September 23, 2005

HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND

IMPROVING TEACHER QUALITY STATE GRANTS (ESEA TITLE II, PART A)

MONITORING REPORT

South Carolina Department of Education

**June 28-30, 2005**

**U.S. Department of Education Monitoring Team**

Margaret Miles

Elizabeth Witt

Tamara Morse Azar (Westat)

**South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE)**

Janice Poda, Deputy Superintendent, Division of Teacher Quality and
School Leadership

Catherine Samulski, Coordinator, Title II, Part A

Deborah Larkin, Coordinator, Title II, Part A

Kathy Meeks, Teacher Evaluation Coordinator

Jim Turner, Director, Office of Teacher Certification

Bill Billingsley, Assistant Director, Office of Teacher Certification

Joellen Harris, Office of Teacher Preparation

Sharon Keefe, Chief Certification Analyst

Wendy Spivey, Information Resource Consultant

Susan Flanagan, Project Accounting Manager

Bobby Rykard, Project Accountant, Office of Finance

**Lexington School District 2**

Angela Bain, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel

Lorrie DuBose, Coordinator for Recruitment and Retention

Janice Boldt, Administrative Assistant

**McCormick County School District**

Wanda Anderson, Administrative Assistant to the Assistance
Superintendent

**Barnwell School District 45**

Phil Flynn, Director of Support Services

**State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE)**

Gail Morrison, Director of Academic Affairs and Licensing

Esther A. Kramer, Program Manager

Rashad Rogers, Grants Accountant

  -------------------------- ----------------------- -------------- --------------
  **[Overview of South                                              
  Carolina:]{.underline}**                                          

                             85                                     

  **Number of Districts**                                           

  **Number of Schools**      1100                                   

  **Number of Teachers**     47,000                                 

                                                                    

                             **FY2003**              **FY2004**     

  **State Allocation**       \$37,057,604            \$36,900,637   

  **LEA Allocation**         \$34,852,676            \$34,705,049   

  **State Activities**       \$917,176               \$913,291      

  **SAHE Allocation**        \$917,176               \$913,291      

  **SEA Administration**     \$324.606               \$323,036      

  **SAHE Administration**    \$45,970                \$45,970       
  -------------------------- ----------------------- -------------- --------------

**Scope of Review:**

Like all State educational agencies (SEAs), the South Carolina
Department of Education (SCDE), as a condition of receiving funds under
Title I, Part A and Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB),
provided an assurance to the U.S. Department of Education (the
Department) that it would administer these programs in accordance with
all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including those in
Title I, Part A that concern "Highly Qualified Teachers" and those that
govern the use of Title II, Part A funds. See **§**9304(a)(1) of the
ESEA. One of the specific requirements the Department established for an
SEA's receipt of program funds under its consolidated state application
(§9302(b)) was submission to the Department of annual data on how well
the State has been meeting its performance target for Performance
Indicator 3.1: "The percentage of classes being taught by 'highly
qualified' teachers (as the term is defined in §9101(23) of the ESEA),
in the aggregate and in 'high-poverty' schools (as the term is defined
in **§**1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA)."

The purpose of the U.S. Department of Education's (the Department)
monitoring team visit to South Carolina was twofold: first, to review
the progress of the State in meeting the Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT)
requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), including the
identification of areas needing corrective action as well as promising
practices; and second, to review the use of ESEA Title II, Part A funds
by the State, selected districts, and the State agency for higher
education (SAHE) to ensure that the funds are being used to prepare,
retain, and recruit high-quality teachers and principals so that all
children will achieve to a high standard.

The monitoring review was conducted at the SCDE office and on-site at
the Lexington School District 2. In addition to meeting with State
representatives from the SCDE, the team conducted phone interviews with
LEA representatives from McCormick County School District and Barnwell
School District 45. The Department monitoring team conducted the SAHE
interview with Gail Morrison, Esther Kramer, and Rashad Rogers of the
South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, the South Carolina SAHE.

#### Summary of Monitoring Indicators

+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| # M       |                                    |              |     |
| onitoring |                                    |              |     |
|  Area 1:  |                                    |              |     |
| Highly Qu |                                    |              |     |
| alified T |                                    |              |     |
| eacher Sy |                                    |              |     |
| stems & P |                                    |              |     |
| rocedures |                                    |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| **Element | **Description**                    | # Status     | # P |
| Number**  |                                    |              | age |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Has the State developed and        | Commendation | 7   |
| Element   | implemented procedures, consistent |              |     |
| 1.1       | with the statutory definition of   |              |     |
|           | highly qualified, to determine     |              |     |
|           | whether *all* teachers of core     |              |     |
|           | academic subjects are highly       |              |     |
|           | qualified (§9101(23))?             |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Are all new elementary school      | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | teachers (including special        | requirements |     |
| 1.2       | education teachers, as             |              |     |
|           | appropriate) required to pass a    |              |     |
|           | rigorous State test in reading,    |              |     |
|           | writing, mathematics, and the      |              |     |
|           | other areas of the elementary      |              |     |
|           | school curriculum to demonstrate   |              |     |
|           | subject-matter competency          |              |     |
|           | (§9101(23)(B)(II))?                |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Are all new middle and secondary   | Finding      | 7   |
| Element   | school teachers (including special |              |     |
| 1.3       | education teachers, as             |              |     |
|           | appropriate) required to           |              |     |
|           | demonstrate subject-matter         |              |     |
|           | competency, in each core academic  |              |     |
|           | subject they teach, consistent     |              |     |
|           | with §9101(23)(B)(II)(ii)?         |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Are all veteran (i.e., those who   | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | are not new to the profession)     | requirement  |     |
| 1.4       | elementary school teachers         |              |     |
|           | (including special education       |              |     |
|           | teachers, as appropriate) required |              |     |
|           | to demonstrate subject-matter      |              |     |
|           | competency by passing a rigorous   |              |     |
|           | State test or by completing the    |              |     |
|           | State's "High Objective Uniform    |              |     |
|           | State Standard of Evaluation"      |              |     |
|           | (HOUSSE) procedures                |              |     |
|           | (§9101(23)(C))?                    |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Are all veteran middle and         | Finding      | 7   |
| Element   | secondary teachers (including      |              |     |
| 1.5       | special education teachers, as     |              |     |
|           | appropriate) required to           |              |     |
|           | demonstrate subject-matter         |              |     |
|           | competency in each core academic   |              |     |
|           | subject they teach?                |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | If the State has developed HOUSSE  | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | procedures, please provide a copy  | requirement  |     |
| 1.6       | of the most current version(s).    |              |     |
|           | For each set of HOUSSE procedures  |              |     |
|           | the State has developed, please    |              |     |
|           | describe how it meets each of the  |              |     |
|           | following statutory requirements   |              |     |
|           | of §9101(23)(C)(ii)                |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | How does the SEA ensure that,      | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | since the beginning of the 2002-03 | requirement  |     |
| 1.7       | school year, districts only hire   |              |     |
|           | highly qualified teachers          |              |     |
|           | (including special education       |              |     |
|           | teachers, as appropriate) to teach |              |     |
|           | in Title I programs?               |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | How has the SEA ensured, since the | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | beginning of the 2002-03 school    | requirement  |     |
| 1.8       | year, that districts that use ESEA |              |     |
|           | Title II funds to reduce class     |              |     |
|           | size hire only highly qualified    |              |     |
|           | teachers for such positions?       |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Does the SEA's plan establish      | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | annual measurable objectives for   | requirement  |     |
| 1.9       | each LEA and school to ensure that |              |     |
|           | annual increases occur:            |              |     |
|           |                                    |              |     |
|           | -   in the percentage of highly    |              |     |
|           |     qualified teachers at each LEA |              |     |
|           |     and school; and                |              |     |
|           |                                    |              |     |
|           | -   in the percentage of teachers  |              |     |
|           |     who are receiving high-quality |              |     |
|           |     professional development to    |              |     |
|           |     enable such teachers to become |              |     |
|           |     highly qualified and           |              |     |
|           |     successful classroom teachers  |              |     |
|           |     (§1119(a)(2)(A)).              |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Does the SEA also have a plan with | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | specific steps to ensure that poor | requirement  |     |
| 1.10      | and minority children are not      |              |     |
|           | taught at higher rates than other  |              |     |
|           | children by inexperienced,         |              |     |
|           | unqualified and out-of-field       |              |     |
|           | teachers? Does the plan include    |              |     |
|           | measures to evaluate and publicly  |              |     |
|           | report the progress of such steps  |              |     |
|           | (§1111(b)(8)(C))?                  |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Has the State reported to the      | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | Secretary in the CSPR the number   | requirement  |     |
| 1.11      | and percentage of core academic    |              |     |
|           | classes taught by highly qualified |              |     |
|           | teachers in the aggregate and in   |              |     |
|           | high-poverty schools?              |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Are these data reported in the     | Met          | NA  |
| Element   | CSPR consistent with the statutory | requirement  |     |
| 1.12      | definition of highly qualified     |              |     |
|           | (§1111(h)(4)(G); §9101(23))?       |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical  | Does the State prepare and         | Finding      | 8   |
| Element   | disseminate to the public an       |              |     |
| 1.13      | Annual State Report Card           |              |     |
|           | (§1111(h)(1)(C)(viii))? If so, how |              |     |
|           | is it disseminated?                |              |     |
+-----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+

+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| # Mo     |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| nitoring |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|  Area 2: |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|  Adminis |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| tration  |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| of ESEA  |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| Title II |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| , Part A |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| *        |   | # Description                     | # |              | # |     |   |
| *Element |   |                                   | # |              | # |     |   |
| Number** |   |                                   | # |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   |   |              | P |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | S |              | a |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              | g |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | a |              | e |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | s |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA allocate funds       | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | according to the statute, using   | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.1      |   | the most recent Census Bureau     | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | data as described in the          | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | Non-Regulatory Guidance           | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | (§2121(a))?                       | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA require an           | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | application from each LEA before  | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.2      |   | providing Title II, Part A        | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | funding? If yes, what information | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | does the SEA require in the LEA   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | application (§2122(b))?           | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | In particular, does the SEA       | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | require each LEA to describe how  | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.3      |   | the activities to be carried out  | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | are based on the required local   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | needs assessment (§2122(b))?      | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA have a procedure to  | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | determine the amount of funds     | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.4      |   | each LEA expended during the      | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | period of availability?           | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA have a procedure to  | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | regularly review the drawdowns of | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.5.     |   | the LEAs?                         | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA have a written       | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | policy on allowable carryover     | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.6      |   | funds?                            | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | If an LEA cannot obligate funds   | > |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | within the 27 months of           |   |              |   |     |   |
| 2.7      |   | availability (which includes the  | M |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | extra year of availability        | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | permitted under the Tydings       | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | amendment), does the SEA have a   | > |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | procedure for reallocating these  |   |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | funds to other LEAs?              | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA have records to show | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | that each LEA meets the           | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.8      |   | maintenance of effort             | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | requirements?                     | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Does the SEA ensure that it and   | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | its component LEAs are audited    | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.9      |   | annually, if required, and that   | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | all corrective actions required   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | through this process are fully    | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | implemented?                      | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Has the SEA identified LEAs that  | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | are not making progress toward    | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.10     |   | meeting their annual measurable   | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | objectives in meeting the highly  | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | qualified teacher challenge?      | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical |   | Has the SEA provided technical    | M |              |   | NA  |   |
| Element  |   | assistance to LEAs and to schools | e |              |   |     |   |
| 2.11     |   | served by them that will enable   | t |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | them to meet their annual         | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   | measurable objectives?            | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | q |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | u |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | i |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | r |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | m |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | e |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | n |              |   |     |   |
|          |   |                                   | t |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| # Mon    |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| itoring  |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| Area 3:  |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| State Ac |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
| tivities |   |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| *        | # |                                   |   | ### Status   |   | #   |   |
| *Element |   |                                   |   |              |   | # P |   |
| Number** | D |                                   |   |              |   | age |   |
|          | e |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | s |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | c |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | r |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | i |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | p |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | t |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | i |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | o |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | n |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
| Critical | D |                                   |   | Met          |   | 8   |   |
| Element  | o |                                   |   | requirement  |   |     |   |
| 3.1      | e |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | s |                                   |   | Commendation |   |     |   |
|          | t |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | h |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | e |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | S |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | t |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
|          | a |                                   |   |              |   |     |   |
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+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+
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+----------+---+-----------------------------------+---+--------------+---+-----+---+

+----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| # Monito |                                    |              |     |
| ring Are |                                    |              |     |
| a 4: Sta |                                    |              |     |
| te Agenc |                                    |              |     |
| y For Hi |                                    |              |     |
| gher Edu |                                    |              |     |
| cation ( |                                    |              |     |
| SAHE) Ac |                                    |              |     |
| tivities |                                    |              |     |
+----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| *        | # Description                      | ### Status   | #   |
| *Element |                                    |              | # P |
| Number** |                                    |              | age |
+----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical | Did the SAHE manage a competition  | Met          | NA  |
| Element  | for eligible partnerships?         | requirement  |     |
| 4.1      |                                    |              |     |
+----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+
| Critical | Does the SAHE have procedures to   | Finding      | 13  |
| Element  | ensure that eligible partnerships  |              |     |
| 4.2      | include the required members,      |              |     |
|          | i.e., an institution of higher     |              |     |
|          | education and the division of the  |              |     |
|          | institution that prepares teachers |              |     |
|          | and principals, a school of arts   |              |     |
|          | and sciences, and a high-need LEA? |              |     |
+----------+------------------------------------+--------------+-----+

**[Area 1: State Procedures to Identify Highly Qualified
Teachers]{.underline}**

**[Critical Element 1.1:]{.underline} Has the State developed and
implemented procedures, consistent with the statutory definition of
highly qualified, to determine whether *all* teachers of core academic
subjects are highly qualified (§9101(23))?**

**[Commendation:]{.underline}** South Carolina is phasing out the use of
temporary and emergency licenses and will not issue any waiver in the
core academic subject areas after July 1, 2006. For the baseline year
2002-03, the State administered approximately 2,500 waivers; however,
current data show that fewer than 1,000 teachers hold waivers.

**[Critical Element 1.3]{.underline}: Are all new middle and secondary
school teachers (including special education teachers, as appropriate)
required to demonstrate subject-matter competency, in each core academic
subject they teach, consistent with §9101(23)(B)(II)(ii)?**

**[Finding]{.underline}:** The State does not require all new middle and
secondary school teachers of history, geography, civics/government, or
economics to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each of those
subjects they teach. The State allows middle and secondary social
studies teachers new to the profession to demonstrate subject-matter
competency by holding a social studies license and passing the composite
social studies Praxis II assessment. This broad-field assessment may not
provide adequate subject-matter preparation for each of the core
academic subjects explicitly noted in the statute. In addition to the
broad-field license and assessment, the State does offer certification
and assessments in the discrete social studies areas of history, civics
and governments, geography, and economics.

**[Citation]{.underline}: §**9101(11) of the ESEA identifies history,
geography, civics/government and economics as individual core academic
subjects. §9101(23)(B)(ii) of the ESEA requires new teachers of core
academic subjects to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each core
academic subject they teach. (§9101(23)(C) does the same for teachers
not new to the profession.)

**[Further Action Required]{.underline}:** The SCDE must ensure that all
new middle and secondary teachers of history, geography,
civics/government and economics demonstrate subject-matter competency in
each of these subjects that they teach, no later than the end of the
2005-06 school year.

**[Critical Element 1.5:]{.underline} Are all veteran middle and
secondary teachers (including special education teachers, as
appropriate) required to demonstrate subject-matter competency in each
core academic subject they teach?**

**[Finding:]{.underline}** South Carolina does not require all middle
and secondary school teachers of history, geography, civics/government,
or economics who are not new to the profession to demonstrate
subject-matter competency in each of the four discrete areas described
in the law.

**[Citation]{.underline}:** §9101(23)(C) of the ESEA requires middle or
secondary school teachers not new to the profession to demonstrate
subject-matter competency in each of the core academic subjects they
teach by passing a content test, successfully completing an academic
major, coursework equivalent to a major, advanced certification, a
graduate degree, or by satisfying the State's HOUSSE requirements.

**[Further Action Required]{.underline}:** The SCDE must ensure that all
middle and secondary teachers of history, geography, civics/government
and economics who are not new to the profession demonstrate
subject-matter competency in each of these subjects that they teach, no
later than the end of the 2005-06 school year.

**[Critical Element 1.13:]{.underline} Does the State prepare and
disseminate to the public an Annual State Report Card
(§1111(h)(1)(C)(viii))? If so, how is it disseminated?**

**[Finding:]{.underline}** South Carolina does not produce an Annual
State Report Card and no other State publication contains the
information required by section §1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the statute.

**[Citation:]{.underline}** §1111(h)(1)(C)(viii) of the ESEA requires
each SEA to include in its Annual State Report Card data on the
percentage of classes (in core academic subjects) not taught by highly
qualified teachers, data on the professional qualifications of teachers,
and the percentage of teachers with emergency or provisional
credentials.

**[Further Action Required:]{.underline}** The SCDE must submit a
written plan with specific procedures and a timeline for reporting to
the public, as required for the Annual State Report Card and in a manner
consistent with the statutory requirements of §1111(h).

**[Area 3: State Activities]{.underline}**

**[Critical Element 3.1:]{.underline} Does the State use its State
Activities funds to promote the recruitment, hiring, training, and
retention of highly qualified teachers and principals?**

**[Commendation:]{.underline}** The State is commended for providing
comprehensive outreach and technical assistance to its local education
agencies to determine the highly qualified status of teachers in the
core academic subjects and to ensure that since the beginning of the
2002-2003 school year only highly qualified teachers were hired to teach
in Title I programs, and in positions intended to reduce class size
using Title II Part A funds. Primarily, the LEAs can access teacher
credentials through the online Certification Portal System, which draws
information from the teacher certification database in real time.

**[Critical Element 3.2:]{.underline} Does** **the State support
activities that focus on increasing the subject-matter knowledge of
teachers and that assist teachers to become highly qualified?**

**[Commendation:]{.underline}** In 2001, South Carolina reformed its
certification and licensing structure. Moving away from licenses
covering large grade spans, teachers in South Carolina now will earn
specialty licenses in K-3 Early Childhood, 2-6 Elementary, 5-8 Middle
School, or 9-12 Secondary. The State will fully implement the early
childhood and elementary structure September 1, 2006. Middle level
certification will be fully implemented July 1, 2008.

**[Commendation:]{.underline}** The SCDE is commended for supporting and
developing Project CREATE, (Centers for the Re-Education and Advancement
of Teachers in Special Education), a program of distance education
targeted for special education teachers holding an out-of-field permit.
The SEA reviewed the credentials of teachers working with out-of-field
permits to determine which courses those teachers were missing and were
preventing them from meeting the highly qualified definition. Using the
course information, the State developed Project CREATE as the delivery
system for teachers to earn course credit and increase their
subject-matter knowledge. The courses are free of charge to the
teachers, and include a textbook stipend. The LEAs must agree to pay the
examination fee for the participating teachers to take the Praxis II
exam as well.

**[Area 4: State Agency for Higher Education (SAHE)
Activities]{.underline}**

**[Critical Element 4.2:]{.underline} Does the SAHE have procedures to
ensure that eligible partnerships include the required members, i.e., an
institution of higher education and the division of the institution that
prepares teachers and principals, a school of arts and sciences, and a
high-need LEA?**

**[Finding:]{.underline}** The SAHE has not used the correct criteria in
determining which school districts met the definition of a high-need
LEA.

[**Citation**:]{.underline} §2131(1)(A)(iii) of ESEA requires the SAHE
to include a high-need LEA in each eligible partnership. §2102(3)
defines the poverty requirements for a high-need LEA as an LEA that:

-   Serves not fewer than 10,000 children from families with incomes
    below the poverty line; or

-   Not less than 20 percent of the children served by the agency are
    from families with incomes below the poverty line **and**

-   For which there is a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the
    academic subjects or grade levels that the teachers were trained to
    teach; **or**

-   For which there is a high percentage of teachers with emergency,
    provisional, or temporary certification or licensing \[Section
    2102(3)\].

Because the statute addresses family income, the Secretary has
determined that the Census Bureau data is the only current and reliable
measure of family income and poverty.

**[Further Action Required:]{.underline}** In the next competition for
eligible partnerships, the SAHE must use the most recent available
Census data (as determined by the Secretary) to identify high-need LEAs.
Other sources of data, such as free and reduced priced lunch data, may
not be factored into the calculations, except for LEAs for which there
is no available Census data (e.g., charter school LEAs). The most recent
data can be found at <http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/>. Further,
individual schools, unless they are designated as LEAs, may not be
included as the required eligible partners.