Education Excellence

In 1996, the General Assembly anticipated the advantages of using technology as a tool to promote learning in South Carolina. To facilitate the infusion of technology into the schools, the General Assembly created the K–12 School Technology Initiative which is guided by a unique public/private partnership comprised of the State Department of Education (SDE), SCETV, the State Budget and Control Board, the State Library and the state’s private sector telecommunications providers. This report highlights the successes South Carolina has realized through the K–12 School Technology Initiative in meeting the mandates of state and federal legislation.

The 2003-08 South Carolina State Educational Technology Plan outlines five key dimensions: Learners and their Environment, Professional Capacity, Instructional Capacity, Community Connections, and Support Capacity. Current mandates met through the goals and objectives set forth in this plan provide the framework for elucidating, monitoring, and evaluating South Carolina’s pathway to continuous progress and advancement through technology implementation that supports learning.

The K–12 School Technology Initiative’s support of the technology plan has enabled South Carolina to exceed the requirements established by the Education Oversight Committee, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the Teacher Technology Proficiency Proviso, and the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA). As a testament to this, several South Carolina districts are highlighted in the “Success Stories” section of the National Educational Technology Plan (www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/os/technology/plan/2004/site/edlite-default.html). For example, Charleston County School District is recognized for enabling teacher technology proficiency. The National Educational Technology Plan reads as follows:

This report will outline specific K–12 School Technology Initiative activities that support each of the five technology dimensions and will also provide insight as to South Carolina’s progress in comparison to other states in the nation. While the Initiative has achieved much success in deploying technological innovations into the 21st century, there is still much to be done. According to Education Week (2005) state technology directors in 44 states, including South Carolina, say inadequate funding for technology is the biggest challenge they face. In South Carolina, the shortfall is primarily in funds flowed through to school districts which enable schools to upgrade their local equipment.

The Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) points out that today’s students face increasing technological challenges to their ability to succeed. Revolutionary technological advances are globalizing the economy and placing South Carolina students in direct competition with students across the globe. While that revolution has been taking place, critical federal technology funding has been cut. The federal government’s allocation of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) funding dedicated to technology (Enhancing Education Through Technology) has been cut in half with future prospects of funding looking very bleak. In February 2005, the Bush administration asked Congress to wipe out all the money for the major federal grant program that has provided nearly a half billion dollars annually in support of technology in our nation’s schools. Fortunately, In the wake of federal budget cuts, the South Carolina legislature provided funding for the state to continue to make progress using technology to improve learning.

Read the 2006 Progress Report of the South Carolina K-12 Technology Initiative.
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"Education experts point out that technology is just not a one time cost and that states should have a well-developed approach to technology planning and spending."

EDUCATION WEEK, 2005