The public review process plays an important role in selecting instructional materials that reflect the highest standards and meet the needs of South Carolina students. By involving parents, educators, and community members, we ensure that every voice contributes to this decision-making process.

As each District moves forward with implementing their local policy related to the State Board of Education’s (SBE) model cell phone policy, adopted in compliance with Proviso 1.103, the Department of Education (SCDE) is pleased to provide District administrators and staff with a Free to Focus Administrator Toolkit.

In our commitment to enhancing literacy instruction across South Carolina schools, the South Carolina Department of Education is pleased to offer the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning program to fourth and fifth-grade teachers, as well as middle-level special education teachers.

This memo outlines an important opportunity for all districts to participate in LETRS Local Certified Facilitator (LCF) Training during the winter and spring of 2025. This training aims to build a sustainable professional learning infrastructure for science of reading instruction statewide, helping us reach our goal of having 75% of students reading on or above grade level by 2030.

The anniversary of Kristallnacht took place on November 9th and 10th, and it is incumbent on us to remember this tragic event in 1938 when the Nazi regime and its collaborators orchestrated attacks on German Jewish citizens, igniting a sequence of atrocities that culminated in the Holocaust and the loss of over six million Jewish lives.

In recognition of the sacrifices made by the brave men and women of our armed forces this Veterans’ Day, Superintendent Weaver is honored to designate the South Carolina Department of Education a Purple Heart Agency. This designation pays tribute to Purple Heart recipients who have been wounded or killed in combat while defending our nation’s freedoms. Established originally as the Badge of Military Merit by President George Washington in 1782, the Purple Heart Medal embodies courage, sacrifice, and patriotism.

The Office of Educator Effectiveness and Leadership Development is pleased to announce leadership development professional learning opportunities beginning this January.