H*3476(Rat #0132, Act #0075 of 2007)  General Bill, By Walker, Harrell, Cato, 
Barfield, Battle, Jennings, Kennedy, Miller and Mulvaney

Similar(S 608)
 AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 4
 TO CHAPTER 25, TITLE 59 TO ENACT THE "AMERICAN BOARD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF
 TEACHER EXCELLENCE ACT" SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY HIRE
 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF
 TEACHER EXCELLENCE (ABCTE) PURSUANT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS. - ratified title

   02/08/07  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-6
   02/08/07  House  Referred to Committee on Education and Public
                     Works HJ-7
   03/07/07  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Mulvaney
   03/13/07  House  Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education and Public Works HJ-38
   03/14/07         Scrivener's error corrected
   03/20/07  House  Amended HJ-21
   03/20/07  House  Read second time HJ-23
   03/21/07  House  Read third time and sent to Senate HJ-12
   03/21/07  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-9
   03/21/07  Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-9
   05/03/07  Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment
                     Education SJ-13
   05/04/07         Scrivener's error corrected
   06/05/07  Senate Committee Amendment Amended and Adopted SJ-38
   06/05/07  Senate Read second time SJ-38
   06/06/07  Senate Read third time and returned to House with
                     amendments SJ-33
   06/06/07  House  Senate amendment amended HJ-110
   06/06/07  House  Returned to Senate with amendments HJ-111
   06/07/07  Senate Concurred in House amendment and enrolled SJ-98
   06/07/07         Ratified R 132
   06/13/07         Signed By Governor
   06/18/07         Copies available
   06/18/07         Effective date 06/13/07
   06/18/07         Act No. 75

(A75, R132, H3476)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 4 TO CHAPTER 25, TITLE 59 TO ENACT THE "AMERICAN BOARD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF TEACHER EXCELLENCE ACT" SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY HIRE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CERTIFIED BY THE AMERICAN BOARD FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF TEACHER EXCELLENCE (ABCTE) PURSUANT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Act citation

SECTION    1.    This act may be cited as the "American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence Act".

American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence Act

SECTION    2.    Chapter 25, Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

Section 59-25-310.    In addition to individuals certified for employment as school teachers pursuant to Article 3 of this chapter, a school district may hire individuals who have received a passport certificate issued by the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) and who meet the requirements of this article in the content areas of biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, or science. Additional areas of certification may be approved by the State Board of Education upon review of the longitudinal information required in Section 59-25-350.

Section 59-25-320.    A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE must not be hired by a school district in South Carolina without submitting to the State Department of Education, Office of Educator Certification at the time of application a Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint card and without having undergone a criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints and conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation pursuant to Section 59-25-115(B) completed within the previous eighteen months.

Section 59-25-330.    A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE, who has a minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an institution with a teacher education program that has been approved by the State Board of Education for certification purposes, and who has met the requirements of Section 59-25-320 is considered to have met the requirements for certification and must be issued an appropriate alternative route certificate as determined by the State Board of Education. The alternative route certificate must be valid for one year and may be renewed annually for two additional years upon the successful completion of teaching and of the hiring district's induction program.

Section 59-25-340.    A person who has received a passport certificate issued by the ABCTE, possesses an alternative route certificate, and has been initially hired by a school district must be required, as a condition for professional certification, to successfully pass the South Carolina adopted pedagogy examination.

Section 59-25-350.    The State Department of Education shall submit annually by March thirty-first to the State Board of Education and the General Assembly the total number of individuals employed in South Carolina with a passport certificate issued by ABCTE by district and nonprivileged information collected on these individuals through the ADEPT reporting system.

Section 59-25-360. A person who has completed all requirements of this article and has been hired by a school district has the same responsibilities and rights as other teachers hired by the district."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of June, 2007.

Approved the 13th day of June, 2007.