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Ten school districts added to Year 2 of eLearning pilot

Wed, 07/10/2019

Columbia -- Today, the Education Oversight Committee (EOC) announced that ten additional school districts have been approved to use eLearning days for school make-up days. A total of 15 districts in the state will participate in the program in the upcoming school year, including the original five districts, Year 1 Districts, who participated in school year 2018-19. 

Year 1 Districts
School Years 2018-19 and 2019-20

 Year 2 Districts
School Year 2019-20

Anderson 5
Kershaw
Pickens
Spartanburg 1
Spartanburg 7

Anderson 1
Anderson 2
Anderson 3
Berkeley
Florence 1
Georgetown
Lexington 2
Lexington 3
York 2
York 3

In June there were a total of 23 districts that submitted applications to participate in the eLearning pilot program. District officials from Year 1 Districts reviewed and scored the applications, which did not contain the names of the applicants.

For the 2019-20 school year, Year 1 Districts will provide direct support and assistance to the ten districts. The EOC will also work with SC ETV, the State Library, and the South Carolina Department of Education to provide resources and support to these districts.

"The goal of the project is to expand eLearning to more districts throughout the state," stated Melanie Barton, Executive Director of the EOC. "Clearly, there is strong interest in our state for the initiative. Ensuring that districts have the technology, infrastructure and personnel is important; however, the critical factor is making online learning a central part of students' daily learning."

Barton noted that "what makes this program so special is that the idea for using online learning for school make-up days came from district leaders and is being sustained and expanded due to their work and initiative."

The proviso in the state budget that created the pilot program requires the EOC to report recommendations for how the program can be implemented statewide by June 1, 2020 to the Governor, the General Assembly, the Department of Education and to the State Board of Education.

 

The SC Education Oversight Committee is an independent, non-partisan group made up of 18 educators, business persons, and elected leaders. Created in 1998, the committee is dedicated to reporting facts, measuring change, and promoting progress within South Carolina's education system.

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