South Carolina Legislature website, including current session information and legislation look-up.
South Carolina Legislative Process explains how a bill becomes a law.
The State House carries live streaming broadcasts from the floor of both chambers and many committee meetings.
The Children’s Trust of South Carolina hosts these and other helpful legislative and policy links.
BECOME INFORMED
Know Your Stats
A project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, KIDS COUNT is the premier source for data on child and family well-being in the United States. Access hundreds of indicators, download data and create reports and graphics on the KIDS COUNT Data Center that support smart decisions about children and families.
Here is the latest report for South Carolina from KIDS COUNT.
Know Your Brain Science
Dr. Tammy Pawloski currently serves as Professor of Education and Director of the Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty at Francis Marion University. She has led more than 400 professional learning events for teachers, school leaders, and stakeholders. Pawloski understands the challenges and opportunities of teaching, and has devoted the last ten years to the study of children of poverty—why they struggle and which strategies have the greatest impact. She is a noted expert because of her breadth of knowledge; however, what resonates most with teachers and school leaders is her ability to deliver an uncommon combination of research, practice, and compelling stories from the field that empower and challenge them to show up every day as engaged, effective educators. Her compelling research on the affects of poverty as seen in neuroscience is a gift that educators have at their fingertips in the 21st century to understand children of poverty and the learning challenges they face.
Dr. Pawloski has spoken for The SC Bishops’ Public Education Dialogue and for legislators through the Initiative. She offers us a wealth of resources that can be accessed below;
- A handout of of 25 Strategies that Matter Most
- An online Poverty/Low Income Simulation
- Povertyusa.org
- “Poverty and the Achievement Gap” video from the National center of Children in Poverty
- KIDS COUNT Data Center (See above)
- “The Other Achievement Gap: Poverty and Academic Success” from Child Trends
Know SC’s Priority Schools
State Priority Schools are those schools who have an absolute rating of 2.31 or lower (At-Risk) on the South Carolina State Report Card. These schools have failed to meet expected progress on student achievement as required by the Education Accountability Act (EAA). The Diagnostic Review is carried out by a team of highly qualified evaluators who examine the institution’s adherence and commitment to the research aligned AdvancED Standards. The Diagnostic Review Process is designed to energize and equip the leadership and stakeholders of an institution to achieve higher levels of performance and address those areas that may be hindering efforts to reach desired performance levels. The Diagnostic Review is a rigorous process that includes the in-depth examination of evidence and relevant performance data, interviews with groups, and observations of instruction, learning, and operations.
See the list of SC Priority Schools for the 2015-16 school year.