S.C. Code Regs. 43-64. Requirements for Certification at the Advanced Level

I. ADMINISTRATION A. School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12) To add certification in the field of School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12), an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements; 2. Valid South Carolina Professional educator certificate; 3. Completion of a graduate-level preparation program approved by the State Board of Education for the training and preparation of school principals; 4. Verification of at least three years of educator experience; and 5. Qualifying score on the subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of school leaders. No later than September 1, 2026, South Carolina educator preparation providers with approved programs leading to principal certification must ensure coursework and field experiences are aligned with requirements to prepare leadership candidates to work in PK-Grade 12 settings. B. School Principal: Tier 2 (PK-Grade 12) To be eligible for advancement from School Principal: Tier 1 to School Principal: Tier 2, a school leader must demonstrate: 1. Successful completion of the Principal Induction Program (PIP) in the first year of employment as a principal; and 2. An overall rating of Proficient or Exemplary on the Program for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Principal Performance (PADEPP) evaluation instrument in the second year of employment as a principal. C. Transition from Elementary and Secondary Principal Certification Grade Spans Individuals certified as School Principal: Elementary (Tier 1 or Tier 2) or School Principal: Secondary (Tier 1 or Tier 2) may retain these certification fields or may add the certification field of School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12) or School Principal: Tier 2 (PK-Grade 12) by meeting one of the following requirements: 1. Successful completion of a graduate-level internship course in the complementary grade span documented on an official transcript and verification issued by an institution offering a program for the preparation of school principals approved by the State Board of Education; or 2. One year of successful experience as an assistant principal or principal in the complementary grade span. If needed and, at the request of the employing school district, the individual may be issued a one-year permit in the complementary grade span and will be eligible to add the PK-12 leadership field in full upon completion of the year of experience and recommendation of the employing district. D. School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12) Career Changers Alternative Principal Pathway (CCAPP) To be eligible for participation in CCAPP, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements; 2. Verification of at least three years of successful experience in leadership, supervision, upper-level management, or other position in a business, corporation, agency, or the military with responsibilities similar to those of a school principal; 3. Recommendation for participation in CCAPP by the superintendent of a South Carolina public school district interested in employing the individual as an assistant principal; and 4. Issuance of a one-year alternative route educator certificate in School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12) that may be renewed annually for two additional years with documentation of successful performance evaluations and progress in CCAPP as follows: (a) Year One: During the first year of program participation, the district and the SCDE must develop the individualized learning plan for the educator. At the end of this year, the employing school district must submit to the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) verification that the educator has met the first year requirements of the individualized plan, has completed a full year of experience as an assistant principal in a public school, has received a passing score on the subject area assessment required for certification of principals by the State Board of Education, and has received a successful rating on an SCDE-approved evaluation instrument from the employing school district. Additionally, the employing school district must submit a written request for the one-year extension of the educator’s certificate. (b) Year Two: At the end of the second year of CCAPP participation, the employing school district must submit to the SCDE verification that the educator has met the second-year requirements of the individualized plan, completed a second full year of experience as an assistant principal in a public school, and has received a successful rating on an SCDE-approved evaluation instrument from the employing school district. The employing school district must also submit a written request for the one-year extension of the educator’s certificate. (c) Year Three: At the end of the third year of CCAPP participation, the employing school district must submit to the SCDE verification that the educator has met the third-year requirements of the individualized plan, completed a third full year of experience as an assistant principal in a public school, has received a successful rating on an SCDE-approved evaluation instrument from the employing school district, and has completed all requirements of the CCAPP professional learning plan. Upon documentation that all CCAPP requirements have been met during the three-year program, the SCDE will issue the five-year renewable Professional certificate in School Principal: Tier 1 (PK-Grade 12). E. Specialized Endorsement for School Transformational Leaders Academy Pursuant to Regulation 43-62, Areas of Certification, the SCDE in consultation with the State Board has the authority to establish specialized certification endorsements to provide educators the opportunity to enhance their professional knowledge and skills and to have this additional preparation and training reflected on an educator certificate. In order to enhance the specialized skills of educators leading turnaround schools, the transformational leaders academy will prepare selected educators in transformational strategies in order to lead persistently low-achieving schools in raising student achievement. In order to be issued the endorsement, the educator must hold a hold a valid Professional certificate and successfully complete all requirements of the transformational leaders academy. F. District Superintendent To add certification in the field of District Superintendent, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements; 2. Valid South Carolina Professional educator certificate; 3. Completion of a graduate-level preparation program approved by the State Board of Education for the training and preparation of district superintendents; 4. Verification of at least three years of educator experience; and 5. Qualifying score on the subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of district-level leaders. G. District Superintendent (Alternative Route for Career Changers) 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements. 2. Verification of at least ten years of successful experience in a senior position(s) of leadership, such as chief executive officer in a business, corporation or agency, military officer, or other position with responsibilities similar to those of a district superintendent. 3. Recommendation for certification by a local school board in a South Carolina public school district interested in employing the individual as a superintendent. 4. Submission of a plan of study by the local school board that the individual must complete within three years to include, at a minimum, the areas of curriculum and instruction, school finance, and school law. Within the first year of employment as a district superintendent, the candidate must also submit a passing score on subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of district superintendents. 5. Issuance of the first one-year alternative route educator certificate. This certificate may be extended annually for two additional years at the request of the local school board based on verification of successful performance reviews. 6. Issuance of a professional certificate upon completion of the specified program of study, and minimum qualifying scores on the required certification examination(s), and the recommendation by the local school board after three years of successful service as superintendent. H. Career and Technology (CTE) Center Director To add certification in the field of CTE Center Director, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Valid South Carolina Professional educator certificate in both a school principal field and one of the following classroom teaching fields: (a) Agriculture (b) Family and Consumer Sciences (c) Technology and Engineering Education (d) Business and Marketing Education (e) Any CTE work-based certification field approved by the State Board of Education OR 2. Valid South Carolina Professional educator certificate in a school principal field and three years of experience as a director or assistant director in a CTE Center; OR 3. Master’s degree from a State Board of Education approved teacher education program in vocational education, including fifteen semester hours in administration, and a Professional educator certificate in one of the following classroom teaching fields: (a) Agriculture (b) Family and Consumer Sciences (c) Technology and Engineering Education (d) Business and Marketing Education (e) Any CTE work-based certification field approved by the State Board of Education The fifteen semester hours in administration required above must be selected from the areas listed below: (a) General School Administration (b) School Personnel Administration (c) Techniques of School or Instructional Supervision (d) School Law (e) School Finance (f) Human Growth and Development (g) Curriculum Development AND 4. Qualifying score on the area examination subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of school principals; AND 5. Verification of five years of experience as a pre-K-12 or postsecondary teacher, school or school district administrator, postsecondary administrator, or business administrator. II. INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICE FIELDS A. School Counselor To add certification in the field of School Counselor, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements; 2. Completion of an advanced program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of school counselors; and 3. Qualifying score on the subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of school counselors. The State Board of Education is authorized to approve guidelines for individuals currently certified in Elementary or Secondary School Counselor to add the complementary field and/or PK-12 certification field of School Counselor and to establish program approval standards for colleges and universities to develop pathways for other types of professional counselors to become certified in the field of School Counselor. B. School Psychologist To add certification in the field of School Psychologist, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Completion of a state-approved certification program meeting State Board of Education requirements for the preparation of school psychologists; OR 2. Completion of a preparation program for school psychologists approved by the National Association of School Psychologists; AND 3. Qualifying score on a subject area assessment accepted by the State Board of Education for the certification of school psychologists. C. Speech Language Pathologist To add certification in the field of Speech Language Pathologist, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Completion of a state-approved certification program at the master’s level or higher meeting State Board of Education requirements for the preparation of speech-language pathologists; OR 2. Completion of a preparation program for speech-language pathologists at the master’s level or higher approved by the Council of Academic Accreditation in Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; AND 3. Qualifying score on a subject area assessment accepted by the State Board of Education for the certification of speech-language pathologists; AND 4. Active license issued by the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (LLR) to practice speech-language pathology in the state or eligibility to practice speech-language pathology in South Carolina through compact privilege issued by the Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact (ALSP-IC). The State Board of Education discontinued the issuance of educator certificates in the field of Speech-Language Therapist effective September 1, 2020; however, educators certified in the field of Speech-Language Therapist prior to September 1, 2020, may serve in that capacity so long as they continue to maintain a valid educator certificate. An educator certified in the field of Speech-Language Therapist may update the educator certificate to Speech-Language Pathologist by presenting an active license to practice speech-language pathology issued by LLR. D. School Librarian To add certification in the field of School Librarian, an individual must meet the following requirements: 1. Master’s degree from an institution that meets State Board of Education accreditation requirements; 2. Completion of an advanced program approved by the State Board of Education for the preparation of school librarians; and 3. Qualifying score on the subject area assessment required by the State Board of Education for the certification of school librarians.