South Carolina Teacher Certification

The South Carolina Department of Education's Division of Teacher Quality is responsible for South Carolina teacher certification. All individuals teaching in a South Carolina public school must hold an appropriate teaching credential.

South Carolina issues two main types of teacher certificates:

• Initial Certificate. The Initial Certificate is issued to individuals who have completed their educational and testing requirements. It is valid for three years. It may be renewed annually at the request of the employing school district.
• Professional Certificate. The Professional Certificate is valid for five years. It has levels of credential classification, which are: Bachelor's degree, Bachelor's degree plus 18 hours, Master's degree, Master's degree plus 30 hours, and Doctorate.

Certificates also have grade spans. As of September 1, 2005, the grade spans are:

• Early Childhood (Pre-K to grade 3)
• Elementary (grades 2-6)
• Middle Level (grades 5-8)
• Secondary (grades 9-12)

South Carolina also issues many other types of certificates to handle specific circumstances. The Alternate, or Critical Need Certificate is issued to individuals in the Program for Alternative Certification (PACE). Internship certificates are issued to individuals who have completed the academic requirements of a teaching preparation program except the teaching internship or student teaching component. Other special certificates are also issued.

The Process for South Carolina Teacher Certification

The process to obtain an Initial Certificate is relatively straightforward. To obtain an Initial Certificate, an individual must:

• Satisfy the educational requirements of at least a bachelor's degree from a teacher education program. These programs can be from:
  • A state-approved teacher education program at a South Carolina college or university.
  • A state-approved teacher education program at an accredited out-of-state college or university.
  • An institution that has programs approved for teacher education by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
• Satisfy the necessary testing requirements by passing the necessary PRAXIS II speciality exams. Starting July 1, 2006, the General Professional Knowledge (Pedagogy) test will also be required.
• Submit an application with all of the appropriate documentation and test results.
• Undergo a state and national criminal records check.

An individual may earn a Professional Certificate by:

• Fulfilling the necessary educational requirements in one of the following ways:
  • Meeting all of the educational requirements for Initial Certification.
  • Successfully completing the Program of Alternative Certification for Educators (PACE).
  • Holding valid National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification.
• Passing the Principals of Learning and Teaching Test. Individuals with NBPTS certification are exempt from this testing requirement.
• Successful completion of the induction program and the Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT) formal evaluation process. Individuals with NBPTS certification are exempt from this requirement.
• Having 3 years of public school teaching experience.

Certification for Teachers Certified in Other States

Individuals with a standard out-of-state certificate may be eligible for a North Carolina Certificate. To be eligible for certification, an individual must submit the teaching area and general professional knowledge (pedagogy) test scores that were required for certification in the other state. If no such tests were required, then the individual will have to pass the necessary South Carolina tests. Any individual who has less than 27 months of teaching experience in the last seven years in the state in which they hold a valid certificate will be required to take the South Carolina professional knowledge (pedagogy) test.

Initial or advanced certification will be awarded only in the area or areas of certification that most closely match tor corresponding South Carolina areas of certification.

Individuals with an out-of-state certificate and NBPTS certification will receive Professional Certification by submitting an application with the necessary supporting documentation, and passing the criminal background check.

South Carolina Certificate Renewal

Initial Certificates may be renewed annually after their three year validity period for individuals that do not meet the requirements for Professional Certification, at the request of the employing school district. Professional Certificates may be renewed by earning a minimum of 120 renewal credits during the five year validity period of the certificate. Renewal credits may be earned through: college course credit; State Department of Education certificate renewal courses; district point plans for certificate renewal; publication; instruction at a college or university; professional training; acting as a professional assessor or evaluator; mentorship or instructional coaching; or educational projects, grants, or research.