The Office of Instructional Supports (OIS) supports the South Carolina Department of Education's (SCDE) mission to have all students in South Carolina become proficient readers and writers. In addition, the OELL supports South Carolina’s districts and schools in providing early learning professional development opportunities. This page offers information and resources to assist districts and schools.
Child Development Education Program Professional Development Opportunities
Teachers and instructional assistants participating in Child Development Education Program (CDEP) are required to attend fifteen hours of approved professional development that is approved by the South Carolina Center for Child Care Career Development (CCCCD). The fifteen hours of CCCCD approved training must include the following areas:
- A minimum of five hours in growth and development
- A minimum of five hours in curriculum
- Five hours in other early childhood areas: safety, health, nutrition, guidance, and must include blood-borne pathogen training as required by OSHA.
- *CPR and first aid do not count for SCDSS annual training requirements.
DEP directors must complete twenty hours of CCCCD approved professional development annually:
- A minimum of five hours related to program administration;
- A minimum of five hours of child growth and development, early childhood education, and/or health and safety; and
- Ten hours in other early childhood areas - the remaining hours shall come from the following areas: guidance, curriculum activities, nutrition or professional development, and must include blood-borne pathogen training as required by OSHA.
- *CPR and first aid do not count for SCDSS annual training requirements.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Preschool Development Grants Technical Assistance Office provides a professional development resource, Early Learning Language and Literacy Series. The OELL team collaborated with the CCCCD to have the modules pre-approved and registered for DSS credit to streamline the process for CDEP districts to obtain up to forty-two approved training hours. The intended audience for the modules includes preschool teachers, assistant teachers, and administrators from preschool programs in public schools and early learning centers. The objectives for this series are to provide background information and research on early language and literacy, evidence-based strategies to support the language and literacy development of young children, and access to required training hours required for CDEP with high quality professional learning.
The delivery of the modules should be overseen by a district facilitator, who is an early childhood content expert with knowledge about emerging literacy in young children, and who is comfortable with a webinar delivery system. Each module is a stand-alone session and can be presented to a group independently or in a different order than is suggested. However, it is strongly recommended that all fourteen modules be delivered as a series to expose participants to the full range of language and literacy domains, skills, and instructional techniques that support young children’s development. The following professional development modules are listed by CCCCD topic:
Curriculum – thirty-three hours total
- Module 1 Overview
- Module 3 Phonological Awareness
- Module 4 Alphabet and Print Awareness
- Module 5 Shared Reading
- Module 6 Dialogic Reading
- Module 7 Building Vocabulary
- Module 8 Dual Language Learners
- Module 9 Struggling Learners
- Module10 Writing
- Module 11 Technology
- Module 12 Physical Environment
- Module 14 Math
Child Growth and Development – three hours total
Professional Development – three hours total
- Module 13 Working with Families
In addition, the University of South Carolina is offering a set of six modules entitled SHAPES. These modules offer professional development to increase physical activity and prevent obesity in young children. Free resources and a physical fitness curriculum are included in the six modules. This professional development fulfills ABC Quality requirements and CCCCD requirements. For additional information, contact SHAPES at infor@goshapes.org.
All required professional development training hours must be approved through the CCCCD. Documentation of each staff member’s professional development hours shall be maintained on-site and is subject to monitoring by the SCDE. All staff members are responsible for adhering to the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) annual training requirements. For information on required training topics, minimum hours per required topic, and how to obtain an individual transcript, access http://www.sc-ccccd.net/ or call 1-866-845-1555 for more information.
Early Learning Professional Development
During summer 2017, the OIS will offer a free, professional learning series for preschool teachers that will consist of face-to-face experiences. In addition, this professional learning opportunity will provide schools with virtual and onsite support by the OIS’s regional literacy specialists during the 2017–18 school year.
This professional learning series is designed to:
- ensure that educators are equipped with the tools to provide students with high quality, personalized learning that supports the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate;
- provide guidance on using data for knowing and understanding the preschool students served; and
- support 4K teachers in data analysis and providing instruction based on students’ individual needs related to 4K and Early Language and Literacy Development.
Participants will engage in an intense three-day experience based on research and best practices of Early Language and Literacy Development. Learning opportunities will focus on classroom environment, emergent readers, emergent writers, speaking development, inquiry, and developmentally appropriate centers that provide choice and opportunities for authentic reading and writing.
The South Carolina Board of Education approved the South Carolina Early Learning Standards (SC-ELS) on August 8, 2017. The SC-ELS serves as the shared vision for the education of South Carolina’s children and answers the question “What foundational skills do children need to experience success in school?” By providing this common set of Goals and Developmental Indicators for children from birth through kindergarten entry, the hope is that family members, educators, administrators, and policy makers together can do the best job possible to provide experiences that help children be well prepared for success in school and life. The Goals and Developmental Indicators are divided into six domains:
- Approaches to Play and Learning (APL)
- Emotional and Social Development (ESD)
- Health and Physical Development (HPD)
- Language Development and Communication (LDC)
- Mathematical Thinking and Expression (MTE)
- Cognitive Development (CD)
The SC-ELS should be used in the following ways:
- Improve teachers’ knowledge of child development and incorporate each family’s culture;
- Guide teachers’ plans for implementing curricula;
- Establish goals for children’s development and learning that are shared across programs and services; and
- Inform family members and the public on age-appropriate expectations for children’s development and learning.
The OIS and the Office of Standards and Learning will be providing regional professional development opportunities during fall 2017 and spring 2018 on the SC-ELS and effective implementation. Additional details for the SC-ELS professional development will be forthcoming.
