Pursuant to S.C. Code Section 59-8-165, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has finalized model guidelines to ensure clarity, consistency, and access for students applying to transfer to another district. These guidelines were developed with extensive input from policy experts, school administrators, school districts and members of the public.

The South Carolina Department of Education is proud to honor high school seniors who have committed to serving our nation—whether by enlisting in the military or attending a U.S. service academy. Each student will receive a red, white, and blue Military Honor Cord to wear during graduation ceremonies as a visible symbol of their dedication and courage.

Zearn provides grade-level math instruction aligned to the 2025 South Carolina College and Career Ready Mathematics Standards, with lessons grounded in the research-backed Concrete–Representational–Abstract (CRA) progression to support deep mathematical understanding.

The purpose of this memorandum is to clarify that the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) classifies the state agencies with educational programs (with exception to Wil Lou Gray Opportunity School) as local educational agencies (LEAs) for the purposes of federal funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins V), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The online assurance form for hiring retired educators for SY 2026–27 is now available to superintendents and their designees with assigned user roles via the Retiree Assurance Form link in the Application Portal.

This memorandum provides information related to the employment of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants (SLP Assistants). South Carolina does not require teacher certification for SLP Assistants. All criteria for employment and scope of practice for SLP Assistants are governed by the laws and regulations as overseen by the South Carolina Labor, License, and Regulation Board (SC LLR).

As part of South Carolina’s ongoing efforts to support early identification and intervention
through a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), all districts and charter schools are required by Act 213 to submit annual data on MTSS implementation and literacy universal screening procedures.

Act 114 of 2024 permits district superintendents or charter school authorizers to request a waiver from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) 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.

The Office of Leadership Effectiveness is pleased to announce leadership development professional learning opportunities beginning this September.

The Office of Leadership Effectiveness 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 teaching and leadership practices that prioritize evidence of growth for every student.

The South Carolina Read to Succeed Act (“R2S”) aims to improve literacy rates of students
in South Carolina to include reading instruction, intervention, programs, and other reading
services that are aligned with the science of reading. R2S applies to all students, including
students with individualized education programs (IEPs).