South Carolina H 3637: Competitive Education Employment Act

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3637 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 12, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3637

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE 
"COMPETITIVE EDUCATION EMPLOYMENT ACT" BY AMENDING SECTION 59-18-300, RELATING 
TO THE ADOPTION OF EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS IN CERTAIN CORE ACADEMIC AREAS, SO AS 
TO INCLUDE SPANISH AMONG THESE AREAS, AND TO REQUIRE THE STATE BOARD OF 
EDUCATION TO ESTABLISH EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS FOR SPANISH BEFORE DECEMBER 1, 
2026, TO BE IMPLEMENTED BEGINNING WITH THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR; BY AMENDING 
SECTION 59-18-310, RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE 
STUDENT LEARNING AND MEASURE STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON STATE STANDARDS, SECTION 
59-18-320, RELATING TO THE REVIEW AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE STATEWIDE 
ASSESSMENTS, SECTION 59-18-325, RELATING TO THE SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, 
SECTION 59-18-350, RELATING TO THE CYCLICAL REVIEW OF STATEWIDE STANDARDS AND 
ASSESSMENTS, AND SECTION 59-18-900, RELATING TO PERFORMANCE RATINGS OF SCHOOLS, 
ALL SO AS TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Whereas, as our twenty-first 
century economy becomes increasingly globalized and the complexion of America 
evolves as its diversity flourishes, it is imperative that our educational 
system keeps pace in making necessary changes to the way it prepares young 
people for the future; and

Whereas, such changes 
are not only necessary to create a more unified and empowered society, but also 
to provide a competitive workforce that attracts business and industry to 
invest in the Palmetto State; and

Whereas, among the 
initiatives South Carolina public schools may pursue in this regard is the 
implementation of comprehensive bilingual and bicultural training in 
kindergarten through twelfth grade, with an emphasis on the Spanish language 
and culture. Now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "Competitive Education Employment Act."

SECTION 2. Section 59-18-300 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

 Section 
59-18-300. (A) The State Board of Education is directed to adopt 
grade specific performance-oriented educational standards in the core academic 
areas of mathematics, English/language arts, social studies (history, 
government, economics, and geography), and science, and Spanish for kindergarten through twelfth grade and 
for grades nine through twelve adopt specific academic standards for high 
school credit courses in mathematics, English/language arts, social studies, 
and science. The standards are to promote the goals of providing every student 
with the competencies to:

 (1) read, view, and listen to complex 
information in the English language and the Spanish 
language;

 (2) write and speak effectively in the 
English language and the Spanish language;

 (3) solve problems by applying 
mathematics;

 (4) conduct research and communicate 
findings;

 (5) understand and apply scientific 
concepts;

 (6) obtain a working knowledge of 
world, United States, and South Carolina history, government, economics, and 
geography; and

 (7) use information to make decisions.

 (B) The standards must be 
reflective of the highest level of academic skills with the rigor necessary to 
improve the curriculum and instruction in South Carolina's schools so that 
students are encouraged to learn at unprecedented levels and must be reflective 
of the highest level of academic skills at each grade level.

 (C) The educational standards for 
Spanish must be established by the State Board before December 1, 2026, for 
implementation beginning in the 2026-2027 School Year.

SECTION 3. Section 59-18-310(B)(1) of the S.C. Code is amended to 
read:

 (1) The statewide assessment program 
must include the subjects of English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and Spanish 
in grades three through eight, as delineated in Section 59-18-320, and 
end-of-course tests for courses selected by the State Board of Education and 
approved by the Education Oversight Committee for federal accountability, which 
award units of credit in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and Spanish. 
A student's score on an end-of-year assessment may not be the sole criterion 
for placing the student on academic probation, retaining the student in his 
current grade, or requiring the student to attend summer school. Beginning with 
the graduating class of 2010, students are required to pass a high school 
credit course in science and a course in United States history in which 
end-of-course examinations are administered to receive the state high school 
diploma. Beginning with the graduating class of 2015, students are no longer 
required to meet the exit examination