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Information for Students


Elementary and middle school  students begin career exploration activities.  High school students take elective courses organized around the following sixteen (16) career clusters: 

  • A/V Technology and Communications
  • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
  • Architecture and Construction
  • Business, Management and Administration
  • Education and Training
  • Finance
  • Government and Public Administration
  • Health Science
  • Hospitality and Tourism
  • Human Services
  • Information Technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing, Sales and Services
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
  • Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

The EEDA legislation mandates that at-risk students will receive attention and support through the development of programs that specifically address their individual needs. 

Students and Adult Learners are connected to the business community through online Regional Education Centers.  These students participate in job shadowing, apprenticeships, and internship opportunites to experience a variety of career and employment options.

  • Students will customize schoolwork based on individual aspirations and abilities to make connections between what they learn in school and the needs of their career and employment goals.
  • Elementary school students  learn about a variety of professions through career awareness activities.
  • Middle school students explore a variety of careers to identify clusters of study relevant to their interests.
  • High school students plan and prepare for employment, further training or post-secondary study with input from parents or parental designees, educators, counselors and the business community.
  • School districts provide students with courses organized around 16 clusters or study based on the U.S. Department of Education Model.  Begining in middle school, the ratio of studens to guidance specialists will become a maximum of 300:1, to give students adequate counsel, attention and support.
  • More students are provided the opportunity to earn higher education credit in high school.
  • Students are connected to the business community through online Regional Education Centers established "virtually" across the state.
  • At-risk students will receive attention and support through the development of programs that specifically address their individual needs.
  • Every student, beginning in the 8th grade, writes and annually updates an individual graduation plan (IGP) under the guidance of counselors, parents or parental designees to help choose courses around a cluster of study.
Want More Information about the 16 Career Clusters? Try these links.

 

Individual Graduation Plans (IGPs) & Clusters of Study

During the 8th grade, students in South Carolina begin the process of answering this question: What do you want to be when you grow up?  Prior to choosing a field of interest, students complete career exploration and assessment activities.  Eighth graders choose a field of study or a profession from the sixteen career clusters and develop a plan to guide their high school coursework.  Each career cluster is grouped by profession.  For example, a student interested in becoming a police officer would select the "Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security" cluster.

  • Clusters of study are flexible if students interests change
  • Clusters focus students on their future goals and how to achieve them
  • Clusters often mirror the industry of the local economy

The plan customized to student interest and ability is called the Individual Graduation Plan, or IGP, and is based upon the national cluster model.  The IGP is created with the help of school counselors, parents or parental designees.  As a team, they meet annually to discuss and adjust the IGP.

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SC Commission On Higher Education Listing of Licensed Colleges and Universities

Follow this link to view a Complete Listing of the following:

  • Public Senior Institutions
  • Public Two-year Regional Campuses (USC)
  • Public Technical Colleges
  • Independent Senior Institutions
  • Independent Two-year Colleges
  • Private For-profit Colleges
  • Out of State Degree Granting Institutions with Branches in SC CHE Licenses to Operate in SC 

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