Clarendon County School District participates in a continuous improvement process coordinated through AdvancED.

AdvancED is a non-profit, non-partisan organization serving the largest community of education professionals in the world.  Founded on more than 100 years of work in continuous improvement.  AdvancED combines the knowledge and expertise of a research institute, the skills of a management consulting firm and the passion of a grassroots movement for educational change to empower PreK-12 schools and school systems to ensure that all learners realize their full potential.

CCSD also participates in the South Carolina Department of Education's Collective Leadership Initiative. The Collective Leadership Initiative (CLI) is an opt-in initiative for schools that want to implement South Carolina's Collective Leadership Framework. The framework was co-constructed with teachers, school leaders, state department leaders, and researchers from the Center for Teaching Quality. Each school identifies a CLI Team to lead the process in their school. Ideally, schools interested in applying can identify teacher leaders currently serving in hybrid leadership roles. Professional development supports and technical assistance are provided throughout the school year and participating schools provide continuing data for measuring the effectiveness of the collective leadership framework. Additionally, participating teachers and administrators have the option to earn micro-credentials in Collective Leadership.

Collective Leadership is a process not a program. Schools selected to participate identify members to serve on their school’s Collective Leadership Team. The Office of Educator Effectiveness and Leadership Development (OEELD) works with administrators and teacher leaders to implement a cohesive vision for teacher leadership roles. This work supports the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by helping schools develop the collaborative culture and high-quality professional learning that promote student attainment of world-class knowledge, skills, and life characteristics. Collective Leadership also supports teacher retention by creating meaningful opportunities for teachers to lead without leaving the classroom. Selected schools learn and implement South Carolina’s Collective Leadership Framework.  
Key outcomes of the Collective Leadership Framework include improving student performance through:

1. effective teaching and data-responsive instructional practices;

2. effective collective leadership teams;

3. improved perceptions and advancement opportunities within the teaching profession; and

4. increased teacher and administrator recruitment and retention.