The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) uses data from the SC Educator system to determine participation requirements for the teacher climate survey and other data requests. Specifically, position code, start date, full time equivalency (FTE) and termination date are used to determine participation requirements. Teachers are then matched by Educator ID to PowerSchool to determine which school is responsible for administering a survey.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2023–24 application
for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program subgrant is now available online. Funding will be
distributed to elementary schools with the highest percentage of students eligible for free and
reduced-priced meals (at least 50 percent or higher). The deadline to apply is April 14, 2023.

For more information about the Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Program, please contact Diane D. Gillie at 803-734-8193, dgillie@ed.sc.gov.

It has come to the Department’s attention that school districts have received communication
regarding Child ID kits. These kits are being shipped to school districts from the manufacturer
after the passage of Act 180 in May of 2022. Act 180 is not clear regarding distribution
requirements once the kits are received by districts.

This memorandum provides you with the registration link and information for the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) 2023 Summer Arts Institutes through the Arts Curricular Innovation Grants.

For any questions regarding registration, please contact L. Monique Curry, Education Associate, at lmcurry@ed.sc.gov.

Many of you have begun the process of contracting with teachers for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the South Carolina statutory provisions which govern the contracting process between districts and teachers. This memorandum specifically deals with the timing requirements of notice of employment between a district and a teacher.

If you have any questions concerning educator contracts, please contact Mary Hipp, Director of the Office of Educator Services, mhipp@ed.sc.gov, or Lilla Toal Mandsager, Director of the Office of Educator Effectiveness and Leadership Development, lmandsager@ed.sc.gov.

The Office of Student Intervention Services is hosting a book club for middle and high school students. The virtual book club will be classroom wide, teachers will receive lesson plans and books will be provided to all participants.

If you have any questions, please contact Suzanne Snyder at 803-734-4033 or ssnyder@ed.sc.gov.

The Office of Assessment and Standards (OAS) is working to develop resources to support instruction, assessment, and student learning for the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready (SC CCR) Science Standards 2021. There are a variety of resources currently available with more in development.

The Instruction Hub & Learning Management System Showcase will take place on March 17, 2023, from 9:30am to 3:00pm at Lexington High School in Lexington, South Carolina.
The showcase is an opportunity to learn more about the Instruction Hub, statewide vendor content available in the Hub, and the different learning management systems being used in South Carolina.

The Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children requests your assistance in identifying and quantifying job vacancies across your school district. The Committee was created by statute to research children’s issues in South Carolina and to offer policy and legislative recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly.

If you have any questions or concerns while completing the survey, please contact Shealy Reibold at shealyreibold@sc.edu or 803.777.1979.

This memorandum is regarding the new Personal Finance graduation requirement. In November 2022, the State Board of Education (SBE) approved the requirement that, beginning with the entering freshman class of 2023–24, students will be required to complete a one-half credit in financial literacy to earn a South Carolina High School Diploma.

Please contact me at qmoore@ed.sc.gov or via phone at 803-734-1426 if you have questions regarding this information.

Four PowerSchool data entry items must be coded for issuance of the Employability Credential:

• By March 1, 2023, at 4:00 p.m., two data entry items are needed for all students on track to earn the Employability Credential this year, including students who exit early, students exiting in the spring, and students exiting in the summer.
   
• Once students have earned the Employability Credential, two additional data entry items are needed by June 15, 2023, at 4:00 p.m. (or August 1 for students earning the Employability Credential during the summer).

The South Carolina Department of Education together with Carolina Family Engagement Center, and SERVE Region 6 Comprehensive Center at UNC Greensboro, will host a series of free webinars for parent and family engagement educators. The webinars will highlight the five Family Engagement K-12 Framework Strategies for Success and provide innovative and best practices for engaging, supporting, and partnering with all families.