How It Works

 

Personal Pathways to Success will provide all public school students in South Carolina with the resources to identify, explore and develop an education plan for their career and employment goals.

Created by the Education and Economic Development Act of 2005, Personal Pathways is an innovative way of connecting academic studies with preparation for entering the workforce. This will enable students to explore and prepare for career opportunities through a more relevant curriculum and firsthand experience, giving them a reason to be actively engaged in school and in their futures.

Here’s how the initiative will affect 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.

 

Clusters of Study

South Carolina has organized professions and careers into 16 broad categories. These Clusters of Study were developed by the U.S. Department of Education. Each cluster has its own coursework designed to help students better understand their chosen field of interest. Each public school district will offer a minimum of three clusters. Students can transfer to a different school within their district if that school offers a cluster of study unavailable at their assigned school.

The clusters of study are:

1. A/V Technology and Communications
2. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
3. Architecture and Construction
4. Business, Management and Administration
5. Education and Training
6. Finance
7. Government and Public Administration
8. Health Science
9. Hospitality and Tourism
10. Human Services
11. Information Technology
12. Manufacturing
13. Marketing, Sales and Service
14. Public Safety and Security
15. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
16. Transportation, Distribution and Logistics

 

Individual Graduation Plan (IGP)

An Individual Graduation Plan is a road map that guides students toward their education, career and employment goals. IGPs include general graduation requirements, as well as coursework and out-of-classroom learning opportunities related to a student’s chosen cluster of study. IGPs also help students align high school courses with college entrance requirements. Still, these plans are flexible and can change based on a student’s aspirations, abilities and interests.

Beginning in the 2006–2007 school year, all 8th grade public school students will choose a cluster of study and write an IGP with input from their guidance counselors and parents or parental designees.

Click here to see a sample Individual Graduation Plan.

Regional Education Centers

Introduction
Regional Education Centers are being set up across South Carolina to create a network of local service providers to help students and adults access the guidance and opportunities they need to become the prepared employees the state needs to compete and excel in the global economy.

One center is being established online in each of the 12 regions of the state.

The centers are primarily “virtual,” to support the vision of coordination of service delivery and information for students, educators, adult learners and the business community across diverse, multi-county regions.

Advisory boards oversee the development and maintenance of their center. Among their first duties is to hire a coordinator to help execute the goals of the center.

Each board is comprised of a school district superintendent, a high school principal, the local workforce investment board chairperson, a technical college president, a four-year college or university representative, a career center director or school district career and technology education coordinator, a parent-teacher organization representative and business and civic leaders within the community.

For more information, please visit our Regional Education Center FAQ. To learn how to get involved with your local Regional Education Center, click here.

Regional Education Center Rollout Schedule

Please see the rollout schedule for more information.

Click here for a glossary of terms