Director of Clinical Experiences and Educator Licensure
Coastal Carolina University

• EEDA = Education and Economic
Development Act
• Established in 2005, this act is designed to help SC students explore and prepare for career opportunities through a more relevant curriculum.
• EEDA’s “Personal Pathways to Success” hopes to address the education and workforce crisis in South Carolina.

• Only 53% of SC high school students graduate in four years (2003).
• 33% of 8 th grade students in SC scored below the basic reading level in 2005.
• 17% of SC households were headed by high school dropouts in 2005.
• SC lags behind the US average in per capita income: $21,535 vs. $25,035.

Where 9 th Graders are Headed vs. Where the Jobs Are
• 28% will enter a 4-year college
• 32% will enter an associates degree
• 10% will lack the skills needed for employment
• 30% will drop out before completing high school
• 20% require a 4-year degree
• 65% require an associates degree or advanced training
• 15% require minimum skills

Elements of the Education and Economic
Development Act
• Help students connect education to careers of their choice
• Increase number of guidance and career counselors to achieve ratio of 1 counselor : 300 students
• Establish clusters of study and Individual Graduation
Plans (IGPs) for students
• Identify at-risk students and provide programs to increase graduation rate

Elements of the Education and Economic
Development Act
• Align HS graduation requirements with college entrance
• Create dual-enrollment agreements for high school and college coursework
• Create Regional Centers to connect students, educators, employers, and the community

The Personal Pathways System includes the 16
Clusters of Study (from USDE)
• Arts, A/V Technology, & Communications
• Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources
• Architecture and Construction
• Business, Management, and Administration
• Education and Training
• Finance
• Government and Public Administration
• Health Science

Additional Career Clusters
• Hospitality and Tourism
• Human Services
• Information Technology Clusters
• Manufacturing
• Marketing, Sales, and Service
• Public Safety and Security
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

These Clusters of Study provide focus, direction, and relevance for SC students...
• Each school district (85 in all) will offer at least three clusters of study
• The districts/schools will offer courses organized around these clusters
• Students can transfer to a different school within their district if that school offers a cluster of study unavailable at the student’s assigned school

Colleges of education shall include in their training of teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators the following:
1.
Career Guidance ; PS: Candidates will describe the career guidance process.
2.
Use of the Cluster of Study Framework/IGPs ; PS:
Candidates will describe the clusters of study concept and the developmental process of the IGP.
3.
Elements of the Career Guidance Model (i.e., awareness, exploration, and preparation, illustrated here.
); PS:
Candidates will demonstrate the use of the career guidance standards and competencies.
4.
Character Education ; PS: Teacher candidates will promote and model the Core Values identified in Section 59-17-135.

EEDA Standards, cont.
5.
Contextual Teaching ; PS: Teacher candidates will demonstrate the incorporation of concrete, hands-on instruction and content presentation with an emphasis on real-world application and problem solving.
6.
Cooperative Learning ; PS: Teacher candidates will demonstrate the incorporation of cooperative learning strategies.
7.
Diverse Learning Styles ; PS: Teacher candidates will demonstrate the incorporation of strategies to accommodate the needs of diverse learners.

What does the EEDA mean for you?
• Look for ways to incorporate some of the seven standards of the Act in your lessons and interactions with students.
• Encourage students to ask questions of their adult relatives, neighbors, etc. about careers and occupations.
• Encourage students to explore their interests, hobbies,etc.
• Talk with students about your own career preparation, i.e., college, previous work experience, etc.
• Find out more about EEDA at these links: www.palmettopathways.org
www.teachscpathways.org
www.careerclusters.org

Thank You and Good Luck in your Internship!