In 2017, state leaders and educators in South Carolina began a statewide effort aimed at transforming education through a personalized, competency-based approach to education. Two initiatives form the heart of this work. The first is the state’s Profile of a Graduate, which lays out the set of knowledge, skills, and competencies students should have by the time they graduate from high school. The second is a competency framework that helps school systems to implement personalized learning programs aligned to the competencies in the Profile.

State leaders have also taken steps to help local educators and leaders build their capacity to implement competency-based programs. The state’s Personalized Learning team and the PersonalizeSC website provide professional development and support to educators and administrators as they transition to student-centered learning models. As part of the PersonalizeSC initiative, the state launched the South Carolina Competency-Based Learning Fellowship program, which equips educators and school leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to implement the state Profile of a Graduate. This work culminated in the passage, in 2024, of legislation empowering school systems to award students credit based on demonstrations of proficiency, rather than just seat time.

The state’s efforts to date provide a jumping off point for additional opportunities to transform high schools, including the launch of a statewide initiative with dedicated resources to incentivize community-led high school redesign.