The Read to Succeed Team in the Office of Early Learning and Literacy (OELL) at the South
Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is gearing up to support districts for the 2024 Read to Succeed Summer Reading Camps (SRC). This memorandum contains important information
regarding this year’s SRC, including key information for PowerSchool Coordinators.

The Office of Assessment and Standards is searching for a group of educators representing our state to participate in two standard settings this summer. Standard setting is a process used to define performance standards and the cut scores that correspond to those levels. Cut scores will be determined for the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) for Biology 1 and the
South Carolina Alternate Assessment (SC-ALT) for Biology 1.

The Office of Assessment and Standards will offer a free in-person professional development (PD) for immersion teachers and administrators. This hands-on PD will afford participants an opportunity to explore ways to support immersion learners in the mastery of content, as well as deepen their understanding of the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards for World Language Proficiency.

The 135-day membership collection will open on March 25, 2024, and close April 16, 2024. The links provided below will update daily. You can submit revised extracts during the collection period and retrieve corrected reports.

Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 9-1-1795, beginning in School Year (SY) 2018–19 and annually thereafter, the State Board of Education (SBE) designates areas of critical academic need and critical geographic need for the employment of retired certified teachers who will be exempt from the earnings limitations imposed by S.C. Code Ann. § 9-1-1790.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) Office of Career and Technical Education is seeking public comment on its proposal to update the Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Determined Levels of Performance (SDPLs) for the Perkins V Performance Indicators. The new SDPLs will cover the 2024-2027 school years and will comply with the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Section 113 (b)(3)(B)(ii).

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2024–25 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 12, 2024.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the Request for Proposals for the 2024–25 Farm to School Subgrant—Round Two is now available online. Approximately $300,000 in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis and the deadline to apply is May 16, 2024.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Stronger Connections Discretionary Subgrant is now available online. Approximately $10,400,000 in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis and the deadline to apply is May 1, 2024.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is committed to leveraging technology to enhance data integration and accessibility. To this effect, we are transitioning our data collection methods to a more cohesive and efficient system. We will be utilizing an Ed-Fi technology stack to consolidate data from the Student Information System (SIS), assessment data, Individual Education Plan (IEP) data, and Gifted and Talented (GT) data into a single cloud-based platform.

This memorandum seeks to provide districts with a summary of recent amendments to the Read to Succeed Act, included in S. 418. For a detailed breakdown of these amendments, please refer to the complete text of S. 418.

As school districts initiate the teacher contracting process for the 2024-25 School Year, we wish
to remind you of the pertinent South Carolina laws regulating this process. This memorandum
specifically addresses the critical deadlines for notifications regarding teacher employment.

The South Carolina Department of Education is pleased to recognize high school seniors who will be entering the military or attending a military service academy with a red, white, and blue honor cord to be worn during graduation ceremonies. Thank you for participating in this program to honor the commitment these students are making to serve our country.