News Releases

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced two South Carolina high school students have been selected as delegates to the 61st annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 4-11, 2023. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship.

South Carolina students will be eating more food grown by local farmers as part of a
partnership involving the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and the South Carolina Department
of Education.

Under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) must award these funds competitively to high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) to fund activities allowable under section 4108 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). In accordance with the Stronger Connections Grant (SCG) funded under Title IV, Part A of ESEA, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is proposing the following definition of a “high-need LEA” and seeks public input.
 

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman released the following statement in response to the release of the 2022 Educator Supply and Demand Report by the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, and Advancement (CERRA). Additional information concerning Superintendent Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) actions to address the state’s teacher shortage crisis are also noted. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded South Carolina more than $58 million to purchase electric school buses, as part of its Clean School Bus Program. The funds to the South Carolina Department of Education are the third largest award nationally. It will be used to purchase 148 electric buses for 16 school districts and support infrastructure for the new buses.

The National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics released the results of the 2022 administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), commonly known as the "Nation's Report Card" and the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Historically, NAEP is administered every two years, but COVID-19 caused the assessment planned for 2021 to be delayed until 2022. While many states saw statistically significant declines in grades four and eight from 2019, South Carolina scores remained steady in grade four reading and math while measurably declining in grade eight.

The SC Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) and the SC Department of Education (SCDE) held a joint news conference to highlight the importance of school bus safety. National School Bus Safety Week, which runs Oct. 17-21 this year, is aimed at encouraging drivers to slow down, be alert and use best practices on the road.

Today, the SC Department of Education (SCDE) and the SC Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2022 School Report Cards, the first cards to contain ratings since 2019. The Report Cards, available at www.screportcards.com, reflect data elements and student performance information from the 2021-22 school year.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the allocation of $3 million in state funding to Marlboro County School District to assist in the renovation and replacement of antiquated existing school facilities with safe, modern facilities to accommodate current and future county enrollment trends. The funding is part of the $140 million under Proviso 1.92 of the General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

Code.org, the Computer Science Teachers Association, and the Expanding Computing Education Pathways Alliance have released the 2022 State of Computer Science Education: Understanding our National Imperative. Published annually, the report provides the most comprehensive analysis of national progress in computer science education, featuring national and state-level policy and implementation data.

The South Carolina Department of Education and our esteemed community partners will unveil the 2023 South Carolina African American History Calendar in a special celebration on October 4 at the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia.

The College Board has released national and South Carolina specific results for their SAT and Advanced Placement assessments. South Carolina students again exceeded the nation on eight out of the top ten tested subjects of Advanced Placement exams, and PSAT/NMSQT mean scores for South Carolina 10th and 11th graders outpaced the national average in several categories. Statewide, 23,868 students from the Class of 2022 took the SAT, an increase from the Class of 2021.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized five South Carolina schools nominated by State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022. The recognition is based on schools' overall academic performance. 

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman today announced the allocation of $52 million in state funding to Hampton County School District to assist in the renovation and replacement of antiquated existing school facilities with safe, modern facilities to accommodate current and future county enrollment trends. The funding is part of the $140 million under Proviso 1.92 of the General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

The South Carolina Department of Education released the 2021-2022 school year results for the South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) in Science and the South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) examinations in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics given in the elementary and middle school grade levels.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman shared the following statement regarding the passing of Dr. Rose Wilder, Superintendent of Williamsburg County School District.

State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman today announced the allocation of $38 million in state funding to Abbeville County School District to assist in the renovation of antiquated existing school facilities with safe, modern facilities to accommodate current and future county enrollment trends. The funding is part of the $140 million under Proviso 1.92 of the General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.