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1. Certification Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Total number of 9-12 teachers with main assignment in science: N/A
2. Total number of science teachers in grades 9-12 with an Earth science assignment: N/A
3. Percentage of 9-12 science teachers with an Earth science certification: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for secondary teachers: 30 hours or a major in the subject area taught.

B. Grades 6-8

1. Total number of teachers in grades 7-8 with a main assignment in science: N/A
2. Total number of grades 7-8 science teachers in all assignments: N/A
3. Percentage of middle grade science teachers certified in science: N/A
4. Specific licensure requirements for middle school teachers: 30 hours or a major in the subject area taught.

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2. Course Requirements

A. Grades 9-12

1. Number of science credits required for high school graduation: 3.
2. Required science courses: Physical Science until Biology is approved.
3. Is an Earth science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? No
4. Is Earth science part of another course required for high school graduation? No.
5. If Earth science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?  Yes.
6. Is an Environmental science course included in the recommended high school science curriculum? No
7. Is Environmental science part of another course required for high school graduation? No
8.  If Environmental science is taken, does it count towards graduation requirements?   Yes 

B. Grades 6-8

1. Is Earth Science part of the middle school science curriculum (grades 6-8)?  Yes.
2. Is it taught as a full year curriculum or an integrated curriculum?  Both. 
3. At what grade level(s) is Earth science taught? 7th-8th.

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3. K-12 Enrollment

A. Percent of Grade 9 students enrolled in selected courses

Course	Earth science	Chemistry	Biology	Physics
Percent	4%	81%	92%	24%

 B. Enrollment trends in Grade 9 Earth science

Year	Percent	Students
1996-97	Not Available	Not Available
1997-98	Not Available	Not Available
1999-00	Not Available	Not Available
2003-04	4%	Not Available

C. Students in grades 7-8 enrolled in selected science courses

	1999-2000	2003-2004
Course	Students (Percentage)	Students (Percentage)
Earth Science	Not Available	Not Available
General Science	Not Available	Not Available
Physical Science	Not Available	Not Available
Life Science	Not Available	Not Available
Integrated or Coordinated Science	Not Available	Not Available (87%)

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4. K-12 Indicators

	State	National
Average Freshman Graduation Rate	N/A	73.2%
College Enrollment Rate	69.5%	68.6%
AP Participation Rate	23.1%	25%

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5. Science Standards

• Standards Publication: South Carolina Curriculum Standards (adobe pdf)
• Year in which science standards were adopted: 2005
• Are state standards determined at the district level? No.
• When will the state standards be revised? 2010-2012

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6. Testing and Assessment

A. State Science Tests

Test	Grade Levels Tested:	Earth Science Component on the Test?
National Assessment of Educational Progress	4,8, 12	Changes if science is on exam every few years
Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT)	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Yes

B. State High School Exit Exam

1. Name of Exam:  SAP
2. Type of Test: Minimum competency
3. Does the exam have a science component? No.
4. At what grade do students first take the exam? 10
5. Is passing the exam a requirement for a diploma? Yes.
6. Does the exam have an Earth science component? No.

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7. Textbook Adoptions

• Does the state select or recommend textbooks? Recommended. 
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: N/A
• Environmental science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the high school level: N/A
• Earth science textbook(s)/program(s) used in the state at the middle school level:  N/A

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8. State Contact Person

Janice M. Gamble	Education Associate
South Carolina State Department of Education Room 708 Rutledge Building Columbia, SC 29201	jgamble@ed.sc.gov 803-734-7816

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