S.C. Code Regs. § § 43-205.1

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024

Section 43-205.1 - Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT)

I. State Standards for Professional Teaching

Teacher preparation programs and school districts must address, but are not limited to, the performance standards for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT), as specified in the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines.

II. Teacher Candidates

A. All teacher education programs must adhere to State Board of Education regulations governing the preparation and evaluation of teacher candidates.

B. Each teacher education program must develop and implement a plan for preparing, evaluating, and assisting prospective teachers relative to the ADEPT performance standards in accordance with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. ADEPT plans must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

C. By July 1 of each year, teacher education programs must submit assurances to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) that they are complying with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. Proposed amendments to previously approved ADEPT plans must be submitted along with the assurances and must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

D. Teacher education programs must submit information on their teacher candidates, as requested annually by the SCDE.

E. The SCDE will provide teacher education programs with ongoing technical assistance such as training, consultation, and advisement, upon request.

III. Induction-Contract Teachers

A. Teachers who possess a valid South Carolina pre-professional teaching certificate, as defined by the State Board of Education, may be employed under an induction contract for up to, but not to exceed, three years. The employment and dismissal provisions of Article 3, Chapter 19, and Article 5, Chapter 25, of Title 59 of the 1976 Code of Laws do not apply to teachers employed under induction contracts.

B. Each local school district must develop and implement a plan to provide induction-contract teachers with comprehensive guidance and assistance throughout each induction year. District induction plans must comply with the State Board of Education's guidelines for assisting induction-contract teachers and must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

C. On or before the date that the district extends offers of teaching employment for the following school year, teachers employed under induction contracts are to be notified in writing concerning their employment status. Teachers who complete an induction-contract year may, at the discretion of the school district, be employed under another induction-contract or an annual contract, or they may be released from employment. Teachers who are released may seek employment in another school district at the induction- or annual-contract level. The maximum induction period for a teacher is three years, regardless of the district in which the teacher is employed. A teacher who is completing a third year of induction is eligible for employment at the annual-contract level.

D. School districts must submit information on all teachers employed under induction contracts, as requested annually by the SCDE. Available flow-through funds to school districts will be provided on a first-year induction teacher basis.

E. By June 1 of each year, school districts must submit assurances to the SCDE that they are complying with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines for assisting induction-contract teachers. A copy of the district's proposed induction timeline must accompany the assurances. Proposed amendments to the district's previously approved induction plan must be submitted along with the assurances and must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

F. By June 20 of each year, school districts must submit end-of-year information on teachers employed under induction contracts and on the employment contract decisions made for the following year, as requested by the SCDE.

G. The SCDE will provide school districts with ongoing technical assistance such as training, consultation, and advisement, upon request.

IV. Annual-Contract Teachers

A. Teachers who have satisfied their induction requirements may be employed under an annual contract. Full procedural rights under the employment and dismissal provisions of Article 3, Chapter 19, and Article 5, Chapter 25, of Title 59 of the 1976 Code of Laws do not apply to teachers employed under annual contracts. However, annual-contract teachers do have the right to an informal hearing before the district superintendent, under the provisions of S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-40 (Supp. 2012).

B. Teachers employed under an annual contract must be evaluated or assisted with procedures developed or adopted by the local school district in accordance with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. These procedures must include the development, implementation, and evaluation of an individualized professional growth plan for each teacher.

C. Teachers must not be employed under an annual contract for more than four years.

D. During the first annual-contract year, the annual-contract teacher must, at the discretion of the school district, either undergo a formal performance evaluation or be provided with diagnostic assistance. The term "formal performance evaluation" is defined as a summative evaluation of teaching performance relative to the state standards and evaluation processes, as specified in the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. All formal evaluation processes must meet the general technical criteria of validity, reliability, maximum freedom from bias, and documentation. The term "diagnostic assistance" is defined as an optional process for providing individualized support to teachers who have demonstrated potential but who are not yet ready to successfully complete a formal performance evaluation.

1. An annual-contract teacher who has met the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education, the requirements for annual-contract teachers set by the local board of trustees, and the requirements established by the State Board of Education for the professional teaching certificate is eligible for employment at the continuing-contract level. At its discretion, the district may either employ the teacher under a continuing contract or terminate the teacher's employment. If employment is terminated, the teacher may seek employment in another school district. At the discretion of the next hiring district, the teacher may be employed at the annual or continuing-contract level.

2. An annual-contract teacher who has met the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education and the requirements set by the local board of trustees but who has not yet satisfied all requirements established by the State Board of Education for the professional teaching certificate is eligible for employment under a subsequent annual contract, with evaluation being either formal or informal (i.e., goals-based), at the discretion of the local school district. At its discretion, the district may either employ the teacher under an annual contract or terminate the teacher's employment. If employment is terminated, the teacher may seek employment in another school district at the annual-contract level.

3. An annual-contract teacher who for the first time fails to meet the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education or who fails to meet the requirements set by the local board of trustees is eligible for employment under a subsequent annual contract. At its discretion, the district may either employ the teacher under an annual contract or terminate the teacher's employment. If employment is terminated, the teacher may seek employment in another school district at the annual-contract level.

An annual-contract teacher who has demonstrated potential but who has not yet met the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education and/or the requirements set by the local board of trustees is eligible for a diagnostic-assistance year at the annual-contract level. This diagnostic-assistance year must be provided, if needed, at the discretion of the employing school district, either during the teacher's first annual-contract year or during the annual-contract year following the teacher's first unsuccessful formal evaluation. A teacher is eligible to receive only one diagnostic-assistance year. At the end of the diagnostic assistance year, the district may either employ the teacher under an annual contract or terminate the teacher's employment. If employment is terminated, the teacher may seek employment in another school district at the annual-contract level. A diagnostic-assistance year must be followed by formal (summative) evaluation at the annual-contract level during the teacher's next year of teaching employment.

4. An annual-contract teacher who for the second time fails to meet the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education will have his or her teaching certificate automatically suspended by the State Board of Education, as prescribed in Section 59-5-60 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976, and in State Board of Education Regulation 43-58. Subsequent to this action, the teacher will be ineligible to be employed as a classroom teacher in a public school in this state for a minimum of two years. Before reentry into the profession, the teacher must complete a state-approved remediation plan based on the area(s) that were identified as deficiencies during the formal evaluation process. Remediation plans must be developed and implemented in accordance with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines.

Following the minimum two-year suspension period and the completion of the remediation plan, as verified by the SCDE, the teacher's certificate suspension will be lifted, and the teacher will be eligible for employment at the annual-contract level. Upon his or her reentry into the profession, the teacher must be formally evaluated. If, at the completion of the evaluation process, the teacher meets the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education, he or she may continue toward the next contract level. If, at the completion of the evaluation process, the teacher does not meet the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education, he or she is no longer eligible to be employed as a public school teacher in this state.

E. Each school district must develop a plan to evaluate and provide diagnostic assistance to teachers at the annual-contract level, in accordance with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. District plans also must include procedures for developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized professional growth plans for annual-contract teachers.

F. School districts must establish criteria or requirements that teachers must meet at the annual-contract level. At a minimum, districts must require annual-contract teachers to meet the ADEPT formal evaluation criteria and all other requirements for the professional teaching certificate, as specified by the State Board of Education, in order to advance to the continuing-contract level.

G. By June 1 of each year, school districts must submit assurances to the SCDE that they are complying with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines for evaluating and assisting teachers at the annual-contract level. A copy of the district's proposed formal evaluation and diagnostic assistance timelines must accompany the assurances. Proposed amendments to the district's previously approved ADEPT plan for annual-contract teachers must be submitted along with the assurances and must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

H. By June 20 of each year, school districts must submit end-of-year information on teachers employed under annual contracts and on the employment contract decisions made for the following year, as requested by the SCDE.

I. The SCDE will provide school districts with ongoing technical assistance such as training, consultation, and advisement, upon request.

V. Continuing-Contract Teachers

A. Teachers who have met the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education, the requirements for annual-contract teachers set by the local board of trustees, and the requirements established by the State Board of Education for the professional teaching certificate are eligible for employment at the continuing-contract level. Teachers employed under continuing contracts have full procedural rights relating to employment and dismissal as provided for in Article 3, Chapter 19, and Article 5, Chapter 25, of Title 59 of the 1976 Code of Laws.

B. Teachers employed under continuing contracts must be evaluated on a continuous basis. The evaluation may be formal or informal (i.e., goals-based), at the discretion of the district. Districts must develop policies for recommending continuing-contract teachers for formal evaluation. Continuing-contract teachers who are being recommended for formal evaluation the following school year must be notified in writing on or before the date the school district issues the written offer of employment or reemployment. The written notification must include the reason(s) that a formal evaluation is recommended, as well as a description of the formal evaluation process. Continuing-contract teachers who are new to the district must be advised at the time of their hiring if they are to receive a formal evaluation.

C. Each school district must develop a plan, in accordance with State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines, to continuously evaluate teachers who are employed under continuing contracts. At a minimum, district ADEPT plans for continuing-contract teachers must address formal and informal evaluations and individualized professional growth plans.

D. By June 1 of each year, school districts must submit assurances to the SCDE that they are complying with the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines for continuously evaluating teachers at the continuing-contract level. A copy of the district's proposed formal and informal evaluation timelines must accompany the assurances. Proposed amendments to the district's previously approved ADEPT plan for continuing-contract teachers must be submitted along with the assurances and must be approved by the State Board of Education prior to implementation.

E. By June 20 of each year, school districts must submit end-of-year information on teachers employed under continuing contracts and on the employment decisions made for the following year, as requested by the SCDE.

F. The SCDE will provide school districts with ongoing technical assistance such as training, consultation, and advisement, upon request.

VI. Teachers Who Do Not Have Sufficient Opportunity to Complete the ADEPT Process

A. A teacher who is employed under an induction, annual, or continuing contract and who is absent for more than 20 percent of the days in the district's SBE-approved annual evaluation cycle may, at the recommendation of the district superintendent, have his or her ADEPT results reported to the SCDE as "incomplete."

B. Teachers whose ADEPT results are reported to the SCDE as "incomplete" are eligible to repeat their contract level during the next year of employment.

VII. Teachers Employed from Out of State

A. Teachers employed from out of state who receive a South Carolina initial teaching certificate based on reciprocity and have less than one year of teaching experience are eligible for employment under an induction contract. Teachers employed from out of state who receive a South Carolina initial teaching certificate based on reciprocity and have one or more years of teaching experience are eligible for employment under an induction or annual contract, at the discretion of the school district.

B. Teachers employed from out of state who receive a South Carolina professional teaching certificate based on reciprocity are eligible for employment under an annual contract. At the annual-contract level, teachers may receive either a diagnostic-assistance year or a formal evaluation. Teachers who undergo formal evaluation and who, at the conclusion of the preliminary evaluation period, meet the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education may, at the discretion of the school district, have the final portion of the formal evaluation process waived. Teachers must successfully complete the formal evaluation at the annual-contract level before they are eligible to receive a continuing contract.

C. Teachers who are employed from out of state or from a nonpublic-school setting and who are certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) are exempted from initial certification requirements and are eligible for continuing contract status (S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-85 (Supp. 2012)).

VIII. Career and Technology Education Teachers, Candidates Pursuing Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification, and Teachers Employed on a Part-Time Basis

A. Teachers certified under the Career and Technology Education certification process must follow the same sequence as traditionally prepared teachers in terms of contract levels (i.e., induction, annual, and continuing) and ADEPT evaluation and assistance processes.

B. Candidates pursuing alternative routes to teacher certification must follow the same sequence as traditionally prepared teachers in terms of contract levels (i.e., induction, annual, and continuing) and ADEPT evaluation and assistance processes.

C. Teachers who are employed part-time and who receive a teaching contract (i.e., induction, annual, or continuing) must participate in the ADEPT evaluation and assistance processes.

IX. Teachers Employed under a Letter of Agreement

A. Teachers who are eligible for an induction or an annual contract but who are hired on a date that would cause their period of employment to be less than 152 days during the school year may be employed under a letter of agreement.

B. Teachers employed under a letter of agreement do not fall under ADEPT. However, districts must ensure that these teachers receive appropriate assistance and supervision throughout the school year.

C. The employment and dismissal provisions of Article 3, Chapter 19, and Article 5, Chapter 25, of Title 59 of the 1976 Code of Laws do not apply to teachers employed under a letter of agreement.

X. Teachers Who Hold an International Teaching Certificate

A. Teachers from outside the United States who hold an international teaching certificate must follow the same sequences as traditionally prepared teachers in terms of the beginning contract levels (i.e., induction and annual) and ADEPT evaluation and assistance processes.

B. Teachers from outside the United States who hold an international teaching certificate may remain at the annual-contract level but may not be employed under a continuing contract.

XI. Teachers Employed in Charter Schools

A. Except as otherwise provided in the Charter Schools Act (S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-40-50(A) (Supp. 2012)), charter schools are exempt from all provisions of law and regulations applicable to a public school, a school board, or a district. However, a charter school may elect to comply with one or more of these provisions of law or regulations, such as the provisions of the ADEPT statute and regulation.

B. Charter schools that elect not to implement the ADEPT system may assist and/or evaluate their teachers according to the policies of their respective charter school committees. Certified teachers in these schools will accrue experience credit in a manner consistent with the provisions of State Board of Education Regulation 43-57 (S.C. Code Ann. Regs. 43-57 (2011)). Teachers in non-ADEPT charter schools who hold an initial teaching certificate are eligible to advance to a renewable limited professional certificate, as specified in State Board of Education Regulation 43-53 (S.C. Code Ann. Regs. (Supp. 2012)).

C. Charter schools that elect to implement the ADEPT system must comply with all provisions of the amended ADEPT statute (S.C. Code Ann. Sections 59-26-30 and 59-26-40, to be codified at Supp. 2012), this regulation, and the State Board of Education's ADEPT implementation guidelines. In fulfilling these requirements, the contract between the charter school and its sponsor must include an ADEPT provision. All certified teachers in the charter school must be assisted and evaluated in a manner consistent with the sponsor's State Board of Education-approved ADEPT plan for induction, formal evaluation, and goals-based evaluation. The ADEPT provision must address the charter school's responsibilities for ensuring the fidelity of the implementation of the ADEPT system. The provision also must address the sponsor's responsibilities in terms of staff training and program implementation. At a minimum, the sponsor must agree to disseminate all ADEPT-related information from the SCDE to the charter school and to report charter school teacher data to the SCDE. The provision must be included in the sponsor's ADEPT plan and approved by the State Board prior to implementation.

XII. Teachers Who Hold a Limited Professional Certificate

An educator who holds a valid South Carolina limited professional certificate is eligible for employment in a "regulated" South Carolina public school at the annual-contract level. At the annual-contract level, teachers may receive either a diagnostic-assistance year or a formal evaluation. Teachers who undergo formal evaluation and who, at the conclusion of the preliminary evaluation period, meet the formal evaluation criteria set by the State Board of Education may, at the discretion of the school district, have the final portion of the formal evaluation process waived. Teachers must successfully complete the formal evaluation at the annual-contract level before they are eligible to move from a limited professional certificate to a full professional certificate and to be employed under a continuing contract.

XIII. Reporting Requirements

Failure of a teacher education program or local school district to submit all required assurances or requested information pursuant to this regulation may result in the State Board of Education's withholding ADEPT funds.

S.C. Code Regs. § 43-205.1

Amended by State Register Volume 22, Issue No. 6, Part 1, eff June 26, 1998; State Register Volume 24, Issue No. 6, eff June 23, 2000; State Register Volume 29, Issue No. 6, eff June 24, 2005; State Register Volume 37, Issue No. 6, eff June 28, 2013; State Register Volume 44, Issue No. 06, eff. 6/26/2020.

Statutory Authority: S.C. Code Ann. Section 59-26-10, et seq. (2004)