Licensure Requirements: South Carolina
Elementary Teacher Preparation Policy
Analysis of South Carolina's policies
Content Test Requirements: South Carolina only requires its early childhood education teacher candidates, who are licensed to teach elementary grades through grade 3, to pass
the Praxis Education of Young Children (5024) test, which may assess pedagogy but is not an adequate measure of subject-matter knowledge.
Scientifically Based Reading Instruction: As a condition of initial licensure, South Carolina does not require its early childhood candidates to pass a
reading test addressing the five instructional components of scientifically
based reading instruction. However, South Carolina does require teacher preparation programs for early childhood teacher candidates to address the science of reading. All early childhood teacher candidates are required to
complete a 12 credit hour sequence in literacy that
includes "comprehension, oral language, phonological awareness, phonics,
fluency,
and vocabulary."
Provisional and Emergency Licensure: Because provisional and emergency licensure requirements are scored in Provisional and Emergency Licensure, only the test requirements for the state's initial license are considered as part of this goal.
Recommendations for South Carolina
Require early childhood teacher candidates to pass a subject-matter test designed to ensure sufficient content knowledge of
all subjects.
South Carolina should require all early childhood teacher candidates who teach the
elementary grades to pass a content test with separate passing scores
for each of the core subject areas, including reading/language arts,
mathematics, science and social studies. Although the state requires
appropriate testing for elementary teachers teaching on an elementary
certificate, South Carolina creates a significant loophole by not holding early
childhood teachers who teach elementary grades to the same requirements.
The state's current practice of allowing teachers up through grade 3 to
teach without ever having passed a content test is particularly
worrisome and should be amended.
Require all teacher candidates who teach
elementary grades to pass a rigorous assessment in the science of reading
instruction.
South Carolina should require a rigorous reading assessment tool to ensure that its
early childhood candidates are adequately prepared in the science of reading
instruction before entering the classroom. The assessment should clearly test
knowledge and skills related to the science of reading and address all five
instructional components of scientifically based reading instruction: phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. If the test is
combined with an assessment that also tests general pedagogy or elementary
content, it should report a subscore for the science of reading specifically.
Early childhood teachers who do not possess the minimum knowledge in this area
should not be eligible for licensure.
State response to our analysis
South Carolina recognized the factual accuracy of this analysis. The state noted that proposed amendments to will require candidates
completing educator preparation programs in early childhood, elementary,
and special education to pass a stand-alone test in the area of reading
instruction in order to become certified in South Carolina. In
preparation for this legislation, the state noted that it ensured that
South Carolina was represented on the multi-state standard setting panel
for the new Praxis assessment Teaching Reading: Elementary (5205)
conducted in early 2019, and ETS has subsequently previewed this test
with South Carolina preparation faculty. The state also noted that it will consult with ETS regarding the state's current Praxis assessment Educating Young Children (5024) and request a comparison to Early Childhood Education (5025) which includes sections related to specific subject areas.
Updated: February 2020
Last word
NCTQ looks forward to reviewing the state's future progress in polices in this goal.
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Teacher Preparation
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How we graded
2D: Elementary Licensure Requirements
- Adequate Content Knowledge: The state should ensure that all new elementary teacher candidates teaching under an early childhood license possess sufficient elementary content knowledge in all core subjects, including mathematics.
- Scientifically Based Reading Instruction: The state should ensure that all new elementary teacher candidates teaching under an early childhood license are required to pass a rigorous test of scientifically based reading instruction. The design of the test should ensure that prospective teachers cannot pass without knowing the five scientifically based components of early reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
One-half of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if it requires early childhood teachers to pass the same content tests as elementary teachers that contain four or more separately scored content exams to ensure appropriate content knowledge in all core academic subject areas.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires early childhood teachers to pass the same content tests as elementary teachers, but the content test does not contain four separately scored tests.
- OR
- The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires an early childhood test with at least two separately scored content exams to ensure appropriate content knowledge in core academic subjects. Both exams must result in a score for one core content area each.
Scientifically Based Reading Instruction
One-half of the total goal score is earned based on the following:
- One-half credit: The state will earn one-half of a point if it requires all new early childhood teachers to pass a rigorous test of scientifically based reading instruction. The design of the test must ensure that all prospective teachers are competent in the five research-based components of early reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if it requires all new early childhood teachers to pass a stand-alone reading test of scientifically based reading instruction, but the test includes content not aligned to scientifically based reading instruction.
- One-quarter credit: The state will earn one-quarter of a point if early childhood teacher preparation standards address the five components of scientifically based reading instruction, but the state does not require an adequate - or any - scientifically based reading instruction test.
Research rationale
Early childhood teachers who teach elementary grades must be ready for the demands of the elementary classroom. Many states have early childhood licenses that include some elementary classroom grades, usually up to grade three.[1] Because teachers with this early childhood license can still teach many elementary grades, they should not be held to a lower bar for subject-matter knowledge than if they held more standard elementary licenses. Given the focus on building students' content knowledge and vocabulary in college- and career-readiness standards,[2] states would put students at risk by not holding all elementary teachers to equivalent standards.[3] That is not to say the license requirements must be identical; there are certainly different focuses in terms of child development and pedagogy. But the idea that content knowledge is only needed by upper-grade elementary teachers is clearly false.
Focus on reading instruction is especially critical for early childhood teachers. Although some states do not ensure that any elementary teachers know the science of how to teach young children to read, in the states where this is a priority, it is inexcusable to hold elementary teachers on an early childhood license to a lower standard. Research is clear that the best defense against reading failure is effective early reading instruction.[4] Therefore, if such licenses are neglecting to meet the needs of the early elementary classroom, of which learning to read is paramount, they are failing to meet one of their most fundamental purposes.
[1] National Council on Teacher Quality. (2016, June). Some assembly required: Piecing together the preparation preschool teachers need. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/dmsView/Preschool
[2] Student Achievement Partners. (2015). Research supporting the Common Core ELA/literacy shifts and standards. Retrieved from https://achievethecore.org/content/upload/Research%20Supporting%20the%20ELA%20Standards%20and%20Shifts%20Final.pdf
[3] Numerous research studies have established the strong relationship between teachers' vocabulary (a proxy for being broadly educated) and student achievement. For example: Wayne, A. J., & Youngs, P. (2003). Teacher characteristics and student achievement gains: A review. Review of Educational Research, 73(1), 89-122.; See also: Whitehurst, G. J. (2002, March). Scientifically based research on teacher quality: Research on teacher preparation and professional development. In White House Conference on Preparing Tomorrow's Teacher.; Ehrenberg, R. G., & Brewer, D. J. (1995). Did teachers' verbal ability and race matter in the 1960s? Coleman revisited. Economics of Education Review, 14(1), 1-21.; Research also connects individual content knowledge with increased reading comprehension, making the capacity of the teacher to infuse all instruction with content of particular importance for student achievement.; Willingham, D. T. (2006). How knowledge helps: It speeds and strengthens reading comprehension, learning, and thinking. American Educator, 30(1), 30. Retrieved from https://www.aft.org/periodical/american-educator/spring-2006/how-knowledge-helps
[4] Torgesen, J.K. (November 2005). Preventing reading disabilities in young children: Requirements at the classroom and school level. Presented at the Western North Carolina LD/ADD Symposium.; Walsh, K., Glaser, D., & Wilcox, D. D. (2006). What education schools aren't teaching about reading and what elementary teachers aren't learning. National Council on Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://www.nctq.org/nctq/images/nctq_reading_study_app.pdf