SPECIAL SERVICES

Posted on 12/01/2018

South Carolina has roughly 100,000 students with disabilities serviced under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), of which the majority are able to earn a State high school diploma. Given the varying levels of student achievement, some students are unable to complete this required high school coursework. As a result, there is a need to provide an alternative option for students with disabilities to demonstrate their ability to transition into the work community. The uniform state-recognized SC High School Credential will be aligned with the State's Profile of the South Carolina Graduate and to a newly created course of study for these students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines this course of study is appropriate. The purpose of the SC High School Credential is to provide equitable job-readiness opportunities for these students throughout the state, ensure they have evidence of employability skills, and honor the work they have undertaken in our public schools.

BCSD Special Education Website

Commencement Exercises
Special education students who meet all of the requirements of their Individual Education Plan (IEP) but have not met the requirements for the SC High School Diploma are allowed to participate in the commencement exercises and receive the Beaufort County Certificate. All special education students should meet with their Multi-Disciplinary Teams to discuss the IEP goals and requirements for the Beaufort County Certificate.

Enrollment of English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Guidelines
When enrolling a student, who has been identified as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), there are guidelines and procedures that must be followed when creating the student’s class schedule. First and foremost, who is an ESOL student? Students are identified during enrollment after the parent/guardian completes the English Home Language Survey and note that the language they speak more often outside of school is other than English. Each student will be assessed using the WIDA- ACCESS Placement Test to determine the level of service for each student.

To assist in this process, in 2015 Beaufort County School District created the Welcome Center to assist with the enrollment of ESOL students. Please refer to the ESOL Registration Handbook for the process of enrolling ESOL students at Beaufort County School District’s Welcome Center.