25-12-Annual Report 2025_FINAL no bleed pages-1 - Flipbook - Page 11
ANNUAL REPORT 2025
“The project is built on a proven co-teaching model that
the district and Clemson University know works,” Eicher
said, “but more importantly, the College and district
designed the project to attract and retain educators who
are passionate community members invested in these
schools and in student success.”
The South Carolina state report card tracks students’
performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics
Achievement along with several other factors including
teacher qualification, school climate, and parental
involvement. After nearly two years of the pilot program,
the Pinehurst rating has risen to average and very close
to good, according to Paul Pallagi, principal at Pinehurst
Elementary. Eicher said the immediate and substantial
gains align with what she has seen since Clemson
introduced its teacher residency program in 2017, which
serves as the general blueprint for the co-teaching efforts
in Charleston.
An apprenticeship year offers novice teachers the chance
to participate in a year-round residency with a skilled
mentor teacher, an opportunity typically reserved for
student teachers in traditional residency programs. During
the apprenticeship, the novice and mentor teachers
work as co-teachers, sharing responsibilities for planning,
instructing and assessing with a shared goal of enhancing
student learning. The mentor teacher offers real-time
feedback and instructional coaching, enabling the novice
teacher to grow professionally through daily collaborative
experiences.
Novice teachers receive a pay bonus to continue solo
teaching in a high-need school in their second year, and
they continue receiving comprehensive induction support
in their second and third years while solo teaching.
Mentor teachers also benefit from a stipend to complete
graduate coursework in instructional coaching, leading
to a teacher leader endorsement on their SC teaching
certification.
While the project immediately benefits the district,
Clemson faculty and staff have also built in research
components that gauge its success and allow it to be
replicated elsewhere. Eicher and other researchers are
measuring the program’s impact on student achievement
and absenteeism, along with the efficacy and retention of
novice and veteran teachers.
“This approach supports
our experienced and novice
teachers for the long haul,
and teachers who are retained
better serve their students and
communities,” Huggins said. “We
are concentrating our efforts on
the schools that need it most while
also setting our entire district up
for success. By retaining expert
teachers and training and retaining
the next generation of effective
teachers, we are building the
capacity to serve our students for
decades to come.”
Anita Huggins
Superintendent, Charleston County Schools
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