The 2021-2022 school year was one of recovery both in South Carolina and across our nation as educators, staff, parents, and community leaders sought to address student needs post-pandemic. Utilizing Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds and existing resources, the State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education created partnerships with agencies, educational institutions, and organizations to address the academic needs of students and help schools recover.
Several initiatives have been implemented on the state and local level to address learning loss, including a Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning program and a partnership with the South Carolina State Library to provide free online tutoring for ESSER funds. ESSER funds have also been used to create a new Instruction Hub, a digital library for all teachers to provide access to high-quality, effective resources aligned to the South Carolina College and Career-Ready standards. To fill workforce gaps and grow dual credit opportunities for students, the SCDE and South Carolina Technical College System (SCTCS) announced a three-year $11.5 million partnership in February 2022 that will grow and expand career and technical education programs, adult education programs, and provide scholarships to high demand technical college programs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fruition of these initiatives can be seen in the progress and improvements that South Carolina students have shown on several state assessments. On State Report Cards, 20.6 percent of schools received an overall rating of Excellent on the 2022 report card, which is consistent with the 2019 percent of schools receiving the highest rating in the state’s education accountability system. The quick rebound of some schools amid the challenges brought about by the pandemic is encouraging; however, real challenges exist to help all students reach college and career-readiness.
In addition to academic measures for students, the SCDE and its partners focused on other high-priority educational needs including safety, staff recruitment, finance, and the classroom environment; all which play equally important parts in ensuring schools that foster learning for all students.
The South Carolina Department of Education hopes that parents, communities, and school leaders will use these report cards as a tool to engage in important conversations about the previous year's challenges and the work that must be done collectively to ensure students graduate ready for college, career and citizenship.
