Projects in the state of South Carolina
College and Career Ready – Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts Instructional Support Videos
The Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) has collaborated with the Center on Instruction Content Center and the states in SECC's region to design English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS) videos to support states, schools, and teachers with the implementation of the ELA CCSS. Due to a reorganization of the content centers, collaboration efforts are at present only with the states in SECC's region. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on providing specific examples and illustrations to address the standard.
College- and Career-Ready State Standards Resource Review
All five states in the Southeast Comprehensive Center (SECC) region have adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as a vehicle for preparing college- and career-ready students. To assist these states with their implementation of the CCSS, program associates from the SECC do an exhaustive review of the CCSS resources in order to provide the best CCSS resources to the states in the SECC region. These resources are updated twice annually to provide SECC states with guidance in implementing the CCSS.
Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Instructional Support Videos
The Common Core State Standards Mathematics (CCSSM) videos are designed to support states, schools, and teachers in the implementation of the CCSS for mathematics. The videos were created in collaboration with the states in the Southeast Comprehensive Center region based on their needs for professional development support for the implementation of the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Each video is an audiovisual resource that focuses on specific standards and includes examples and illustrations geared to enhancing understanding.
Cross-State Community of Practice (CoP)
SECC staff will initiate an interstate community of practice that focused on sharing knowledge and expertise between state education agencies. The CoP will provide a forum for SEA representatives and stakeholders to interact and collaborate with national experts and staff from other SEAs.
Ensuring School Readiness Community of Practice
SECC will establish a regional community of practice (CoP) focused on ensuring school readiness and success of preschool-age children in the five states in its region. This CoP will provide a forum in which SEA representatives can interact and collaborate with national experts and staffs from other SEAs to learn about research-based and emerging promising practices in the area of school readiness, analyze their state's use of resources to address this topic, and develop strategies for strengthening connections between services provided through funding sources and K–12 standards and expectations in the state.
Promoting Equitable Access at the State and Local Levels Regional Institute
Each year, the SECC provides a regional institute in an identified priority area for SEAs. The SECC will support the attendance of a team from each state for the institute. Additional follow up will take place after the institute to aid statewide implementation efforts.
SC Developing SEA Support for Low-Performing Schools
The Office of School Leadership has been asked to add an additional layer to its Transformational Leaders Academy to support school turnaround from a district level. This project seeks to partner with the Center on School Turnaround and the University of Virginia to work with identified districts in a capacity building framework and to take lessons learned and the same approach with nonparticipating districts.
SC Strengthening SC Charter Schools and School Choice Innovation
SCDE seeks to strengthen sponsors and expand choice options. This project seeks to offer choice for parents while bolstering the creativity, flexibility, and innovative nature of charter schools. State-level support for district (LEA) and IHEs as authorizers will also be a focus for this project in addition to strengthening the capacity of charter school sponsors and expanding choice options.
SCDE Internal Evaluation Support
SECC staff will continue to support SCDE staff with implementing a state-wide system of support.
Science Standards
South Carolina is required to regularly revise and update the state science standards every 7 years by the Education Accountability Act of 1998. The South Carolina Department of Education is in the process of revising the state science standards with infusion of engineering and cross-cutting concepts. SECC is serving as a critical friend to the core team responsible for leading the revisions of the South Carolina science standards.
South Carolina Educator Evaluation Systems
SCDE has developed and continues to administer, maintain, and make ongoing refinements to the ADEPT and PADEPP systems. These evaluation and support systems provide effective and consistent methods for evaluating and supporting all teachers and principals across the state’s school districts. This project will develop a system to measure student growth and incorporate that measure into the current evaluation systems.
Support For Implementing South Carolina State Standards
South Carolina has begun a revision process for math and ELA to transition from CCSS to South Carolina Standards for math and ELA. South Carolina is also introducing a new assessment to replace Smarter Balanced. Included with the new assessment work will be a focus on revising the statewide uniform grading policy. These changes will occur over the course of this academic year.
