South Carolina Department of Education and reDesign Unveil Groundbreaking Study on Personalized Competency-Based Education Implementation

Report outlines state's successes in transforming its educational landscape

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The South Carolina Department of Education partnered with reDesign to design, develop, and implement a CBE framework that aligned with their Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Together they are releasing a comprehensive report on the implementation of personalized competency-based learning (PCBL) in South Carolina. This landmark report, titled "A Competency-Based Blueprint for Supporting Statewide Learning: 2024 Spotlight on South Carolina," offers an in-depth look at the state's journey with reDesign adopting and scaling PCBL practices.

The report includes an interactive digital showcase and combines research with real-world insights from educators, students, coaches, and leaders at the forefront of South Carolina's PCBL initiative. It provides a detailed analysis of the state's progress and successes in transforming its educational landscape over the past five years–by 2024, the South Carolina Department of Education's (SCDE) team had engaged 87% of the state's districts.

"Over the past 5-years SCDE has engaged deeply in our own professional learning, to ensure we would be able to carry the work of PCBL forward across South Carolina," said Kristen Logan, personalized learning coach and SCDE team lead. "Each year, we collaborated with reDesign and other partners to assess progress, identify goals, push our own learning and refine capacity-building offerings across the state. Our statewide approach to professional learning emphasized agency, engagement, and competency–the same pillars we are now seeing take root in our classrooms and schools."

A digital showcase brings the report to life through interactive elements:

• SC by the Numbers: Data-driven overview of the state's CBE journey
• Our Leadership Journey: Timeline of key milestones and decisions
• Life Cycle of a Competency Framework: Interactive exploration of CBE development
• Voices from the Field: First-hand stakeholder accounts
• PCBL Resources: Free Toolkits, Templates and Guides

"This retrospective report represents a significant milestone in our understanding of competency-based education implementation at scale," said reDesign's Executive Director, Antonia Rudenstine. "It contributes to the emerging body of literature around effective PCBL implementation. Offering hands-on resources, case studies, and analysis of trends, the report can support education leaders and policymakers nationwide who are looking to ensure all young people are future-ready."

Key features of the report include:

• Comprehensive PCBL literature review
• Survey synthesis from educators, students, coaches, and fellows
• Case studies highlighting early adopters/implementation perspectives
• Analysis of PCBL's impact on K-12 learners
• Spotlight on York School District 1

To read the report and view the digital showcase, visit www.redesignu.org/south-carolina. For districts interested in implementing CBE tied to their state's portrait of a graduate, reDesign offers multiple free resources here: www.redesignu.org/south-carolina/pcbl-resources.

About reDesign
reDesign partners with schools, districts, and state leaders using competency-based education to reimagine what learning can be. Founded in 2008, reDesign is an education design and leadership consulting organization committed to ensuring every young person is future ready. To learn more, visit www.redesignu.org.

SOURCE reDesign