State Board Actions for
April 11, 2007
The
State Board of Education approved the following actions:
- Approved the
removal of three (3) principal for failing to improve their schools over
a four (4) year period. These schools are Ridgeland Middle (Jasper
County School District), Johnson Middle (Florence County School District
Four), and Whitlock Middle (Spartanburg School District Seven).
- All sixteen (16)
unsatisfactory schools have voluntary entered an initiative entitled
“Palmetto Priority Schools”. A state coordinator will also oversee these
schools. The Palmetto Priority Schools will meet periodically to share
approaches and ideas. Each board chair, superintendent, and school
principal of these schools will meet monthly with a State Department
liaison to discuss each school’s progress. The liaison will review master
schedules and monitor student achievement.
- The State
Superintendent of Education will report to the State Board of Education
each school’s progress.
- The State
Department of Education will work in conjunction with CERRA to recruit
teachers for these Palmetto Priority Schools.
- The State
Department of Education will continue to provide technical assistance to
these schools and allocate EAA funds towards this effort.
State Board of Education
Actions of December 13, 2006
The South Carolina State Board of Education approved the following actions:
·
State Board
Regulation 43-205 (Administrative and Professional Personal Qualifications,
Duties, and Workloads) was amended for second reading. Revisions include a
description of the position and qualifications for a career specialist. Each
career specialist must work under the supervision of a certified guidance
counselor. The career specialist must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have
earned either Global Career and Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification
or Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification. A guidance counselor
may serve as the career specialist if he or she holds the GCDF or CDF
certification. This regulation further amended student teacher ratios for
cross-categorical self-contained special education classes that once
required approval as an innovative approach but as amended does not.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-234 (Defined Program Grades 9-12) was approved for second
reading. The revisions include the following:
1.
allows schools to
award credit for courses approved by the State Department of Education in a
proficiency-based system,
2.
allows credit for
a three-hour postsecondary course to transfer as one unit of high school
credit under a district’s dual credit program,
3.
career clusters
are now apart of the curriculum for grades nine through twelve with each
high school required to offer a minimum of three,
4.
financial
literacy is included into the instructional program,
5.
removes
Communication for the Work Place 1 and 2 as approved courses,
6.
specifies the
deadline of 2010 for passing a science course with an end-of-course
assessment as a graduation requirement, and
7.
stipulates that
the required comprehensive guidance program must be composed of grades
specific standards and leads to a seamless transition to relevant employment
or postsecondary study.
8.
The proposed
required course will be Biology. Physical Science will remain the required
and tested course until the Biology Assessment is approved by the US
Department of Education.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-274.1 (At-Risk Students) is a proposed new regulation and was
approved for second reading. The regulation defines an at-risk student and
outlines specific objective criteria for districts to be used in the
identification of students at-risk and for at-risk programs.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-600 (Charter School Appeals to the State Board of Education)
was approved for second reading. This regulation was amended to include
appeals from the South Carolina Public Charter School District to the State
Board of Education.
·
The critical need
subject areas for the 2007-08 school year are:
1. Business
Education 2. Special Education-ED
3. Family/Consumer
Science 4. Speech and Drama, Theater
5.
Mathematics 6. Science (Biology,
Chemistry, Physics, Science
7.
Dance 8. All Middle Level Areas
9.
English 10. Media Specialist
11.
Art 12. Music
13. Foreign Languages
(French, Spanish, Latin and German)
State Board of Education
Actions of December 13, 2006
The
South Carolina State Board of Education approved the following actions:
·
State Board
Regulation 43-205 (Administrative and Professional Personal Qualifications,
Duties, and Workloads) was amended for second reading. Revisions include a
description of the position and qualifications for a career specialist. Each
career specialist must work under the supervision of a certified guidance
counselor. The career specialist must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have
earned either Global Career and Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification
or Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification. A guidance counselor
may serve as the career specialist if he or she holds the GCDF or CDF
certification. This regulation further amended student teacher ratios for
cross-categorical self-contained special education classes that once
required approval as an innovative approach but as amended does not.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-234 (Defined Program Grades 9-12) was approved for second
reading. The revisions include the following:
1.
allows
schools to award credit for courses approved by the State Department of
Education in a proficiency-based system,
2.
allows credit
for a three-hour postsecondary course to transfer as one unit of high school
credit under a district’s dual credit program,
3.
career
clusters are now apart of the curriculum for grades nine through twelve with
each high school required to offer a minimum of three,
4.
financial
literacy is included into the instructional program,
5.
removes
Communication for the Work Place 1 and 2 as approved courses,
6.
specifies the
deadline of 2010 for passing a science course with an end-of-course
assessment as a graduation requirement, and
7.
stipulates
that the required comprehensive guidance program must be composed of grades
specific standards and leads to a seamless transition to relevant employment
or postsecondary study.
8.
The proposed
required course will be Biology. Physical Science will remain the required
and tested course until the Biology Assessment is approved by the US
Department of Education.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-274.1 (At-Risk Students) is a proposed new regulation and was
approved for second reading. The regulation defines an at-risk student and
outlines specific objective criteria for districts to be used in the
identification of students at-risk and for at-risk programs.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-600 (Charter School Appeals to the State Board of Education)
was approved for second reading. This regulation was amended to include
appeals from the South Carolina
Public Charter School District to the State Board of Education.
·
The critical need subject
areas for the 2007-08 school year are:
1. Business Education
2. Special Education-ED
3. Family/Consumer Science
4. Speech and Drama, Theater
5. Mathematics
6. Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
Science
7. Dance
8. All Middle Level Areas
9. English
10. Media Specialist
11.
Art
12. Music
13. Foreign Languages (French, Spanish,
Latin and German)
State
Board of Education Actions of October 11, 2006
The South Carolina State Board of Education approved the following actions:
·
Repealed State Board
Regulation 43-262.3 (Reading, writing, and Mathematics Objectives for Grades
9-12) was approved for second reading. This regulation addresses BSAP
objectives and is therefore obsolete.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-205 (Administrative and Professional Personal Qualifications,
Duties, and Workloads) was amended for first readings. Revisions include a
description of the position and qualifications for a career specialist. Each
career specialist must work under the supervision of a certified guidance
counselor. The career specialist must hold a bachelor’s degree and must have
earned either Global Career and Development Facilitator (GCDF) certification
or Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification. A guidance counselor
may serve as the career specialist if he or she holds the GCDF or CDF
certification. This regulation further amended student teacher ratios for
cross-categorical self-contained special education classes that once
required approval as an innovative approach but as amended does not.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-234 (Defined Program Grades 9-12) was approved for first
reading. The revisions include the following:
1.
allows
schools to award credit for courses approved by the State Department of
Education in a proficiency-based system,
2.
allows credit
for a three-hour postsecondary course to transfer as one unit of high school
credit under a district’s dual credit program,
3.
career
clusters are now apart of the curriculum for grades nine through twelve with
each high school required to offer a minimum of three,
4.
financial
literacy is included into the instructional program,
5.
removes
Communication for the Work Place 1 and 2 as approved courses,
6.
specifies the
deadline of 2010 for passing a science course with an end-of-course
assessment as a graduation requirement, and
7.
stipulates
that the required comprehensive guidance program must be composed of grades
specific standards and leads to a seamless transition to relevant employment
or postsecondary study.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-274.1 (At-Risk Students) is a proposed new regulation and was
approved for first reading. The regulation defines an at-risk student and
outlines specific objective criteria for districts to be used in the
identification of students at-risk.
·
State Board
Regulation 43-600 (Charter School Appeals to the State Board of Education)
was approved for first reading. This regulation was amended to include
appeals from the South Carolina Public Charter School District to the State
Board of Education.
·
Model policies
prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying at school was approved for
second reading.
State Board of Education
Actions of September 13, 2006
The South Carolina State Board of Education approved the following actions:
- Revisions to the
South Carolina Mentoring and Induction Program Guidelines were approved
for second reading without further amendments.
- Revisions to the
South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy were approved for second reading
with an additional amendment to increase the quality point (.5) to be
added to a CP weighting to (1.0) for all dual credit courses. The quality
point value for dual credit courses will now equal an AP or IB course
weighting.
- Model Policies
prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or bullying at school was approved
for first reading with some of the following provisions:
- Local board policy
must include a statement prohibiting harassment, intimidation, or
bullying of a student and a definition for each.
- The policy must
include a description of appropriate student behavior.
- The policy must
include consequences and appropriate remedial plans for persons
committing acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying, and for
persons engaging in reprisal or retaliation.
- The policy must
include a procedure for reporting acts of harassment, intimidation, or
bullying to include a provision for reporting anonymously. However,
formal disciplinary action must not be taken solely on the basis of an
anonymous report. The procedures must identify the appropriate school
personnel responsible for taking the report and investigating the
complaint.
- The policy must
include a procedure for prompt investigation of reports of serious
violations and complaints.
- The policy must
include consequences and appropriate remedial action for persons found
to have falsely accused another.
- The policy must
include a statement of how the policy is to be publicized, including
notice that the policy applies to participation in school- sponsored
functions.
State
Board of Education Actions of August 9, 2006
The South Carolina State Board of Education
approved the following actions:
- Revisions to the
South Carolina Mentoring and Induction Program Guidelines were approved
for first reading. Full compliance to the guidelines is not required due
to the lack of funding.
- Revisions to the
South Carolina Uniform Grading Policy were approved for first reading. The
revisions include:
1.
All restrictions to online
honors courses have been eliminated.
2.
The grading scale is changed
to reflect three decimal places rather than two.
3.
Only Advanced Placement (AP)
or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses can be awarded a full quality
point above the College Preparatory (AP) weighting. Seminar or support
courses for AP or IB may be weighted as honors but not an AP or IB course.
4.
An AP course can carry only
one quality point.
5.
A standard-level IB course can
carry only one quality point. However, two quality points of IB credit can
be granted for higher-level courses in the IB program that require a minimum
of 240 hours of instruction.
6.
If the transcript shows that
the student has earned a grade of P (passing), that grade will be converted
to a numerical designation on the basis of information secured from the
sending school as to the appropriate numerical value of the P. If no
numerical average can be obtained from the sending school, the student’s
cumulative transfer GPA will be calculated and the corresponding number
equivalent will be assigned to replace the P (for example, if a student
transfers with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on the College Prep scale, the grade
of P would be converted to an 89).
7.
A student will receive a WP if
he or she was passing the course but either dropped out, expelled, or
withdrew before the end of a grading period. This will carry no Carnegie
units and no quality points will be factored into the student’s GPA. A
student will receive a WF if he or she was failing the course. This will
carry no Carnegie units but will be factored into the student’s GPA as a 61.
8.
A student who has taken a
course for a Carnegie unit prior to his or her ninth-grade year may retake
that course regardless of the grade he or she has earned.
- The State
Superintendent’s recommendation regarding Burke High School non-compliance
to a State’s Internal Review Team recommendation was approved with the
following provisions;
- The State
Department of Education will continue to offer technical advice and
assistance.
- A memorandum of
agreement would be developed to require the Charleston Board of Trustees
and its superintendent to present quarterly reports to the State Board
of its progress in addressing the Internal Review Team’s
recommendations.
State Board of Education
Actions of July 12, 2006
The
South Carolina State Board of Education approved the following actions:
- The South Carolina
Education and Economic Development Act Guidelines were amended and
approved for second reading requiring Career Specialists to undergo sled
checks and school districts to make sure students who participate in
shadowing and/or internships do so in a safe environment.
- The timeline for
implementing the statewide assessment for the 2006-2007 school year was
approved with the following provisions:
- The Readiness/SCRAPI
Grades 1 and 2 will be administered.
- PACT grades 3-8 (ELA,
Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) will be administered and new
items will be field- tested.
- HSAP (ELA and
Mathematics) will be administered.
- End-of- Course
(English 1, Algebra 1/Mathematics for the Technology 2, and Physical
Science) will be administered.
- End-of Course for
US History and the Constitution will be implemented this year and
administered during the 2007-2008 school year.
- English Language
Development Assessment (K- 12) will be administered.
State
Board of Education Actions of June 14, 2006
The South Carolina
State Board of Education approved the following guidelines:
· The
South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act guidelines were
approved for first reading with the following provisions:
1.
Each student will have an individual graduation plan and a career
cluster.
2.
Every high school will offer a minimum of three clusters.
3.
Students in grades one through five will have career awareness.
4.
Students in grades six through eight will explore their career
interest.
5.
Every high school curricula will be organized around clusters of
study.
6.
Students to guidance personnel ratio will be 300:1
7.
Career specialists will be employed in every middle and high school
that qualify.
8.
Student transfers within a district will be allowed.
9.
A Career Facilitator shall be employed in each regional center.
10. Staff
development will be afforded to all guidance personnel.
11. A
comprehensive guidance counseling program will be established in each
school.
12. Articulation
agreements will be established throughout the state.
·
The Program of Alternative
Certification for Educators (PACE) guidelines were approved for second
reading with the following provisions:
1.
Two years full time work experience is defined as two years of
postsecondary work experience that includes one continuous year of full time
work and no more than one year of combined part-time work experience, or an
earned advance degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or
an earned advanced degree from a college or university with a teacher
education program that has been approved by the State Board of Education for
certification purposes.
2.
The statement of eligibility indicates to a school district that the
candidate meets all eligibility criteria for admission to PACE.
· ADEPT
System guidelines were approved for second reading. The evaluation of
counselors, speech therapist, and librarians will remain the same. A
complete copy of the guidelines may be found at
www.scteachers.org. The guidelines will be piloted during the 2006-2007
school year. The guidelines include some of the following provisions:
1.
Goals Base Evaluation is tied to certification renewal.
2.
The teacher’s dossier replaces the interview requirement.
3.
The Provisional Contract year is deleted and an assistance/diagnostic
year has been added.
4.
Evaluators will be tested for approval.
The State Board of
Education recognized the following 2006 Carolina First Palmetto Finest
Award Winners:
·
Myrtle Beach
Intermediate-Horry County School District
·
New Prospect
Elementary-Spartanburg District One
·
Blythewood Middle-Richland
School District Two
·
Gaffney High-Cherokee
County School District
State Board of Education
Actions of May 9, 2006
The South Carolina State Board of Education
approved the following guidelines:
·
Guideline revisions to the
Program of Alternative Certification (PACE) were approved for first reading.
The revisions include:
- Two years
full-time work experience is defined as two years of postsecondary work
experience that includes one continuous year of full-time work and no
more than one year of combined part-time work experience, or an
earned advanced degree from a regionally accredited college or
university or the college/university has been approved by the South
Carolina State Board of Education for certification purposes.
- The statement of
eligibility indicates to a school district that the candidate meets
all eligibility criteria for admission to PACE.
-
Guideline revisions
to Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT)
were approved for first reading. The evaluation of guidance counselors,
speech therapist, and librarians will remain the same. The new ADEPT
guidelines will be piloted during the 2006-2007 school year. The
guidelines include:
1.
Attention to student
achievement and what measures are used to improve it.
2.
Goals Base Evaluation tied to
certificate renewal.
3.
The teacher’s dossier
replacing the interview requirement.
4.
The deleting of the
Provisional Contract year and adding an assistance/diagnostic year.
5.
Evaluators tested for
approval.
A
complete copy of the guidelines may be found at
www.scteachers.org.
House Bill 4812
(Capital Reserve Bill) was approved by the House that allows for the
following provisions:
- School bus
purchases $26.1 Million
- Instructional
materials $1.9 Million
- First Steps Early
Childhood $2 Million
House Bill 4429
(School Start Date) waits approval by the Governor. The bill mandates that
schools can not start earlier than the third Monday of August beginning
with the school year 2007-2008.
