South Carolina § 59-16-20 - Housing and management of program; standards for courses; instructor certification and training.

§ 59-16-20. Housing and management of program; standards for courses; instructor certification and training.

(A) The South Carolina Virtual School Program shall be housed in and managed by the State Department of Education. The department may contract for distance learning courses, develop courses, or approve courses submitted by entities.

(B) Each course offered for a unit of credit shall be reviewed for correlation with the state adopted academic standards prior to being offered.

(C) All distance, online, or virtual learning courses offered for a unit of credit must be aligned with the state adopted academic standards, include appropriate course materials, and be approved by the State Department of Education.

(D) Instructors must hold a valid teaching certificate in each content area being taught or receive approval from the State Department of Education to teach the course.

(E) All virtual schoolteachers must receive appropriate preservice and in-service training pertaining to the organization, classroom management, technical aspects, monitoring of student assessment, and other pertinent training from the State Department of Education.

HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 26, SECTION 1, eff May 15, 2007.

SECTION 59-16-30. Definitions

As used in this chapter:

(1) "Distance learning" means the acquisition of knowledge and skills through mediated information and instruction, encompassing all technologies and other forms of learning at a distance. Distance learning includes online and virtual courses.

(2) "Online learning" means learning delivered by web-based or internet-based technologies.

(3) "Proctored" means directly monitored by an adult authorized by the South Carolina Virtual School Program.

(4) "Virtual classroom" means the online learning space where students and instructors interact.

(5) "School year" means the one hundred eighty days of student instruction required pursuant to Section 59-1-420 and student instruction received as part of a summer school program.

(6) "Credit recovery" means self-paced, semester-long courses that target learning in areas of greatest weakness, allowing nontraditional or at-risk students to rapidly complete courses, recover credits, and progress to graduation.

HISTORY: 2007 Act No. 26, SECTION 1, eff May 15, 2007.