Educator Needs. There are 877 Certified Teachers in our two, rural districts – almost half of them 408 (47%) are Inexperienced Teachers and 15 are on Emergency Credentials. Of 877 teachers who were evaluated during the 2019-2020 school year, 74% were rated Proficient or Above. Our districts have a critical need for the services outlined in LIFE2, especially professional development in improvement science and equity and the support system found in Instructional Coaching, Personal Growth Plans and Deeper Learning Virtual Networks of Improvement. School District Certified Teachers Teachers Evaluated Proficient or Above Emergency Credentials Inexperienced Teachers* Orangeburg 753 753 560 10 368 Xxxxxxx 124 124 90 5 40 TOTALS 877 877 650 15 408 Source: South Carolina Department of Education, 2019-20 district data; * Inexperienced = < 4 years. Educators across all LIFE2 district schools – teachers and school leaders – lack access to professional learning and educator quality supports that reflect professional growth needs. High-need schools are unable to engage in programs that elevate educator expertise and increase educator capacity to integrate proven instructional strategies that raise student achievement in classroom learning. Ongoing struggles to maintain adequate school funding given a trend of decreasing enrollment as students leave the district for education alternatives has also resulted in the reduction and elimination of professional learning programs in high-need rural schools. Federal support is needed to expand educator access to professional development opportunities and to expand educator capacity to utilize proven, research-based instructional strategies to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Deep cuts to professional growth programs limit the capacity of rural educators to engage in the learning needed to raise student achievement and increase equitable access.
