The Office of Assessment and Standards is pleased to announce that a Professional Learning allocation of $10,000 will be made available to Regional Fiscal Agents and paid through District Revenue Code 3597A. The funding is provided through the 2025–2026 Annual Appropriations Act Professional Development line item and Proviso 1A.22.

The Office of Assessment and Standards Science Team is seeking stakeholder input regarding experience with the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021. This survey will help the Science Team understand how the standards are working in practice.

Special Education Directors or Coordinators (or designated staff) will need to ensure that the appropriate PowerSchool administrators within their district know which students should be coded as seeking the South Carolina High School Employability Credential so that, by the deadlines detailed below, they can be coded appropriately as seeking the credential, the data they are scheduled to earn it can be coded, and their Postgraduate Student Email address can also be entered. Additionally, if early exiters have not been coded, this will need to be done, as well.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2026–27 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 April 17, 2026.

During the 2025–26 school year, the Office of Leadership Effectiveness (OLE) worked with administrators and teacher leaders from twenty-eight schools to implement a cohesive vision for teacher leadership roles within South Carolina’s schools. This work helps schools develop a collaborative culture and high-quality professional learning focused on student achievement.

The Office of Assessment and Standards is excited to announce locations and dates for the Spring 2026 Physical Education (PE) Regional Professional Learning Opportunities. This free, in-person professional learning opportunity will provide a brief overview of the meaningful PE principles – Fun, Challenge & Competition, Social Interaction, Motor Competence, Personally Connected Experiences, and Delight – and how these principles support the 2021 College- and Career-Ready Physical Education Standards and lesson planning within various instructional models.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is pleased to announce that the SCDE’s Office of Health and Nutrition is offering 12 selected schools the opportunity to receive a fully supported school garden this spring.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2026–27 Request for Proposals for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) subgrant program is now available online. Approximately $2–3 million in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis, contingent upon federal funding) and the deadline to apply is March 23, 2026.

The Office of Assessment and Standards invites Mathematics and Special Education educators to participate in a critical committee this June. Your expertise is needed to help set performance standards for the SC READY and SC-Alt assessments.

Established in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program honors high school seniors for exceptional achievement. Since its inception, more than 8,600 students have been recognized. While early selections focused on SAT/ACT scores, the program now includes nominations for academic excellence, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and, new this year, visual and performing arts.

The Math Team is excited to announce these upcoming Webinar sessions for the spring on topics requested by the field. Please see our professional learning opportunities webpage for more details as the year unfolds. Webinars will be recorded and posted on our PLO webpage.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2026 Summer Reading Camp (SRC) Community Partnership Grant (CPG) under Proviso 1.48 of the General Appropriations Act is now available online. Approximately $700,000 in funding will be distributed on a competitive basis. The deadline to apply is 5:00 p.m., February 13, 2026. Applications must be submitted online and will not be accepted after this deadline.