S.C. Code Regs. § § 43-51
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 10, October 25, 2024
Section 43-51 - Certification Requirements; approval of alternative certification; authorization for the SBE to approve additional alternative certification programsI. Requirements for Certification The applicant must meet all requirements for certification that are in effect in the current application year (July 1-June 30). The responsibility for providing accurate and complete documentation of eligibility for certification is that of the applicant. To qualify for certification in South Carolina, the applicant must fulfill the following requirements:
A. Earn a bachelor's or master's degree either from an institution that has a state-approved teacher education program and is accredited for general collegiate purposes by a regional accreditation association, or from a South Carolina institution that has programs approved for teacher education by the State Board of Education (SBE), or from an institution that has programs approved for teacher education by a national accreditation association with which the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) has an established partnership agreement. Professional education credit must be earned through an institution that has a teacher education program approved for initial certification. 1. Graduate degrees acceptable for certificate advancement include academic or professional degrees in the field of education or in an academic area for which a corresponding or relevant teaching area is authorized by the SBE.2. All credit at the graduate level must be earned through the graduate school of an institution that is accredited for general collegiate purposes by a regional accreditation association and that has a regular graduate division that meets regional accreditation requirements. Graduate credit can also be earned through a South Carolina institution that has graduate programs approved for teacher education by the SBE or through an institution that has graduate programs approved for teacher education by a national accreditation association with which the SCDE has an established partnership agreement.B. Submit the required teaching content area examination score(s) and the required score on the examination of general professional knowledge (pedagogy) as adopted by the SBE for purposes of certification.C. Be at least eighteen years of age.D. Undergo a criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). If the applicant does not complete the initial certification process within eighteen months from the original date of application, the FBI fingerprint process must be repeated. Eligible applicants who have prior arrests and/or convictions must undergo a review by the SBE and be approved before a certificate can be issued to them. Background checks from other states are not transferable to South Carolina.II. Acceptable Credits A. All credits are computed by semester hours; three quarter hours are equivalent to two semester hours.B. Duplicate credit will not be allowed for courses with the same title unless approved by the teacher certification office of the SCDE.III. Out-of-State Applicants A. To be eligible for a South Carolina teaching certificate, the out-of-state applicant must submit the teaching area examination score(s) and the score on the examination of general professional knowledge (pedagogy) that are required for certification in the state in which he or she holds a valid standard out-of-state certificate. If no tests were required for certification in the state where the individual holds a valid standard certificate, the applicant for South Carolina certification must submit the required teaching content area examination score(s) as adopted by the SBE for purposes of certification. If the applicant has less than twenty-seven months of successful teaching experience within the last seven years in the state in which he or she holds a valid standard certificate, the applicant will be issued an initial South Carolina teaching certificate, and he or she must also submit the required score on the examination of general professional knowledge (pedagogy) as adopted by the SBE for purposes of certification in order to advance to a professional certificate.B. Initial or advanced certification will be awarded only in the area(s) of certification held by the out-of-state applicant that most closely conform(s) to corresponding or relevant South Carolina area(s) of certification.IV. Alternative Preparation Program Applicants A. An individual who qualifies under the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE) guidelines as adopted by the SBE may be issued an alternative route certificate. Successful completion of certification requirements as prescribed in the PACE guidelines as adopted by the State Board of Education will qualify the applicant for a professional certificate.B. An individual who qualifies under the Teach for America (TFA) guidelines as adopted by the SBE may be issued an alternative route certificate. Successful completion of certification requirements as prescribed in the TFA guidelines as adopted by the State Board of Education will qualify the applicant for a professional certificate.C. An individual who qualifies under the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) Act may be issued an alternative route certificate. Successful completion of certification requirements as prescribed in the statute will qualify the applicant for a professional certificate.D. An individual who is seeking certification through Teachers of Tomorrow (ToT) must not be hired by a school district in South Carolina without completing the electronic fingerprinting process required by the teacher certification office of the South Carolina Department of Education at the time of application and without having undergone a criminal records check by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and a national criminal records check supported by fingerprints and conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation pursuant to Section 59-25-115( B). Background checks are valid for a period of eighteen months. 1. A person who is seeking certification through Teachers of Tomorrow, who has a minimum of a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university or an institution with a teacher education program that has been approved by the SBE for certification purposes, who has earned a successful score on the certification content area examination approved by the SBE, and who has met the requirements of subsection D is considered to have met the requirements for certification and must be issued an appropriate alternative route certificate as determined by the SBE upon confirmation of employment by a public school or school district. The alternative route certificate must be valid for one year and may be renewed annually for two additional years upon the successful completion of teaching and of the hiring district's induction program.2. A person who maintains a valid Alternative Route certificate for Teachers of Tomorrow and has been initially hired by a school district must be required, as a condition for professional certification, to successfully pass the South Carolina adopted pedagogy examination and to demonstrate teaching effectiveness by a successful summative evaluation at the annual contract level as part of the state's system for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT).3. The SCDE shall submit annually by March thirty-first to the SBE and the General Assembly the total number of individuals employed in South Carolina with a certificate issued by Teachers of Tomorrow by district and non-privileged information on these individuals through the ADEPT reporting system. A person who has completed all requirements of this regulation and has been hired by a school district has the same responsibilities and rights as other teachers hired by the district.4. The SBE is authorized to establish guidelines outlining the content areas in which candidates in Teacher of Tomorrow may pursue certification.E. The SBE, pursuant to Section 59-5-60 and 59-25-110 and this Regulation, is authorized to approve additional alternative certification programs and outline the content areas in which candidates may pursue certification pursuant to rules and guidelines published by the Board.V. Student Teachers A. All individuals pursuing undergraduate or graduate programs leading to initial teacher certification must complete the student teaching requirement adopted by the SBE.B. An individual who has met all requirements for certification except student teaching may request that three years teaching experience be used in lieu of student teaching for certification purposes under the following conditions:1. The teaching experience must be at least three full years as the teacher of record and earned in an accredited public or private school in grades K-12 or at a postsecondary institution. Combinations of partial year teaching assignments may be used. Experience must be post baccalaureate to be eligible for consideration.2. The teaching experience must be in the area of preparation and in the area in which the applicant is applying for certification.3. The individual must submit a letter or letters of recommendation, attesting to the successful evaluation of teaching in the certification area, written by the administrative authority of the school or school district where he or she has taught for the specified period.4. The individual must submit copies of school or school district evaluations providing evidence of his or her successful teaching.5. The individual must submit evidence from the institution of higher education affirming that he or she has met all requirements for the approved teacher education program with the exception of student teaching.C. Applicants for certification in work based career and technology education are not required to complete student teaching.VI. Required Examinations.A. All applicants must submit the required teaching content area examination score(s) and the required score on the examination of general professional knowledge (pedagogy) as adopted by the SBE for purposes of certification.B. An initial certificate will be issued to individuals who seek certification in areas for which no teaching area examination exists and who meet all requirements for certification in effect on the date that the teacher certification office of the SCDE receives all required documentation other than a certification test score. Once a test for the particular area of certification is adopted by the SBE, these individuals will be required to present a passing score on the test within one year following the Board's action.C. Certification in work-based career and technology education requires the successful completion of all sections of the basic skills examination and the trade competency examination adopted by the SBE for work-based career and technology education.VII. Verification of Eligibility The teacher certification office of the SCDE may verify the eligibility of an applicant for certification by ascertaining
(a) that the applicant has verified his or her completion of a state-approved teacher preparation program, OR
(b) that the applicant has a valid corresponding certificate from a state with which South Carolina has reciprocity through the Interstate Agreement on Qualifications of Educational Personnel, OR
(c) that the applicant has met the requirements for the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE) for certification, OR(d) that the applicant has met the requirements for Teach for America for certification, OR
(e) that the applicant has met the requirements for the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence for certification.Amended by State Register Volume 23, Issue No. 6, eff June 25, 1999; State Register Volume 27, Issue No. 6, Part 1, eff June 27, 2003; State Register Volume 41, Issue No. 06, eff. 6/23/2017.