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S. 4
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Leatherman, Setzler, Hayes, Mescher, Gregory, Alexander, Martin, Short and Rankin
Document Path: l:\s-res\hkl\007educ.kmm.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 122, 3155
Introduced in the Senate on January 11, 2005
Currently residing in the Senate Committee on Education
Summary: Education and Economic Development Act
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
Date Body Action Description with journal page number
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12/8/2004 Senate Prefiled
12/8/2004 Senate Referred to Committee on Education
1/11/2005 Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-81
1/11/2005 Senate Referred to Committee on Education SJ-81
3/15/2005 Senate Committee report: Favorable with amendment Education
SJ-17
3/16/2005 Scrivener's error corrected
4/27/2005 Senate Recommitted to Committee on Education SJ-49
View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
COMMITTEE REPORT
March 15, 2005
S. 4
Introduced by Senators Leatherman, Setzler, Hayes, Mescher, Gregory, Alexander, Martin, Short and Rankin
S. Printed 3/15/05--S. [SEC 3/16/05 3:01 PM]
Read the first time January 11, 2005.
To whom was referred a Bill (S. 4) to amend Title 59 of the 1976 Code by adding Chapter 59, to enact the "South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act"; to amend Section 59-17-135, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same and recommend that the same do pass with amendment:
Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking all after the enacting words and inserting:
/ SECTION 1. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-59-10. This chapter may be cited as the 'South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act'.
Section 59-59-20. (A) The Department of Education shall develop a curriculum, aligned with state content standards, organized around a career cluster system that must provide students with both strong academics and real-world problem solving skills. Students must be provided individualized educational, academic, and career-oriented choices and greater exposure to career information and opportunities. This system must promote the involvement and cooperative effort of parents, teachers, and school counselors in assisting students in making these choices, in setting career goals, and in developing individual graduation plans to achieve these goals.
(B) School districts shall lay the foundation for the clusters of study system in elementary schools by providing career awareness activities. In the middle grades, programs must allow students to identify career interests and abilities and align them with clusters of study for the development of individual graduation plans. Finally, high school students must be provided guidance and curricula that will enable them to successfully complete their individual graduation plans, preparing them for a seamless transition to relevant employment, further training, or post-secondary study.
Section 59-59-30. The Department of Education's guidance and counseling model must provide standards and strategies for school districts to use and follow in developing and implementing a comprehensive guidance and counseling program in their districts. This model must assist school districts and communities with the planning, development, implementation, and assessment of a school guidance and counseling program to support the personal, social, educational, and career development of pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade students. The Department of Education shall submit this guidance and counseling program model during the 2006 Legislative Session to the General Assembly in the form of a regulation in accordance with the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act.
Section 59-59-40. (A) By June 1, 2006, the Department of Education shall develop state models and prototypes for individual graduation plans and the curriculum framework for career clusters of study. Clusters of study may be based upon the national career clusters and may include, but are not limited to:
(1) agriculture, food, and natural resources;
(2) architecture and construction;
(3) arts, audio-video technology, and communications;
(4) business, management, and administration;
(5) education and training;
(6) finance;
(7) health science;
(8) hospitality and tourism;
(9) human services;
(10) information technology;
(11) law, public safety, and security;
(12) manufacturing;
(13) government and public administration;
(14) marketing, sales, and service;
(15) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and
(16) transportation, distribution, and logistics.
(B) During the 2005-06 school year, the department shall begin implementing a career development plan for educational professionals in career guidance that provides awareness, training, release time, and preparatory instruction. The plan must include strategies for certified school counselors to effectively involve parents in the career guidance process and in the development of the individual graduation plans. The plan also must include innovative approaches to recruit, train, and certify professionals needed to carry out the career development plan. The elements of the plan are to be available to certified career guidance professionals by the 2006-07 school year.
Section 59-59-50. By August 1, 2007, each school district shall:
(1) organize high school curricula around a minimum of three clusters of study and relevant cluster majors in accordance with a model or prototype developed or approved by the Department of Education. The curricula must ensure that each student's goals and course of study can be met and be designed to teach academic content, knowledge, and skills that students will use in the workplace, further education, and life;
(2) ensure that curricula for content clusters and majors provide a well-rounded education and allow for study in the arts and humanities, which foster the creativity, critical thinking skills, and self-discipline needed for success in any field; and
(3) promote increased awareness and career school guidance counseling by providing to schools access to the South Carolina Occupational Information System. However, a district may choose another occupational information system, if approved by the Department of Education.
Section 59-59-70. Parental participation is an integral component of the clusters of study system. Beginning with students in the sixth grade and continuing through high school, a school shall schedule annual parent counseling conferences to assist parents and their children in making career choices and creating individual graduation plans. These conferences must include, but are not limited to, assisting the student in identifying career interests and goals, selecting a cluster of study and an academic focus, and developing an individual graduation plan.
Section 59-59-80. (A) During the 2005-06 school year the department's school guidance and counseling program model along with career awareness and exploration activities must be integrated into the curricula for students in the first through fifth grades.
(B) Beginning with the 2006-07 school year, counseling and career awareness programs on clusters of study must be provided to students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, and they must receive career assessments and information to guide them in the career decision-making process. Before the end of the second semester of the eighth grade, eighth-grade students, in consultation with their parents, shall select a preferred cluster of study and develop an individual graduation plan as provided for in Section 59-59-100.
(C) During the 2007-08 school year, each public high school shall implement a career guidance program model or prototype as developed or approved by the State Department of Education. At least annually after that, certified school guidance counselors and career specialists shall counsel students during the ninth and tenth grades to further define their career cluster goals and individual graduation plans. Before the end of the second semester of the tenth grade, each student shall declare an area of academic focus within a cluster of study. Throughout high school, a school shall provide each student guidance activities and career awareness programs that combine counseling on career options and experimental learning with academic planning to assist the student in fulfilling his individual graduation plans.
(D) In order to maximize the number of clusters offered, a school district is to ensure that each high school within the district offers a variety of clusters. A student may transfer to a high school offering that student's career cluster if not offered by the high school in his attendance zone.
Section 59-59-90. By the 2006-07 school year a middle school and by 2007-08 a high school shall provide students with the services of a certified school guidance counselor or career specialist who has obtained a bachelor's degree and who has successfully completed the national Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification training. This career specialist shall work under the supervision of a certified school guidance counselor. The student to school guidance personnel ratio must be three hundred to one by school year 2006-07 for each middle school and 2007-08 for each high school. Guidance personnel include certified school guidance counselors and career specialists.
Section 59-59-100. An individual graduation plan is a student specific educational plan detailing the curriculum necessary for the student to prepare for graduation and to successfully transition into the workforce or other post-secondary educational experiences. An individual graduation plan must:
(1) align career goals and a student's course of study;
(2) be based on the student's selected cluster of study and an academic focus within that cluster;
(3) ensure that requirements for graduation will be met;
(4) include career-oriented learning experiences including, but not limited to, internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, co-op education, and service learning;
(5) be flexible to allow change in the course of study but be sufficiently structured to meet graduation requirements and admission to post-secondary education;
(6) incorporate provisions of a student's individual education plan, when appropriate; and
(7) be approved by a certified guidance professional and the student's parent or guardian.
Section 59-59-110. (A) The South Carolina Employment Security Commission, in collaboration with the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and the Commission on Higher Education, shall assist the Department of Education in planning and promoting the career information and employment options and preparation programs provided for in this chapter and in the establishment of regional education service centers by:
(1) identifying potential employers to participate in the career-oriented learning programs;
(2) serving as a contact point for employees seeking career information and training;
(3) providing labor market information including, but not limited to, supply and demand and nontraditional jobs for men and women;
(4) promoting increased career awareness and career counseling through the management and promotion of the South Carolina Occupational Information System;
(5) collaborating with local agencies and businesses to stimulate funds; and
(6) cooperating in the creation and coordination of workforce education programs.
(B) The South Carolina Employment Security Commission shall assist in providing a link between employers in South Carolina and youth seeking employment.
Section 59-59-120. (A) There is created the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council to implement the statewide performance, accountability, and enforcement requirements of this chapter. The council is comprised of the following members representing the geographic regions of the State and must be representative of the ethnic, gender, rural, and urban diversity of the State:
(1) State Superintendent of Education or his designee;
(2) Executive Director of the South Carolina Employment Security Commission or his designee;
(3) Executive Director of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education or his designee;
(4) Secretary of the Department of Commerce or his designee;
(5) Executive Director of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce or his designee;
(6) Executive Director of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education or his designee;
(7) the following members who must be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education:
(a) a school district superintendent;
(b) a principal;
(c) a school guidance counselor;
(d) a teacher; and
(e) the director of a career and technology center;
(8) the following members who must be appointed by the Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education:
(a) the president or provost of a research university;
(b) the president or provost of a four-year college or university; and
(c) the president of a technical college;
(9) ten representatives of business appointed by the Governor, at least one of which must represent small business. Of the representatives appointed by the Governor five must be recommended by statewide organizations representing business and industry. The chair is to be selected by the Governor from one of his appointees;
(10) Chairman of the Education Oversight Committee or his designee;
(11) a member from the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and
(12) a member from the Senate appointed by the President Pro Tempore. Initial appointments must be made by October 1, 2005, at which time the Governor shall call the first meeting. Appointments made by the Superintendent of Education, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Governor are to ensure that the demographics and diversity of this State are represented.
(B) The council shall:
(1) report annually to the General Assembly concerning the implementation of each component and phase of this chapter;
(2) provide technical assistance to the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to facilitate the implementation of this chapter;
(3) designate and oversee the coordination and establishment of the regional centers established pursuant to Section 59-59-130;
(4) report annually to the Governor, the General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and other appropriate governing boards on the progress, results, and compliance with the provisions of this chapter;
(5) assist the Department of Education with the development and implementation of a communication and marketing plan to promote statewide awareness of the provisions of this chapter; and
(6) provide input to the State Board of Education and other appropriate governing boards for the promulgation of regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter including, but not limited to, recommended changes to high school graduation requirements, enforcement procedures, which may include monitoring and auditing functions, and penalties for noncompliance.
(C) July 1, 2011, the council shall cease to exist.
(D) The Education Oversight Committee shall provide staff support to the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council.
Section 59-59-130. (A) Before July 1, 2006, the Education and Economic Development Council shall designate regional education centers to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of information, resources, and services to students, educators, employers, and the community.
(B) The primary responsibilities of these centers are to:
(1) provide services to students and adults for career planning, employment seeking, training, and other support functions;
(2) provide information, resources, and professional development programs to educators;
(3) provide resources to school districts for compliance and accountability pursuant to the provisions of this chapter;
(4) provide information and resources to employers including, but not limited to, education partnerships, career-oriented learning, and training services;
(5) facilitate local connections among businesses and those involved in education; and
(6) work with school districts and institutions of higher education to create and coordinate workforce education programs.
(C)(1) By the 2006-07 school year, each regional education center must have career development facilitators who shall coordinate career-oriented learning, career development, and postsecondary transitions for the schools in their respective regions.
(2) A career development facilitator must be certified and recognized by the National Career Development Association.
(D) The Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall provide oversight to the regional centers, and the centers shall provide data and reports that the council may request.
Section 59-59-140. Beginning with the 2006-07 academic year, colleges of education shall include in their training of teachers and administrators: career guidance, the use of the cluster of study curriculum framework and individual graduation plans, learning styles, the elements of the Career Guidance Model of the South Carolina Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program Model, contextual teaching, cooperative learning, and character education. The State Board of Education shall develop performance-based standards in these areas and include them as criteria for teacher program approval. By the 2009-10 school year, the teacher evaluation system established in Chapter 26 of Title 59, and the principal evaluation system established in Section 59-24-40 must include a review of performance in career exploration and contextual teaching.
Section 59-59-150. (A) By September 2005, the Commission on Higher Education shall convene the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs to address articulation agreements between school districts and public institutions of higher education in South Carolina to provide seamless pathways for adequately prepared students to move from high school directly into institutions of higher education. The committee shall review, revise, and recommend secondary to post-secondary articulation agreements and promote the development of measures to certify equivalency in content and rigor for all courses included in articulation agreements. The advisory committee shall include representatives from the research institutions, four-year comprehensive teaching institutions, two-year regional campuses, and technical colleges. The committee, for purposes pursuant to this chapter, shall include representation from the State Department of Education and school district administrators to include curriculum coordinators and guidance personnel.
(B) By July 2006, the Advisory Committee on Academic Programs shall make recommendations to the Commission on Higher Education regarding coursework that is acceptable statewide for dual enrollment to be accepted in transfer within a related course of study. Dual enrollment college courses offered to high school students by two-year and four-year colleges and universities must be equivalent in content and rigor to the equivalent college courses offered to college students and taught by appropriately credentialed faculty. Related policies and procedures established by the Commission on Higher Education for dual enrollment and guidelines for offering dual enrollment coursework and articulation to two-year and four-year colleges and universities for awarding of credit must be followed.
(C) The Commission on Higher Education shall report annually to the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council regarding the committee's progress.
Section 59-59-160. The State Board of Education, with input from the Education and Economic Development Council, shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Section 59-59-170. The requirements of this chapter do not apply to private schools or to home schools.
Section 59-59-180. Each phase of implementation of this chapter is contingent upon the appropriation of adequate funding as documented by the fiscal impact statement provided by the Office of State Budget of the State Budget and Control Board. There is no mandatory financial obligation to school districts if state funding is not appropriated for each phase of implementation as provided for in the fiscal impact statement of the Office of the State Budget of the State Budget and Control Board."
SECTION 2. Act 450 of 1994 and Section 59-52-95 of the 1976 Code are repealed.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor. /
Renumber sections to conform.
Amend title to conform.
JOHN E. COURSON for Committee.
TO AMEND TITLE 59 OF THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING CHAPTER 59, TO ENACT THE "SOUTH CAROLINA EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACT"; TO AMEND SECTION 59-17-135 RELATING TO CHARACTER EDUCATION, TO INCORPORATE THE CHARACTER TRAITS OF THE FAMILY RESPECT ACT; TO AMEND SECTION 59-18-900, RELATING TO SCHOOL REPORT CARDS, TO EXPAND THE CONTENT OF THE REPORT CARD TO INCLUDE, AMONG OTHER THINGS, REPORTS ON COMPLIANCE WITH THIS ACT AND THE CHARACTER EDUCATION ACT AND DROPOUT REDUCTION DATA; AND TO REPEAL ACT 450 OF 1994 AND SECTION 59-52-95 RELATING TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION ACT OF 1994.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Title 59 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
Section 59-59-10. This chapter may be cited as the 'South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act'.
Section 59-59-20. (A) The Department of Education shall develop a curriculum organized around a career cluster system that must provide students with both strong academics and real-world problem solving skills. Students must be provided individualized educational, academic, and career-oriented choices and greater exposure to career information and opportunities. This system must promote the involvement and cooperative effort of parents, teachers, and counselors in assisting students in making these choices, in setting career goals, and in developing individual graduation plans to achieve these goals.
(B) School districts must lay the foundation for the clusters of study system in elementary school by providing career awareness activities. In the middle grades programs must allow students to identify career interests and abilities and align them with clusters of study for the development of individual graduation plans. Finally, high school students must be provided guidance and curricula that will enable them to successfully complete their individual graduation plans, preparing them for a seamless transition to relevant employment, further training, or postsecondary study.
Section 59-59-30. There is created within the Department of Education, the Education and Economic Development Project Office to oversee the implementation of this chapter. This chapter must be fully implemented by July 1, 2012, at which time the project office and the council created pursuant to Section 59-59-170 are abolished.
Section 59-59-40. (A) During the 2005-06 school year the department shall conduct a pilot project implementing its Career Guidance Model of the Comprehensive Developmental Guidance and Counseling Program Model in schools in which a pilot project for the clusters of study model is being conducted.
(B) The State Department of Education must report annually by December 1st, to the Governor, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the Chairman of the House Education and Public Works Committee on the progress and effectiveness of the implementation of the this act and its ability to provide a better prepared workforce.
Section 59-59-50. (A) Before July 1, 2006, the Department of Education shall develop state models and prototypes for individual graduation plans and the curriculum framework for career clusters of study. These clusters of study may be based upon the national career clusters and may include, but are not limited to:
(1) agriculture, food, and natural resources;
(2) architecture and construction;
(3) arts, audio-video technology, and communications;
(4) business, management, and administration;
(5) education and training;
(6) finance;
(7) health science;
(8) hospitality and tourism;
(9) human services;
(10) information technology;
(11) law, public safety, and security;
(12) manufacturing;
(13) government and public administration;
(14) marketing, sales, and service;
(15) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;
(16) transportation, distribution, and logistics.
Section 59-59-60. Before August 1, 2007, school districts shall:
(1) organize high school curricula around clusters of study and cluster majors. The curricula must be designed to teach academic content, knowledge, and skills that students will use in the workplace, further education, and life;
(2) ensure that curricula for all content clusters and majors provide a well-rounded education and allow for study in the arts and humanities, which foster the creativity, critical thinking, and self-discipline needed for success in any field;
(3) promote increased awareness and career counseling by providing access to the South Carolina Occupational Information System for all schools. However, if a school chooses another occupational information system, that system must be approved by the Department of Education.
Section 59-59-70. Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, the department shall implement a career development plan for educational professionals in career guidance that provides awareness, training, release time, and preparatory instruction. The plan must include strategies for counselors to effectively involve parents, guardians, or individuals appointed by the parents or guardians to serve as their designee in the career guidance process and in the development of the individual graduation plans of their children. The plan also shall include innovative approaches to recruit, train, and certify professionals needed to carry out the career development plan.
Section 59-59-80. During the 2006-07 school year career awareness and exploration activities must be integrated in the curricula for all students in the first through fifth grades, and elementary students must be exposed to career options. By the 2009-10 school year, these guidance models must be fully implemented in all school districts.
Section 59-59-90. During the 2006-07 school year counseling and programs must be provided to students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades on clusters of study, and they must receive career assessments to guide them in the career decision-making process. Before the end of the second semester of the eighth grade, all eighth grade students in consultation with their parents, guardians, or individuals appointed by the parents or guardians to serve as their designee must have selected their preferred cluster of study and developed individual graduation plans, as provided for in Section 59-59-140.
Section 59-59-100. (A) By the 2009-2010 school year, middle and high schools must provide students with the services of a career specialist who has successfully completed the national Career Development Facilitator (CDF) certification training. This career specialist must work under the supervision of a certified guidance professional. During the years prior to the 2009-2010 school year, districts must show progress toward meeting the requirements of this section. The guidance ratio shall be 300 to 1 by the year 2010-2011.
(B) Career specialists currently employed by the sixteen Tech Prep Consortia and their performance responsibilities related to the delivery of Tech Prep or School-to-Work activities must be supervised by the State Department of Education's Office of Career and Technology Education in conjunction with the immediate site supervisor of the Tech Prep Consortia.
Section 59-59-110. During the 2008-09 school year counselors must counsel students during the ninth and tenth grades to further define their career goals and plans, and before the end of the second semester of the tenth grade, tenth grade students must have declared a major within a cluster of study. Throughout high school, students must be provided guidance activities and programs that combine career counseling and experiential learning with academic planning to assist students in fulfilling their individual graduation plans.
Section 59-59-120. By the 2009-10 school year, each high school shall implement the 'High Schools that Work' organizational model or have obtained approval from the Department of Education for another cluster or major organizational model.
Section 59-59-130. Before July 1, 2010, the Department of Education shall revise high school graduation requirements to fit the career cluster system and shall include a variety of courses in core subjects so that individual student needs may be addressed.
Section 59-59-140. An individual graduation plan is a student specific educational plan detailing the courses necessary for the student to prepare for graduation and to successfully transition into the workforce or other post-secondary educational experiences. An individual graduation plan must:
(1) align career goals and a student's course of study;
(2) be based on the student's selected cluster of study and a major within that cluster;
(3) include core academic subjects, which must include, but are not limited to, English, math, science, and social studies;
(4) include career-oriented learning experiences including, but not limited to, internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, co-op education, and service learning;
(5) be flexible to allow change in the course of study but be sufficiently structured to meet graduation requirements and admission to postsecondary education;
(6) be incorporated in Individual Education Plans; and
(7) be approved by a certified guidance professional and the student's parent, guardian, or individual appointed by the parent or guardian to serve as their designee.
Section 59-59-150. (A) The department shall promulgate regulations outlining specific objective criteria for districts to use in the identification of students at risk for being poorly prepared for the next level of study or for dropping out of school. The process for identifying these students must be closely monitored by the State Department of Education in collaboration with school districts to ensure that students are being properly identified and provided timely, appropriate guidance and assistance, and ensure that no group is disproportionately represented.
(B) By the 2007-2008 school year, the department shall identify one or more model programs for at risk students and each high school of the State shall implement one or more of these programs to ensure that these students receive the opportunity to complete the necessary requirements to graduate with a state high school diploma and build skills to prepare them to enter the job market successfully.
Section 59-59-160. Parental participation is an integral component of the clusters of study system. Beginning with students in the sixth grade and continuing through high school, school districts must require annual parent counseling conferences to assist their children in making career choices and plans as their children progress through this system. These conferences must include, but are not limited to, assisting the student in identifying career interests and goals, selecting a cluster of study and a major, and developing an individual graduation plan.
Section 59-59-170. (A) There is created the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council to implement the statewide performance, accountability, and enforcement requirements of this chapter. The council is comprised of:
(1) State Superintendent of Education;
(2) Executive Director of the South Carolina Employment Security Commission;
(3) Executive Director of the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education;
(4) Executive Director of the Department of Commerce;
(5) Executive Director of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce;
(6) Executive Director of the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education;
(7) These members must be appointed by the State Superintendent of Education:
(a) a school district superintendent;
(b) a school principal;
(c) a school guidance counselor;
(d) a teacher;
(e) the director of a career and technology center;
(8) these members must be appointed by the Chair of the Commission on Higher Education:
(a) the president of a four-year college or university;
(b) the president of a technical college;
(9) the Governor shall appoint eight representatives of business and industry, four of whom shall be recommended by the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and shall select a chair from the members appointed from business and industry;
(10) Chairman of the Education Oversight Committee or his designee;
(11) the Speaker of the House shall appoint a member from the House of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore shall appoint a member from the Senate.
The members of the council holding public office shall serve on the council in ex officio capacity.
(B) The council shall:
(1) advise the Education and Economic Development Project Office on the implementation of this chapter;
(2) establish accountability and performance measures for implementation of this chapter;
(3) review school report cards, as required by the Education Accountability Act, and other compliance reports required of schools and school districts;
(4) advise schools and school districts through the project office, institutions of higher education through the Commission on Higher Education, and other state agencies through their governing boards on appropriate and effective measures to ensure implementation with this chapter;
(5) chose the location of the regional educational service centers with the consent of the State Department of Education;
(6) make recommendations to the project office for the development and implementation of a communication and marketing plan to promote statewide awareness of the provisions of this chapter;
(7) make recommendations to the State Board of Education and other appropriate governing boards for the promulgation of regulations to carry out the provisions of this chapter including, but not limited to, enforcement procedures, which may include monitoring and auditing functions, and penalties for noncompliance.
(C) The council shall report annually to the Governor, the General Assembly, the State Board of Education, and other appropriate governing boards on the progress, results, and compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(D) The Department of Education shall provide administrative support and staffing to the council to carry out its responsibilities under this chapter.
Section 59-59-180. (A) Before July 1, 2006, the Education and Economic Development Council shall designate regional education service centers to coordinate and facilitate the delivery of information, resources, and services to students, educators, employers, and the community.
(B) The primary responsibilities of these centers are to:
(1) provide services to students and adults for career planning, employment seeking, training, and other support functions;
(2) provide information, resources, and professional development programs to educators;
(3) provide resources to school districts for compliance and accountability under the provisions of this chapter;
(4) provide information and resources to employers including, but not limited to, education partnerships, career-oriented learning, and training services;
(5) facilitate local connections among businesses and those involved in education;
(6) create and coordinate workforce education programs.
(C)(1) By the 2006-07 school year, each regional center must have career development facilitators who shall coordinate career-oriented learning, career development, and post-secondary transitions for the schools in their respective regions.
(2) A career development facilitator must be certified and recognized by the National Career Development Association.
(D) The Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council shall provide oversight to the regional centers, and the centers shall provide such data and reports as the council may request.
Section 59-59-190. (A) The South Carolina Employment Security Commission, in collaboration with the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education and the Commission on Higher Education, shall assist the Department of Education, in planning and promoting the career and employment programs provided for in this chapter and in the establishment of the regional education service centers by:
(1) identifying potential employers to participate in the career-oriented learning programs;
(2) serving as a contact point for employees seeking career information and training;
(3) providing labor market information including, but not limited to, supply and demand and nontraditional jobs for women;
(4) promoting increased career awareness and career counseling through the management and promotion of the South Carolina Occupational Information System; and
(5) collaborating with local agencies and businesses to stimulate funds.
(B) The South Carolina Employment Security Commission shall assist in providing the link between employers in South Carolina and youth seeking employment.
Section 59-59-200. Beginning with the 2006-07 academic year, degree requirements for colleges of education must include content in career guidance, the use of the cluster of study curriculum framework and individual graduation plans, learning styles, the elements of the Career Guidance Model of the South Carolina Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program Model contextual teaching, cooperative learning, and character education. The Department of Education shall develop performance based standards in these areas and include them as criteria for certification and recertification of teachers, counselors, and school administrators. The department also shall develop programs to train educators in contextual teaching.
Section 59-59-210. (A)(1) Before July 1, 2006, all school districts, two-year colleges, and four-year colleges and universities shall enter into articulation agreements.
(2) An articulation agreement must have statewide applicability, and in establishing admission criteria, a two or four-year college or university may not exclude courses that apply to major electives and the high school diploma.
(3) Dual credits recognized by two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities must be transferable statewide.
(B) The Department of Education, through the Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council, shall convene a committee to assist in developing statewide articulation agreements, to define criteria and guidelines for ensuring that new and revised courses will be accepted under the agreements, and to promote the development of measures to certify genuine equivalency in content and rigor for all courses.
Section 59-59-220. When the Department of Education or a school district implements the clusters of study system, appropriate textbooks and instructional materials must be approved by the appropriate authority and must be made available to the district.
Section 59-59-230. The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the Education and Economic Development Council, shall promulgate regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
Section 59-59-240. The requirements of this chapter do not apply to private schools or to home schools.
Section 59-59-250. The implementation of this chapter is contingent upon the appropriation of adequate funding as determined by the fiscal impact statement provided by the Office of State Budget, State Budget and Control Board."
SECTION 2. Section 59-17-135(B) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(B) Each local school board of trustees of the State must develop a policy addressing character education. Any character education program implemented by a district as a result of an adopted policy must, to the extent possible, incorporate character traits including, but not limited to, the following: respect for authority and respect for others, honesty, duty, self-control, cleanliness, courtesy, good manners, cooperation, commitment to others, citizenship, patriotism, courage, fairness, kindness, self-respect, compassion, diligence, good work ethic, sound educational habits, generosity, punctuality, cheerfulness, patience, sportsmanship, loyalty, and virtue. Local school boards must include all sectors of the community, as referenced in subsection (A)(4), in the development of a policy and in the development of any program implemented as a result of the policy. As part of any policy and program developed by the local school board, an evaluation component must be included."
SECTION 3. Section 59-18-900(D) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"(D) The report card must include a comprehensive set of performance indicators with information on comparisons, trends, needs, and performance over time which is helpful to parents and the public in evaluating the school. Special efforts are to be made to ensure that the information contained in the report cards is provided in an easily understood manner and a reader friendly format. This information should also provide a context for the performance of the school. Where appropriate, the data should yield disaggregated results to schools and districts in planning for improvement. The report card should include information in such areas as programs and curriculum, school leadership, community and parent support, faculty qualifications, evaluations of the school by parents, teachers, and students. In addition, the report card must contain other criteria including, but is not limited to, information on Education and Economic Development Act compliance reports, compliance reports on the implementation of the character education requirements pursuant to Section 59-17-135, promotion and retention ratios, disciplinary climate, dropout ratios, dropout reduction data, student and teacher ratios, and attendance data, disciplinary infractions and punishment, expulsion and suspension reduction data, and data on the reduction of violence and other disciplinary infractions."
SECTION 4. Act 450 of 1994 and Section 59-52-95 of the 1976 Code are repealed.
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on Friday, December 4, 2009 at 3:23 P.M.