South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 43 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Article 3 - REQUIREMENTS FOR TEACHER EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION REGULATIONS
Section 43-63 - Requirements for Career and Technology Education Work-Based Certification
Universal Citation: SC Code Regs 43-63
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024
A. POLICIES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CERTIFICATION
The policies and regulations governing the certification requirements for Career and Technology Education educators as presented in this document replace all such procedures and regulations approved prior to this publication, except as indicated.
(1)
Certificates are issued in levels based on educational background and
experience in the field in which the certificate is requested. The level of the
certificate is used to determine salary.
(2) Career and Technology Education Program
Areas Covered in This Regulation
(a)
Engineer/Industrial Technology Cluster: All courses in this program area are
included in this regulation. Entry level into teaching these courses shall be
defined in this regulation.
(b)
Family and Consumer Sciences Cluster: The courses covered in this program area
are Clothing and Interior Design, Culinary Arts, and Early Childhood. An
associate degree is the minimum requirement for entry level into teaching these
courses.
(c) Health Science
Technology Cluster: All courses in this program area are included in this
regulation. An associate degree is the minimum requirement for entry level into
teaching these courses.
(d)
Hospitality and Tourism Cluster: All courses in this program area are included
in this regulation. An associate degree is the minimum requirement for entry
level into teaching these courses.
(e) Information Technology Cluster: All
courses in this program area are included in this regulation. An associate
degree is the minimum requirement for entry level into teaching these
courses.
B. PERSONS REQUIRED TO HOLD A CERTIFICATE
(1) A
valid South Carolina educator's certificate is required of each individual
employed in an instructional or classroom teaching position in a public school
of this state.
(2) Each individual
who serves in a position designed for the support of the instructional program
is also required to hold the appropriate South Carolina educator's
certificate.
C. REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFICATION
(1) The
applicant must meet all requirements for certification that are in effect on
the date of receipt by the Office of Teacher Certification, Division of Teacher
Quality, of all required documentation. The responsibility for providing
accurate and complete documentation of eligibility is that of the
applicant.
(2) Age requirement: A
person must be at least 18 years of age before making application for an
educator's certificate.
(3) The
Application
(a) The statement of
qualifications or appropriate educator's application should be secured from the
Office of Teacher Certification, Division of Teacher Quality, State Department
of Education, Columbia, South Carolina 29201. The completed application should
be submitted to the same address.
(b) The applicant will be informed in writing
after the application is received what documentation is necessary to complete
the certification process.
(4) Documentation Required
(a) Verification of all work experience in
the field for which the applicant wishes to be certified must be provided
(Forms available). Work experience completed while in the armed forces may be
validated by providing official military documents certified as true copies by
a notary public. These documents must show what the work experience was and the
time served in that field.
(b) Two
(2) technical references from employers in the area for which the applicant
wishes to be certified must be provided (Forms available).
(c) A notarized copy of high school diploma
or state high school equivalency certificate.
(d) Official transcripts of any college or
technical college credit must be provided. Transcripts must be sent directly
from the registrar and bear the seal of the issuing institution (Request form
available).
(e) Copies of
certificates of completion of any industry-sponsored training must be sent
directly from the sponsoring agency or company. Copies certified as a true copy
of the original by a notary public may be provided by the applicant.
(f) Successful completion of the approved
competency examination and basic skills examination as approved by the State
Board of Education is required.
(g)
Applicants in Cosmetology and Barbering shall provide copies of their South
Carolina Board of Cosmetology Licenses. These copies must be certified as true
copies by a notary public. This documentation is accepted in lieu of the
approved competency examination.
(h) Applicants in Health Science Technology
shall provide copies of active, nationally recognized health professions
licenses, certificates, or registrations. The requirements for the licensure,
certification, or registration must include at least two (2) years of formal
postsecondary education in addition to the program prerequisites. These copies
must be certified as true copies by a notary public. This is used in lieu of
the approved competency examination.
(i) Applicants for certification must
successfully complete the approved program designed to prepare these
prospective Work-Based Certified Career and Technology Education educators for
the instructional environment. The program components will include, but not be
limited to, a two-week (10-day) institute, training seminars, and professional
development meetings. Successful completion of the two-week institute is a
requirement for issuing the certificate. Applicants are expected to meet the
standards for all Career and Technology Education educators as outlined in the
guidelines which may include additional preparation.
D. CERTIFICATION EXAMINATIONS
(1) Certification examinations are required
of all educators certified under the Career and Technology Education Work-Based
Certification process. Examinations may include the following:
(a) Competency Examination
(i) The successful completion of a related
competency examination is a prerequisite to issuance of the professional Career
and Technology Education certificate. The required examination and minimum
qualifying scores acceptable for certification in each area are determined by
the State Board of Education.
(ii)
Applicants not bearing proof of competence (i.e., nationally recognized
certification, licensure, or registration) must pass a nationally recognized
competency examination within two (2) years of application. Refer to the
guidelines for accepted certification, licensure, or registration.
(b) Basic Skills Examination
(i) Successful completion of the basic skills
examination is prerequisite to issuance of the professional Career and
Technology Education certificate. The required minimum qualifying score is
determined by the State Board of Education.
(ii) The exam must be taken during the first
year of induction certification. The candidate will have five years to
successfully pass the examination.
E. EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR CERTIFICATE CLASSIFICATION
(1) The
classification of the educator's certificate is determined by the applicant's
level of formal education and formal work experience and the degree to which
that education and formal work experience are appropriate to the area in which
certification is desired. An appropriate degree shall include a minimum of 30
semester hours of course work appropriate to the field of certification. The
requirements for achieving these classifications are to be met in conjunction
with the requirements delineated on pages 1 and 2. The Career and Technology
Education educator's certificate classifications are as follows:
(2) Levels of Certification
(a) Level VIII--Doctorate
(i) An applicant shall have an earned
doctoral degree in accordance with State Board of Education regulations, shall
meet requirements in an initial area of certification, and have at least six
months of work experience related to the area of certification and/or
internship (at least 21 hours in a concentrated field of study).
(ii) The certificate is valid for a five-year
period after obtaining a professional certificate.
(b) Level VII--Specialist
(i) An applicant shall have a master's degree
in accordance with State Board of Education regulations in an initial area of
certification. Also required are thirty (30) semester hours beyond the master's
degree of which twenty-one (21) hours must be in a concentrated area of study.
Further, the applicant must have at least six months of work experience or an
internship related to the area of certification.
(ii) The certificate is valid for a five-year
period after obtaining a professional certificate.
(c) Level I--Career And Technology Education
(i) An applicant shall have earned a master's
degree in accordance with State Board of Education regulations, shall meet
requirements in an initial area of certification, and have at least six months
of full-time work experience and/or internship related to the area of
certification. The certificate is valid for a five-year period after obtaining
a professional certificate; OR
(ii)
Bachelor's Degree:
(a) Bachelor's Degree and
eighteen (18) semester hours post-baccalaureate credits in an appropriate field
plus one (1) year of full-time work experience or internship related to the
area of certification OR
(b) A
Bachelor's Degree in an appropriate field plus two years of full-time work
experience and/or internship related to the area of certification; OR
(iii) No Bachelor's Degree:
(a) Successful completion of three (3) years
of college (ninety [90]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved
postsecondary program plus three (3) years' full-time work experience related
to the area of certification; OR
(b) Successful completion of two (2) years
(sixty [60]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved post-secondary
program plus four (4) years of full-time work experience related to the area of
certification; OR
(c) Successful
completion of one (1) year (thirty [30] semester hours or equivalent) in an
approved post-secondary program plus five (5) years of full-time work
experience related to the area of certification; OR
(d) Six (6) years of successful full-time
work experience in the field employed to teach plus a high school diploma or
equivalent.
(d) Level II--Career
And Technology Education
(i) An applicant
shall have earned a bachelor's degree and eighteen (18) semester hours
post-graduate credits in an appropriate field, have at least six months of
full-time work experience and/or internship related to the area of
certification, and shall meet requirements in an initial area of certification.
The certificate is valid for a five-year period after obtaining a professional
certificate; OR
(ii) A Bachelor's
Degree in an appropriate field plus one (1) year's full-time work experience
related to the area of certification; OR
(iii) Successful completion of three (3)
years of college (ninety [90]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved
postsecondary program plus two (2) years full-time work experience related to
the area of certification; OR
(iv)
Successful completion of two (2) years (sixty [60]) semester hours or
equivalent) in an approved post-secondary program plus three (3) years'
full-time work experience related to the area of certification; OR
(v) Successful completion of one (1) year
(thirty [30]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved post-secondary
program plus four (4) years of full-time work experience related to the area of
certification; OR
(vi) Five (5)
years of successful full-time work experience in the field employed to teach
plus a high school diploma or equivalent.
(e) Level III--Career And Technology
Education
(i) An applicant shall have earned a
bachelor's degree in an appropriate field in accordance with State Board of
Education regulations and have at least six months of full-time work experience
and/or internship related to the area of certification, and shall meet
requirements in an initial area of certification; OR
(ii) Successful completion of three (3) years
of college (ninety [90]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved
postsecondary program plus one (1) year of full-time work experience related to
the area of certification; OR
(iii)
Successful completion of two (2) years (sixty [60]) semester hours or
equivalent) in an approved post-secondary program plus two (2) years of
full-time work experience related to the area of certification; OR
(iv) Successful completion of one (1) year
(thirty [30]) semester hours or equivalent) in an approved post-secondary
program plus three (3) years of full-time work experience related to the area
of certification; OR
(v) Four (4)
years of successful full-time work experience in the field employed to teach
plus a high school diploma or equivalent.
F. INITIAL WORK-BASED CERTIFICATE
(1) Induction
Certificate
(a) A two-year nonrenewable
induction certificate will be issued in the same five classifications listed in
Section E. (2) if the following conditions are met:
(i) Verification of full-time work experience
as required for certification;
(ii)
Two references from person having firsthand knowledge of the applicant's
technical experience; and
(iii) An
official verification of all formal education.
(b) Term of issuance-one year with the
provision to renew for a second year.
(c) Employment as a full-or part-time teacher
in a South Carolina public school.
(2) Three-Year Pre-Professional Certificates
(a) A three-year nonrenewable
pre-professional certificate may be issued after the expiration of the two-year
induction certificate if the following requirements are met:
(i) Attain minimum qualifying score on the
competency exam in the field for which induction certification is
held,
(ii) Demonstrate competency
in teaching methods as specified in the Regulation Regulation 205.1, Assisting,
Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching, and
(iii) Take the basic skills examination as
approved by the State Board of Education.
(3) Professional Certificate
(a) Upon the expiration of the three-year
pre-professional certificate, a professional Career and Technology Education
certificate valid for five years will be issued if the following requirements
are met:
(i) Demonstrate competency in
teaching methods as specified in the guidelines, and
(ii) Attain at least the minimum qualifying
score on the approved basic skills examination.
(b) Applicants who do not complete the
requirements for a professional certificate during the five years of induction
and pre-professional certification must meet all certification requirements for
a professional certificate in effect at the time they qualify.
G. ADVANCEMENT OF CERTIFICATES
(1) Certificates may be advanced
based on guidelines approved by the State Board of Education.
(2) Certificates may be advanced by:
(a) Providing the required documentation of
indicating that State Board of Education requirements for certificate
advancement have been met;
(b)
Making a written request to the Career and Technology Education Certification
Section, Office of Teacher Certification, Division of Teacher Quality, to have
the certificate advanced; and
(c)
Paying the required fee for advancement of the certificate.
H. GENERAL INFORMATION
(1) Correspondence Schools
If courses are in the area in which the applicant teaches or are in general education, upon presentation of substantiating evidence correspondence courses may be accepted as renewal credit.
(2) Supervised Skill Update
Three hundred twenty (320) clock hours of work experience in the area being taught can be counted to substitute for three (3) semester hours of approved renewal credit. Self-employment experience is not acceptable. The proposed work experience must show that appropriate new skills will be developed. This allowance is to be made only one (1) time during any five-year renewal period. Prior application and approval is required for this credit. Applications may be secured from the Office of Teacher Certification, Division of Teacher Quality, State Department of Education, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.
(3) Approved Subject
Area Work Experience Completed Five (5) Years Prior To Application
At least twelve (12) months of full-time work experience in the certificate area must have been completed within five (5) years of making application for certification. Applicants with valid out-of-state certificates with three (3) years teaching experience in the five (5) years prior to the application shall meet this requirement.
(4) Part-Time Work Experience Related To The
Area Of Certification
Part-time work experience may be used to meet up to fifty (50) percent of the work experience requirements for any level of certificate.
(5) Semester
Hours
All credits are computed in semester hours. (Three quarter hours are equivalent to two (2) semester hours.)
(6) Out-Of-State Candidates
Out-of-state candidates holding valid, standard certificates from other states must meet the State Board of Education requirement for full or initial certification. These certificates may be renewed as any other.
(7) Continuing
Education Units
Continuing education courses may be accepted when earned in the content area of the specialized body of knowledge and approved by the Office of Teacher Certification, Division of Teacher Quality, South Carolina Department of Education, Columbia, South Carolina 29201.
(8) Student Teaching
Career and Technology Education certified personnel are not required to do student teaching.
(9) Acquiring Additional Areas Of
Certification
A person who holds a valid South Carolina Career and Technology Education educator's certificate may, upon written request and payment of the required fee, add additional endorsements in accordance with the following criteria:
(a) Verification of
full-time work experience as required for certification;
(b) Two technical references from persons
having firsthand knowledge of the applicant's work experience, and
(c) Attainment of at least the minimum
qualifying score on the required competency examination.
(10) Certification For Individuals With
Unique Occupational Training And Experience For Which There Is No Competency
Examination
The changing nature of business and industry and their employment needs require that school districts be able to develop and implement new training programs to meet those needs in areas where no competency examination is available.
(a) The
applicant must meet all other requirements for Career and Technology Education
certification (except the competency examination). Application for a
certificate will be allowed in the cases of new and innovative programs
providing the following additional criteria are met. The applicant must have:
(i) A bachelor's degree from a regionally
accredited college or university in the area of assignment and at least one
year of related work experience in the area of assignment. The certificate
level will be based upon the highest degree held and years of documented
related work experience; and
(ii)
Documentation of outstanding achievements related to the area of assignment,
which could be used to verify competence in the field.
(iii) The district must submit documentation
of the need (local needs assessment) for the new program for which licensure is
sought. In 1994 the State Board of Education called for the following criteria
for needs assessments:
Written documentation of the employment needs of new or expanding business/industries employing graduates of the program(s), ... must be submitted and endorsed by the CEO, President, or Human Resources Manager of one of the businesses in question and must include, as a minimum, (a) current and three-year projected employment needs, (b) indication of business/industry involvement with the local educational agency ..., (c) letters from the local Employment Security Commission, local development board, or local chamber of commerce specifying the needs for graduates of the program(s) for which licensure is requested.
I. EMPLOYMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH INDUSTRY CERTIFIED CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
(1) School districts shall be allowed to hire
individuals with recognized eminence in career and technology areas to teach in
high schools and career centers. This employment provides districts the
opportunity to take advantage of outstanding expertise available where (a)
programs and certification have not been approved by the State Board of
Education and (b) programs have been approved by the State Board of Education
but no certified teacher is available.
(a)
School districts will be allowed to petition the State Board of Education
through the Division of Teacher Quality at the State Department of Education
for a temporary certificate that will allow the employment of an individual in
an instructional position provided the individual meets the criteria listed
below. The temporary two-year certificates are nontransferable to another
district and can only be requested by the school district.
(b) An individual seeking employment under
this provision will be issued a certificate that will be valid for one year
unless revoked at the request of the district. The temporary certificate may be
renewed one additional year. After two years the individual will be required to
meet certification requirements listed in this regulation.
(c) The individual must have at least four
years of experience in the area of assignment. The certificate will be issued
at the corresponding level of educational attainment and/or verified work
experience listed in this regulation.
(d) Documentation of outstanding achievements
related to the area of assignment can be used to verify competency in the
field.
(e) The individual must have
received an "all clear" report from the FBI fingerprint process before the
two-year temporary certificate can be issued.
(f) School districts shall closely monitor
teaching content and techniques utilized by such individuals to ensure that
appropriate instructional methods are used in accordance with State Board of
Education guidelines. The Office of Career and Technology Education will
monitor course content.
J. GUIDELINES
The State Department of Education has authority to develop guidelines in accordance with provisions of this regulation.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. South Carolina may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
