Today, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announced that it has submitted its Consolidated Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan to the U.S. Department of Education.

"This submission is the culmination of thousands of hours of hard work and collaborative effort by the people of South Carolina," said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman.

"Our plan is designed to move student achievement forward and the time is now to get to work on making that happen and ensuring our graduates are prepared for success."

For over a year, the SCDE collaborated with parents, teachers, school and district administrators, education advocates, and business and community leaders to create a multiple measure education system that provides students with a rigorous system of instruction that leads to high quality learning opportunities and academic outcomes.

South Carolina's ESSA plan will:

• Reduce high stakes testing and commit to measuring schools on a multiple measure accountability system
• Supports all students as they seek to achieve the knowledge, skills, and characteristics identified by the Profile of the SC Graduate
• Ensure that all students, not just those in high income, high capacity school districts, have access to career and technical education, virtual options, world languages, the arts, advanced credit in middle school, Advanced Placement, International baccalaureate, and dual credit course work
• Provide a tiered system of support for under performing schools through direct support and guidance based on a portfolio of evidence-based school turnaround strategies and expert transformation coaches

South Carolina's Consolidated State ESSA Plan can be viewed by following this link.

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