News Releases

February 9, 2022
South Carolina Department of Education and South Carolina Technical College System Announce $11.5 Million Partnership: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS) today announced a three year $11.5 million partnership that will grow and expand career and technical education programs, adult education programs, and provide scholarships to high demand technical college programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 1, 2022
Dominion Energy and S.C. Department of Education Invite High School Students to Enter Second Annual Writing Contest to Celebrate Notable African Americans: Dominion Energy and the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) encourage high school juniors and seniors to enter the second annual Strong Men & Women in S.C. History student essay contest. The program builds on SCDE’s longstanding South Carolina African American History Calendar that honors prominent African Americans in the state who have made noteworthy contributions.

January 27, 2022
S.C. Department of Education Launches Federal Funding Transparency Dashboard: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has developed a public Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding dashboard to provide transparency on how South Carolina school districts are utilizing federal education COVID-19 relief funds.

January 12, 2022
SCDE Launches Partnership to Sustain Suicide Prevention Hotline: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with Mental Health America of Greenville County (MHAGC) to sustain the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline as both organizations work to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child wellbeing.

January 5, 2022
South Carolina Department of Education Seeking Partners for Summer Food Service Program: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is offering local government agencies, school districts, faith-based and private nonprofit organizations an opportunity to provide summer meals to children by becoming a sponsor or a summer meal site for its United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Summer Food Service Program known as the Summer Break Café. This program is funded by the USDA and administered by the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Health and Nutrition to serve healthy meals to children during the summer months when school is not in session.

December 16, 2021
Georgetown County School District's Alan Walters Assumes Chairmanship of the State Board of Education: At the December 14, 2021 meeting of the State Board of Education, Georgetown County School District’s Alan Walters was sworn in as the chair of the State Board of Education (SBE). The SBE also unanimously elected Crystal “Crissie” Stapleton, superintendent of Barnwell School District 45, as chair-elect while recognizing four members who have fulfilled their terms on the board.

December 1, 2021
South Carolina Students Selected for United States Senate Youth Program: State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced two South Carolina high school students have been selected as delegates to the 60th Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) that will be held March 5-10, 2022. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship.

November 30, 2021
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman Statement on 2021 Educator Supply and Demand Report: State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman released the following statement in response to the release of the 2021 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.

November 22, 2021
S.C. Department of Education and S.C. State Library Announce Partnership to Provide Virtual Tutoring Support to South Carolina Students: The South Carolina Department of Education and the South Carolina State Library (SCSL) announced a $1.5 million partnership to address the continuing academic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership will span the next three years and is funded through the American Rescue Plan's Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER).

November 19, 2021
State Agencies Partner on COVID-19 Jingle Campaign: In an effort to engage students and staff, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has partnered with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to launch a statewide jingle competition encouraging K-12 students to channel their creativity for a COVID-19 vaccine campaign.

November 10, 2021
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman Assumes CCSSO Board Presidency: The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced South Carolina Superintendent Molly Spearman will assume the presidency of its Board of Directors, and two state leaders will join the board, decisions ratified by association membership at the Annual Policy Forum.

November 9, 2021
S.C. Department of Education Invites the Public to Review Proposed Instructional Materials and Textbooks: The South Carolina Department of Education invites the public to review textbooks and instructional materials that have been proposed for use in South Carolina’s public schools. The materials will be on display at fifteen locations as well as online from November 9 to December 9 with instructions for submitting comments available at each site.

November 3, 2021
South Carolina Recognized as Leader in K-12 Computer Science Education: Code.org and its partners released the 2021 State of Computer Science Education: Accelerating Action Through Advocacy. Published annually, the report provides the most comprehensive analysis of national progress in computer science education. The report includes descriptions of policy trends, an in-depth view of each state's policy and implementation, and data on disparities in access to and participation in computer science.

October 28, 2021
South Carolina Department of Education Partners with Riley Institute to Invest $1.3 Million in New Afterschool and Summer Learning Leadership Program: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and The Riley Institute at Furman University announced the South Carolina Afterschool Leaders Empowered (SCALE) program to prepare and grow leaders who are working to address the academic impact of COVID-19 through summer and afterschool learning programs.

September 29, 2021
State Superintendent Molly Spearman's Guidance and Statement Regarding U.S. District Court's Ruling on Proviso 1.108: State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education issued the following guidance and statement in response to the September 28, 2021 ruling by the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina concerning the enforcement of Proviso 1.108.

September 21, 2021
Five South Carolina Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon School Honors: 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 2021. The recognition is based on schools' overall academic performance.

September 16, 2021
DHEC, Dept. of Education Support School Bus Safety Month: In recognition of the U.S. Senate’s resolution to proclaim September as National School Bus Safety Month, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE) reiterate that a key component of school bus safety during the COVID-19 pandemic is the wearing of masks on school buses.

September 1, 2021
2021 South Carolina Report Cards Released: The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) released school, district, and state report cards reflective of the 2020-2021 school year. The 2021 report cards include results from state assessments administered in Spring 2021, the first administration of state assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 10, 2021
DHEC, S.C. Department of Education Promote Back-To-School Vaccinations, Safety Measures: The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and the South Carolina Department of Education are joining forces to create and promote vaccine awareness and immunization opportunities for parents, students, and staff for the 2021-22 school year.

August 5, 2021
South Carolina Department of Education Hires Dr. Christina Melton as Director of Assessment: State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the hiring of Dr. Christina Melton, a former teacher, principal, and district superintendent, as the South Carolina Department of Education’s (SCDE) Director of Assessment.