South Carolina is working to ensure its schools are safe and supportive. This page features school climate information for South Carolina, including a list of grants the State and its communities have received; State discipline and bullying policies; data for a selection of indicators; related news articles; and grantee highlights demonstrating community efforts.
Grants Received
State Grant Programs
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program falls under ESSA, subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A. The SSAE program is intended to improve students’ academic achievement by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education; improve school conditions for student learning; and improve the use of technology to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. States receive funds in the form of block grants and then fund local education agencies. To learn more, visit the T4PA Center website.
In 2010, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) received a Safe Supportive Schools grant. SCDE used this 4-year grant to implement a measurement system in participating local education agencies to improve conditions for learning. Schools and districts used valid and reliable data to drive research-based prevention and intervention strategies and reduce behaviors that present barriers to learning among high-risk students, such as substance use and aggression. The comprehensive profile (16 pages) and brief snapshot (3 pages) describe the goals of the grant, participating districts, key operational partners, primary interventions and other implementation activities, outcome data, lessons learned, and plans for sustainability. In addition to the cross-grantee Executive Summary, a longer study document is available upon request (contact NCSSLE@air.org).To find out more about this grant, go to: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/state-grantees/safe-and-supportive-school-s3-grants.
State Developed Resources |
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Monitoring Tool for Site Visits High School Student Survey/Abbreviated Youth Risk Behavior Survey |
Local Educational Agency and District Grant Programs
In 2019, the Charleston County School District received a Project Prevent grant. This district is using this 5-year grant to increase their capacity to help schools in communities with pervasive violence to better address the needs of affected students and to break the cycle of violence in those communities. To find out more about this grant, visit: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.
In 2014, the Lancaster County School District received a Project Prevent grant. The district used this 5-year grant to help its schools increase capacities for identifying, assessing, and serving students exposed to pervasive violence. The award helped ensure that affected students were offered mental health services for trauma or anxiety. The award also supported the implementation of other school-based violence prevention strategies that reduced the likelihood of future violence. To find out more about this grant, go to: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/projectprevent/index.html.
In 2014, Spartanburg County School District No. 2 received a School Climate Transformation grant. With this 5-year grant, schools developed support systems and provided technical assistance to schools on implementing evidence-based multi-tiered behavioral frameworks. The primary goal was to improve behavioral outcomes and learning conditions for all students. To find out more about this grant go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/schoolclimatelea/index.html.
Laurens County School District #56 received funding through the U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Counseling grant program. This 3-year grant helped schools expand the capacity of their school mental health services by 1) hiring qualified mental health professionals and 2) supporting parental involvement and school staff professional development to increase their capacities for collaborating with mental health community-based service providers. For more information about this grant, go to: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/elseccounseling/index.html
Institution of Higher of Education
In 2022, Clemson University and the University of South Carolina received a Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant. This university is using this 5-year grant to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs). The goal of this program is to expand the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. To find out more about this program, visit: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/11/28/2022-25824/applications-for-new-awards-mental-health-service-professional-demonstration-grant-program.
Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property
Indicator 1: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Had Been Threatened or Injured with a Weapon (For Example, a Gun, Knife, or Club) on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 1: Threatened or Injured with a Weapon on School Property | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2009 | 8.8 | 7.7 |
2011 | 9.2 | 7.4 |
2013 | 6.5 | 6.9 |
2015 | 5.3 | 6.0 |
2017 | 9.4 | 6.0 |
2019 | 10.2 | 7.4 |
2021 | 7.1 | 6.6 |
Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property
Indicator 2: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Having Been in a Physical Fight on School Property One or More Times During the 12 Months Before the Survey
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 2: Involved in Physical Fight on School Property | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2009 | 12.1 | 11.1 |
2011 | 12.2 | 12.0 |
2013 | 9.6 | 8.1 |
2015 | 9.1 | 7.8 |
2017 | 8.6 | 8.5 |
2019 | 8.1 | 8.0 |
2021 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property
Indicator 3: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported that they Were Offered, Sold, or Given an Illegal Drug by Someone on School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey
This state did not have data for this indicator in 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 3: Offered, Sold, or Given Illegal Drugs on School Property | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2009 | 27.6 | 22.7 |
2011 | 29.3 | 25.6 |
2013 | 24.5 | 22.1 |
2015 | 22.8 | 21.7 |
2017 | 26.0 | 19.8 |
2019 | 25.2 | 21.8 |
Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide
Indicator 4: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported They Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide During the 12 Months Before the Survey
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 4: Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2009 | 12.7 | 15.8 |
2011 | 15.5 | 15.8 |
2013 | 13.2 | 17.0 |
2015 | 17.3 | 17.7 |
2017 | 19.2 | 17.2 |
2019 | 19.9 | 18.8 |
2021 | 17.3 | 13.9 |
Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property
Indicator 5: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported Being Bullied On School Property During the 12 Months Before the Survey
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 5: Bullied On School Property | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2009 | 15.1 | 19.9 |
2011 | 18.3 | 20.1 |
2013 | 20.2 | 19.6 |
2015 | 19.7 | 20.2 |
2017 | 21.5 | 19.0 |
2019 | 23.3 | 19.5 |
2021 | 16.1 | 15.0 |
Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good
Indicator 6: Percentage of High School Students Who Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good (Poor Mental Health Includes Stress, Anxiety, and Depression) During the 30 Days Before the Survey
Data for this indicator are not available before 2021.
Citation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021 High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/results.htm. Accessed on July 20, 2023.
Indicator 6: Reported That Their Mental Health Was Most Of The Time Or Always Not Good | ||
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Year | South Carolina | US |
2021 | 26.7 | 29.3 |