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State Profiles
South Carolina
South Carolina has a long history of pre-k, beginning with the Half-Day Child Development Program (commonly referred to as 4K). The 4K program was designed under South Carolina’s 1984 Education Improvement Act as a means to better prepare at-risk children for kindergarten and has since been augmented by the South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness initiative.
In 2006 , as a result of the Abbeville County School District v. State of South Carolina trial court decision, the Child Development Education Pilot Program (CDEPP) was created to provide full-day pre-k in the state’s eight lowest-performing school districts. This expansion came with a one-time appropriation of $23.6 million and the recognition that high-quality pre-k programs are critical to children’s future success. To ensure a diverse delivery system, part of the funding is administered by the Department of Education for public school-based programs while the rest is administered by First Steps to School Readiness for community-based programs.
Through the Half-Day Child Development Program and the Child Development Education Pilot Program, South Carolina enrolls 35% of its four year olds in pre-k. Both programs meet 8 of 10 NIEER quality benchmarks.
Key Milestones
| 1971 |
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After an initial pilot program for half-day kindergarten for five year olds (5K) in 1969, South Carolina legislates that every school district offer at least one kindergarten class. |
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| 1984 |
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The Half-Day Child Development Program (4K) is established under South Carolina’s 1984 Education Improvement Act and is funded by a one-cent sales tax increase. This new program is designed to provide at-risk four year olds with a high-quality, half-day pre-k program as a means to better prepare them for school. |
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| 1993 |
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5K funding becomes part of the school funding formula and legislation is enacted requiring all school districts to have full-day kindergarten available for all five year olds by 1996. Today, over 96 percent of five year olds participate in full-day kindergarten. |
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| 2000 |
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South Carolina First Steps to School Readiness (First Steps) is signed into law and receives an initial appropriation of $22 million. The distribution of funds for this program is determined in each county by a partnership board, which examines local needs and determines how the money can best be utilized. Funds are often used to augment the existing 4K program, either by allowing more children to enroll or extending the program to a full day. |
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| 2005 |
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The Abbeville County School District v. State of South Carolina ruling determines that South Carolina’s children are being denied their constitutional right to a minimally adequate education and declares that high-quality early education programs are a critical step towards overcoming the negative effects of poverty on children. |
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| 2006 |
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As a result of the court decision, the state senate approves a one-time, $23.5 million appropriation to create CDEPP, a pilot full-day 4K program in the state’s eight lowest-performing school districts beginning with the 2006-07 school year. These moneys are added to the state’s current pre-k budget of $25.9 million to create a total budget of $55.5 million for FY 2007. It is expected that this new funding will provide an additional 3,000 children with access to a full-day 4K program, bringing the total number of four year olds served up to 24,550. |
Next steps for South Carolina
South Carolina is currently engaged in the process of creating a set of comprehensive early learning standards for 4K and is anticipating their completion and implementation.
Advocates are working hard to ensure that all CDEPP classrooms - whether they are in public schools or community-based settings - are led by BA-degreed teachers. They are also trying to secure recurring funds to provide CDEPP programs to low-income children across the state.
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The Case for Pre-K in the ESEA
