Pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. §59-25-115, each individual enrolled in an approved educator preparation program who seeks to complete the student teaching or clinical experience requirement in a South Carolina public school must apply for and receive clearance through the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE). This requirement applies to all individuals seeking a student teaching or clinical experience placement in a South Carolina public school, regardless of whether the educator preparation program is located in South Carolina or out-of-state. Additional information regarding South Carolina programs that lead to educator certification may be found on the Approved Educator Preparation Program webpage.
Application Procedures
Please review all application procedures carefully. Application procedures must be completed no later than:
- February 15 for student teaching and clinical experiences beginning in the fall semester of that calendar year, or
- June 15 for student teaching and clinical experiences beginning in the spring semester of the next calendar year.
To apply for clearance, please complete the following steps:
- Create a user account in My SC Educator Portal and then complete the Application for Student Teaching Clearance prior to all other steps. In creating the user account and submitting the application, you must designate a personal email address which you will check on a regular basis and maintain access to after graduation.
- Submit the non-refundable application processing fee of $105 online through My SC Educator Portal.
- Complete the fingerprinting process and criminal records review. Specific instructions for completing the fingerprinting process through the state-approved vendor will be available in My SC Educator Portal only after you submit the online application. Fingerprinting completed for another state, agency, or purpose cannot be used to determine eligibility for student teaching clearance or issuance of an educator certificate in South Carolina.
While not required to receive student teaching or clinical experience clearance, candidates are encouraged to review information regarding Certification Assessments to prepare for initial certification requirements. Passing scores on required assessments must be on file to be issued an educator certificate after student teaching; however, a college or university may have earlier timelines for meeting exam requirements. Please consult your advisor for program requirements.
Clearance Status
Once all application requirements are fulfilled, your clearance status will be displayed in your user account in My SC Educator Portal. Additionally, the SCDE will send a clearance letter to your email address on file.
Keeping your Information Current
Through your user account in My SC Educator Portal, be sure to keep your information on file with the SCDE up-to-date.
- If your mailing address changes, be sure to update it through your user account.
- If you are a candidate in a South Carolina program and your student teaching semester changes, the college/university must update the semester. If you are a candidate in an out-of-state program and your student teaching semester changes, you will need to submit an updated Application for Student Teaching Clearance and provide the new semester. If your student teaching is delayed, be aware that you may have to repeat the fingerprinting process to maintain clearance. Fingerprint-based criminal history reports are valid for up to eighteen months from the date of completion and must be valid at the time you will begin student teaching.
Praxis Preparation Resources
The Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement (CERRA) is partnering with
Study.com, a national edtech platform, to launch Keys to the Classroom in South Carolina, an education initiative aimed at unlocking opportunities for aspiring educators who are preparing for certification tests to earn their teaching credential.
Through this partnership, Study.com will donate $360,000 (equating to 500 licenses) in comprehensive, cost-free materials and resources to aspiring South Carolina teachers to help them prepare and pass their teacher certification tests. The 500 teacher test prep licenses will be distributed to Teacher Cadets as well as targeted populations that, historically, face obstacles passing the PRAXIS exam.
Aspiring South Carolina educators are encouraged to
visit the CERRA website for information regarding this opportunity.
Next Steps after Completing the Student Teaching or Clinical Experience
After you finish the student teaching or clinical experience, you must complete the following steps for initial certification:
- Submit an Standard Application for initial certification through My SC Educator Portal.
- Ensure that the SCDE receives official score reports for the subject area and pedagogy assessments required for your certification field. When registering for a Praxis assessment through ETS, you must provide your complete Social Security Number and designate the SCDE (State Code 8108) as a score recipient. Please review the Certification Assessments webpage for additional information on testing requirements.
- Request that the college or university submit the following documentation to the SCDE:
- Please note the following timelines regarding criminal history reports and application fees:
- Fingerprint-based criminal history reports are valid for up to eighteen months from the date of completion. If you do not complete and submit documentation of all requirements for certification during the validity period of the background reports on file, you will be required to repeat the fingerprinting process before being issued an educator certificate.
- The application fee payment for student teaching clearance is valid for initial certification purposes for a three-year period. So long as you submit all required documentation for initial certification within that three-year validity period, you do not need to submit an additional fee. Please note that an application fee, once submitted, is non-refundable. Do not submit an additional application fee unless you are notified by the SCDE that the fee on file has expired.
If you need assistance with the clearance or certification process, please contact the Office of Educator Services.
