UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

EEDA
SC Education & Economic Development Act
Introduction

The College of Education at the University of South Carolina developed the EEDA Training Site to teach candidates about the EEDA and to assess their knowledge of the legislation. The training site was developed within the course management tool, Blackboard. Candidates in many programs must successfully complete the assessment within the training site prior to graduation. This site was developed to assist the instructors who are teaching about the EEDA and related topics in their courses and to help the candidates who are using the EEDA Training Site.

About the EEDA

On May 27, 2005, the Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA) was signed into law. It is a comprehensive law designed to give South Carolina students the educational tools they need to build prosperous, successful futures through high school studies that will better prepare them for post-secondary study and twenty-first century careers.

Performance Standards - The EEDA requires colleges of education to include seven topics into their training of teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors. According to the legislation, performance standards were to be developed around these topics. The standards were developed in collaboration with representatives of higher education and the Department of Education. They were approved by both the State Board of Education and the Commission of Higher Education. These seven performance standards form the basis for the EEDA learning modules for teacher candidates.

1: Career Guidance
2: Career Clusters and the IGP
3: Career Guidance Model
4: Character Education
5: Contextual Teaching
6: Cooperative Learning
7: Learning Styles

Here's how the initiative affects public school students:

In elementary school…	In middle school…	In high school…
Students will learn about a variety of professions through career awareness activities.	Students will explore careers to identify clusters of study relevant to their aspirations and abilities.	Students will experience a variety of professional opportunities through job shadowing, apprenticeships or internships.
	Beginning in 8th grade, students will write and annually update an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) with help from guidance counselors and parents or parental designees.	In the 10th grade, students will declare a major based on their chosen cluster of study.
		Students will plan and prepare for post-secondary study, specialized training or employment with input from parents or parental designees, educators, counselors and the business community.
from Personal Pathways to Success - How it works http://www2.scpathways.org/howitworks.html