The Office of Educator Effectiveness and Leadership Development offers a variety of professional learning opportunities to support districts and schools to promote access to effective instruction for all students. South Carolina’s educator evaluation systems are aligned with student-centered teaching and learning and the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.

The ELA standards team is pleased to announce summer webinars via Microsoft Teams to support implementation and instruction around the 2023 SC CCR ELA Standards. Additional information about the webinars including the dates and target audiences can be found in the ELA session descriptions.

The Office of Assessment and Standards Science Team is excited to announce the location and dates for the Summer 2024 Science Institute. This free, face-to-face professional learning opportunity will be centered around curriculum adaptation for the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021 (Science Standards).

The 2023 –24 Discipline, Truancy and Chronic Absenteeism data are now posted in the Accountability Data Transfer (ADT) System/Data Portal for review. It is critical that each district reviews, corrects, and confirms the accuracy of the data by June 13, 2024, as these data will be used for state and federal reporting.

The Office of Student Support is hosting several school climate and safety trainings. These trainings are designed to equip participants with tools and best practices that support and maintain safe school climates. Please share this information with the appropriate individuals in your district and schools.

We are pleased to share an important update from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) Office of Assessment and Standards. For the first time in over a decade, we have appointed a dedicated education associate for school libraries and librarians, Dr. Mark Y. Herring.

Last Friday morning, the U.S. Department of Education released a deeply troubling new Title IX rule which included an effective date of August 1, 2024.

The agency is pleased to announce the on-line assurance form for hiring retired educators for SY 2024-25 is now “live” to those superintendents and designees with assigned user roles. Districts will access the Retiree Assurance Form via the link in the Application Portal.

In seeking ways to support local districts and schools, SCDE has piloted the first phase of a service and support initiative – Project Raise Your Hand with neighboring schools in Richland One. The positive data and feedback from staff and schools has fueled our hope in expanding capacity across our state for sustained community engagement.

On March 26, 2024, Governor Henry McMaster proclaimed April as the Month of the Military
Child or “Purple Up! For Military Kids” in South Carolina to celebrate students whose service
member parents serve and protect our country. I hope that schools around the state will support “Purple Up! For Military Kids” by planning special activities and wearing purple, especially during this week during Military Family Spirit Week (April 15-19, 2024).

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2024–25 Request for
Proposals for the Arts Curricular Innovation Grants (ACIG)—Arts Enhancement Program
(AEP) grant is now available online. Approximately $350,000 in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis and the deadline to apply is June 3, 2024.

With the 2023 South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Mathematics Standards implementation, adjustments to the high school mathematics course sequence are necessary. Beginning from the 2025–26 academic year, students will complete Geometry with Statistics before Algebra 1. This alteration aims to provide a solid foundation in concrete and foundational mathematics learning, essential for grasping the more abstract algebraic concepts.

Beginning in the Spring of 2024, the four-year cohort graduation rate process is being brought into PowerSchool. Schools will identify their students to be included in the four-year cohort, and the graduate status of each identified student will be taken directly from PowerSchool records.

The South Carolina Department of Education is partnering with the Maxwell Leadership Foundation to provide the iLead Student Curriculum to elementary, middle, and high schools for implementation in Fall 2024. Interested schools or districts, including schools or districts who are renewing their iLead participation, should send at least one representative to a virtual information session to learn more about registration and training.

Act 114 of 2024 allows district superintendents or charter school authorizers to submit a request to the department to waive the minimum one hundred eighty-day school attendance requirement for kindergarten and South Carolina Child Early Reading Development and Education Program (CERDEP) students to administer readiness assessments. Upon approval of the waiver request, the approved school may allow kindergarten and CERDEP students to be administered the assessments during a shortened school day within the first five days of the academic year.

South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of the Army to provide directory information in compliance with Section 8025 of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

This memorandum provides guidance to districts regarding the elimination of positions
previously funded through the ESSER program. Districts must navigate this process in
compliance with state laws and district policies while ensuring minimal disruption to student
learning.

The Office of Educator Effectiveness and Leadership Development is pleased to announce dates for emerging leader cohorts beginning in the summer and fall of 2024. Our mission is to increase access to highly effective teaching and leadership for every student in South Carolina.

The Students Health and Fitness Act (SHFA) (S.C. Code § 59-10-10, et seq.) requires each South Carolina school district to report the number of minutes of daily physical education instruction and the number of minutes of daily physical activity per week. Reports must be listed by school, by individual class, and by grade level. Information is compiled in a summary to be presented to the General Assembly by December first of each year.

The South Carolina Principal Induction Program (PIP) is now accepting enrollment of all first-time principals for the 2024–2025 school year. Satisfactory completion of PIP is required for all first-time principals per S.C. Code Ann. § 59-5-60 and 59-24-80. State Board of Education
Regulation 43-165.1 defines a principal as, “the chief administrative head or director of an elementary, middle, or secondary school or of a vocational, technical, special education, or alternative school.”

This memorandum provides guidance to districts in navigating the close out of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) ACT funding as school district FY2024–25 budgets are developed.

Given recent questions regarding Released Time programs, this memo seeks to clarify the legal status of these programs in South Carolina law and provide insight into how schools may choose to implement them legally. In short, Released Time programs are both constitutional under the U.S. Constitution and are affirmatively authorized by long-standing South Carolina law.

Many South Carolina families recount facing challenges accessing ABA therapy within schools. This challenge highlights the need for strong parent and educator partnerships. By working together, we can ensure that every student receives the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

The South Carolina Department of Education is pleased to announce the launch of the Mesa Cloud, a service aimed at supporting School Counselors, Administrators, students, and parents in monitoring progress toward graduation, validating the Uniform Grading Policy, and displaying eligibility for CTE Pathways and Seals of Distinction.

The South Carolina Multilingual Learner Program Conference is a dynamic and engaging two-day event designed specifically for educators working with multilingual learners and immigrant students in South Carolina. Bringing together experts in the field, educators, district personnel, and the South Carolina Department of Education, this conference offers an invaluable opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest guidance, best practices, and innovative strategies for supporting multilingual learners and their families.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2024–25 Request for Proposals for the Arts Curricular Innovation Grants (ACIG)—Distinguished Arts Program grant is now available online. Approximately $700,000 in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis and the deadline to apply is May 31, 2024.