The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) is committed to aligning systems, resources, and support so that teachers are equipped to deliver excellent instruction that meets the needs of every learner. With the adoption of new English and Math High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), district and school leaders can ensure every student has access to rigorous instruction.

We recently learned about the changes to the Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics course prerequisites. After researching the updates and reviewing the course description and released resources, we have confirmed that—under the new guidelines—students can be successful in AP Statistics provided they have strong instruction and mastery of the standards in Grade 8 mathematics, Geometry with Statistics, and Algebra 1.

Districts meeting SCDE criteria for eLearning may use up to five eLearning days to make up for short-term disruptions to in-person instruction (e.g., power outages, water main breaks). An eLearning day is used on the specific day schools would otherwise have had to close due to unforeseen emergencies or when a make-up day is normally used.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) announces that the 2026–27 application for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program subgrant is now available in South Carolina Automated Payment System (SCAPS). Funding will be distributed to elementary schools with the highest percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-priced meals (at least 50 percent or higher).

All budget amendments and/or new budgets for all grants expenditures that will be incurred on or before June 30, 2026, must be entered into GAPS no later than Tuesday, August 4, 2026, unless an earlier deadline is referenced on the GAN.

Each summer, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE), Office of Career
Readiness – Adult Education, collects salary information for district-identified adult
education directors through the Administration of Adult Education survey.

As South Carolina and the nation prepare to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary,
we are pleased to highlight the Summer SC 250 activities available through the Palmetto
Civics Project and to encourage district participation in this meaningful statewide effort.

The South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Assessment and Standards will offer a free, two-day professional learning opportunity (PLO) for teams of middle school math teachers.

The Office of Assessment and Standards is pleased to announce the launch of the new Palmetto Gifted Identification for Forms and Tasks in Education (Palmetto GIFTED) application in partnership with EdWise Group.

On September 2, 2025, the State Board of Education approved three Endorsement Pathways for DLI Teachers, DLI Coaches, and DLI Instructional Leaders.
The coursework and training associated with these certification endorsements are intended to enhance the skills and build capacity of educators, coaches, and instructional leaders who participate in DLI programs.

During the testing window of January 21–March 6, 2026, Local Education Agencies (LEAs) administered the new WIDA ACCESS assessment to all eligible multilingual learners (MLs).

In preparation for the upcoming 2026-27 school year, we are offering PADEPP evaluator training to new superintendents and new principal evaluators. Anyone who will be evaluating principals must attend the one-day training. The virtual PADEPP trainings will be offered on July 15, July 22, and August 5.

The Office of Leadership Effectiveness is pleased to announce new cohorts of the South Carolina Institute for District Administrators (IDA) for experienced district administrators beginning May and November 2026.