Education may delegate to the State Superintendent the ability to waive regulatory requirements for similarly situated school districts and schools. The Superintendent will report regularly to the State Board of Education all waivers issued by the Superintendent. The State Department of Education will maintain a central electronic location of all waivers issued by the State Board of Education and the Superintendent.”
A district may also seek a Waiver to receive additional flexibility options. For more information, visit the “Waivers” tab on State Accountability’s web page. (https://ed.sc.gov/districts-schools/state-accountability/waiver-requests/)
Additional Resources & Information
