What is the South Carolina Competency-Based Learning Fellowship?
The South Carolina Competency-Based Learning Fellowship is a group of educators (teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators) who are interested in leading their schools or districts towards making the Profile of the SC Graduate actionable. This fellowship provides an opportunity for educational leaders across the state to develop the knowledge and skills to support successful implementation of the Profile of South Carolina Graduate Competencies (or PSCG Competencies) in their school and district contexts.
For additional information and other questions, please visit the SC Competency Fellows FAQ's page or contact personalizedlearning@ed.sc.gov. To learn more about the PSCG Competencies, check out our PSCG Competencies page and FAQ's about Personalized, Competency-Based Learning in SC.
Our SC Competency Fellows have spent the last 2 years or more learning with each other and leading in their context towards making the Profile of the SC Graduate actionable. If you are interested in hearing their stories, please reach out and connect with any of these wonderful educators.
Carrie Mann
Instructional Technology Integration
Specialist/Instructional Coach
York 1 School District
cmann@york.k12.sc.us
“What excites me most about the competencies is that it provides a tool to help students name and own their progress of skills to succeed in life.”
LaKeyseah Brennan
Virtual Education Specialist
Lexington 5 School District
lbrennan@lexrich5.org
“The aspect of using the competencies that excites me the most are the competencies and lessons created to help students grow in non-academic ways. I believe there are important skills that the competencies touch on that are not in the standards and that are more important than some academic standards. I appreciate how the competencies focus on the whole child and not just academics.”
Brittany Terry
Math and Science Teacher
Lame Elementary
Clover School District
brittany.terry@clover.k12.sc.us
“The aspect of using competencies that excites me the most is the emphasis on life skills crucial for success in the 21st century. I am passionate about equipping students with practical, real-world abilities such as critical thinking and problem-solving, among many other competencies we've focused on, which are essential in today's rapidly evolving world. This approach ensures that education is not just about academic knowledge but also about preparing students to navigate and thrive in their personal and professional lives.”
Tiffany Hall
Principal
Northside Middle School
Lexington 2
Thall@lex2.org
“Using competencies excites me because they personalize learning, tailoring education to each student's strengths and needs. The competencies foster engagement, skill mastery, and continuous improvement. For teachers, competencies provide a structured framework to scaffold student learning for excellence in the classroom for all students.“
Georgia Cannady Bolt
Teacher
Glenview Middle School
Anderson 5
georgiabolt@anderson5.net
“I appreciate how the competencies get my students more interested in the purpose of learning.”
Kristina Cannon
Director of Personnel
School District of Newberry County
kncannon@sdnc.org
“I appreciate that the competencies allow for learning and skill mastery to take place for every learner individually. The competencies are learner centered while also being integrative and research-based. While we know that every learner needs to master state standards, it's equally important that they have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of key skills, proving they are equipped for college, careers, and life after high-school.”
Sarah Harvey
Principal
Newberry High School
School District of Newberry County
sharvey@sdnc.org
“I appreciate how the competencies help us focus on student-centered learning.”
Ashley Pursley
Digital Integration Specialist
Anderson 5
ashleypursley@anderson5.net
“I'm excited to have a tangible opportunity to make the Profile of a Graduate actionable. I value the structured support provided for each skill through scaffolding benchmarks written as student-friendly “I can” statements, which aid in development and growth at any level. My favorite part is that the competencies are not separate from our current work; they are already integrated into our daily practices and standards. I am confident that with these competencies I can be more transparent and purposeful with building the skills learners need to be successful adults.”
Nicole Thompson
Principal
Griggs Road Elementary
Clover School District
nicole.thompson@clover.k12.sc.us
“Working with others throughout the cohort empowered me as an educational leader to support staff in the implementation of competencies in the classroom. Collaborating and learning about the competencies allowed me to be intentional in my focus and to help my teachers make connections to components of the competencies that are already naturally infused in their student-centered classrooms.”
Maggee Ellis
Former Assistant Principal
Lexington 3 School District
mbellis@mailbox.sc.edu
“One aspect that excites me for utilizing competencies is the universal accessibility they provide for both teachers and students. This framework offers a clear starting point for assessing current skill levels and subsequently developing targeted growth plans.”
Alexis Rainey
Instructional Coach
Dutchman Creek Middle School
Rock Hill School District
AMRainey@rhmail.org
“The aspect of using the competencies that excites me the most is the ability for them to be used in any content area with the idea that we can support the levels of progressions with both teachers and students. This experience allows students to make interdisciplinary connections and afford opportunities for collaboration among core and related arts areas.”
Our SC Competency Fellows have spent the last 2 years or more learning with each other and leading in their context towards making the Profile of the SC Graduate actionable. If you are interested in hearing their stories, please reach out and connect with any of these wonderful educators.
Aidra Shaw
Former Principal, Westview Primary
Berkeley County School District
“The aspect of competencies that excites me the most is the opportunities for student ownership, teachers as facilitators, and collaboration among team and school”
Becky Funderburk
Coordinator of Instructional Technology
York School District 1
bfunderburk@york.k12.sc.us
“The aspect of competencies that excites me the most is using them with leadership and finding ways to roll them into projects! I love how the competencies can take things up a level! I am also excited about the opportunities competencies bring to the classroom.”
Dr. Emily Manigault
Director of Virtual School Programs
Richland 2 School District
emanigau@richland2.org
“When I consider the fact that we have basically continued to do education in the United States the same way for well over a century, I am excited that Competency Based Education focuses on student agency and advocacy to a degree that has never been encouraged before this time. In that regard, and for many other reasons, I truly believe that Competency Based Learning will redefine our educational system in the future. I am so happy to be a part of this program that is leading the way in South Carolina!”
Yvonne McElwee
Science Instructional Specialist
Clover School District
yvonne.mcelwee@clover.k12.sc.us
“The aspect of competencies that excites me the most is the ability to integrate content. The language of the competencies is the language of the standards, so we can use the competencies in all content areas.
Tom Peters
Executive Director
SC Coalition for Math & Science
tpeters@clemson.edu
“Artful inclusion of the competencies in academics give life to the full Profile of the SC Graduate and more fully prepares today's students for advanced studies, active citizenship, and tomorrow's careers.”
Lynn Cary
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
Newberry School District
lcary@newberry.k12.sc.us
“Participating in this cohort has helped me see how each competency connects to our standards and how that connection can be used to enhance learning.”
Cherith Harris
English Teacher
Ware Shoals High School
charris@gw51.org
“The aspect of using competencies that excites me the most is how they pair seamlessly with standards.”
Era Roberts
Director of Accountability, Assessment, and Professional Development
Newberry County School District
eroberts@sdnc.org
“The competencies create access to buildable success and ownership of transferable skills that will benefit our students and communities long after leaving school. They allow for richness and engaging challenges across all content areas with functional entry points for any student or teacher.”
April Murphy
Former Teacher
Berkeley County School District
“Why competencies? PCBL is the engine which fosters an equitable education. Personalized competency-based learning covers so much more than content area standards; competencies are the building blocks of life/work skills. I love that using the competencies in our classrooms makes data-driven learning goals transparent, standards actionable, and promotes student self-efficacy in critical lifelong skills.”
Mary Roueche
HR Director of Talent Development
Rock Hill School District
mroueche@rhmail.org
“I love that the competencies fit so well with content standards. The continuum of skills written in student-facing language are easily understood by students. The continuum descriptors clearly provide transparent criteria. The skills the competencies promote are easily transferable to everyday life.”
Amber Dodds
Former STEM Teacher
Edgefield County School District
“I love being able to use the competency continuums with my students that help scaffold and support their learning. I think the competencies give teachers an opportunity to build meaningful learning opportunities with students that are relevant to their lives.”
Melissa Melick
Instructional Coach
Merriwether Middle
Edgefield County School District
mmmelick@edgefield.k12.sc.us
“I am excited about sharing my learning around the competencies with my teachers. As our teachers work toward equipping our students with the skills and knowledge that they need for the future, I am excited about adding in the skills outlined within the competencies. Getting teachers and students to assess the readiness level for each skill will be powerful!!”
Leslie Martin
History Teach & Instructional Facilitator
Powdersville High School Anderson 1
martinl2@apps.anderson1.org
“I am so excited about how the competencies create a concrete way for teachers to integrate valuable life skills into their classrooms. We all want to encourage these traits in our students, but the competencies show us what that actually looks like. They are ready to be integrated into any assignment in any setting.”
Elissa Cox
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
York 1 School District
ecox@york.k12.sc.us
“The opportunity to implement the competencies in our school buildings will further encourage teachers to become designers of learners that create experiences for students to develop student agency and ownership of their individual learning. The competencies provide a framework for all students to experience success and opportunities to challenge themselves to continue to grow and learn as each becomes college and career ready!”
Shawn Rearden
Assistant Principal
Willow Drive Elementary
Sumter County School District
shawn.rearden@sumterschools.net
“The aspect of using competencies that excites me the most is making learning more transparent and kid friendly.”
Jamie Stuart
Social Studies Teacher
Clover School District
jamie.stuart@clover.k12.sc.us
“The aspect of using competencies that excites me the most is how well it aligns with the state Social Studies standards.”
