South Carolina

State CTE Details

South Carolina is actively expanding its computer science and IT education to equip students with in-demand tech skills and support the state’s growing digital economy. The state has established dedicated IT career pathways under its CTE cluster, and it was early to adopt K-12 Computer Science standards (first approved in 2017, with updates for high school in 2021) (sc-satchel.commongoodlt.com). South Carolina’s approach includes a wide array of specific high school courses in computing, such as Computer Programming 1 & 2 (offered with various languages), Web Page Design & Development (Fundamentals and Advanced), Cybersecurity, and even a new Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course (ed.sc.gov ed.sc.gov). This granularity means students can specialize and earn “completer” status in pathways like Programming or Web Development. Knowledge Pillars certifications align strongly with SC’s standards and courses:

PCS – Python Coding Specialist: Aligned with Computer Programming 1 with Python and subsequent programming courses in South Carolina’s curriculum. SC recognizes Python as a primary language – the state provides separate standards documents for Computer Programming 1 with Python (ed.sc.gov) and even Computer Programming 2 with Python. The PCS certification gives students a way to validate the skills learned in those courses (syntax, algorithms, problem-solving in Python) against an industry-standard benchmark. This is directly in line with SC’s standards, which aim to ensure students can develop and debug programs in a high-level language.

JCS – JavaScript Coding Specialist: Complements South Carolina’s Web Page Design and Development courses. The Fundamentals of Web Page Design & Development standards include creating interactive websites, which requires knowledge of scripting (JavaScript) in addition to HTML/CSS (ed.sc.gov). By earning the JCS certification, students demonstrate mastery of JavaScript programming as taught in SC’s web development curriculum. This certification verifies that a student can implement dynamic client-side functionality, satisfying the competencies in the SC standards (such as adding interactivity to websites and understanding web scripting protocols).

HCCS – HTML & CSS Coding Specialist: Directly aligned to both Fundamentals and Advanced Web Page Design and Development standards in South Carolina. In Fundamentals of Web Page Design, students learn to build structured webpages with HTML and style them with CSS (SC’s standards were updated in Jan 2024 to ensure up-to-date practices) (ed.sc.gov). The HCCS certification confirms the student’s proficiency in these exact skills, serving as an external validation of their ability to create well-formed, responsive web pages – a key outcome of SC’s web design courses.

WCE – WordPress Certified Editor: Maps to the practical side of SC’s Web and Digital Design competencies. While the SC curriculum focuses on coding from scratch, the Advanced Web Design course and related projects often involve real-world scenarios of managing websites. WordPress is a prevalent tool in industry and education for content-driven sites; achieving the WCE certification shows that a student can apply the web design principles learned in class to a content management system. This ability aligns with SC’s initiative to produce career-ready students in digital arts and IT, as WordPress skills are highly useful for internships or jobs in marketing, web administration, and communications.

CiAIS – Coding in AI Specialist: Aligns with South Carolina’s forward-thinking inclusion of AI in its standards. SC has introduced an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course (with standards effective January 2025) (ed.sc.gov), which covers fundamentals of AI and machine learning concepts for high school students. The Coding in AI Specialist certification dovetails with this course by verifying a student’s skill in coding AI solutions (likely using Python libraries) and understanding AI principles. This supports South Carolina’s goal of expanding CS education into cutting-edge domains – students who earn the CiAIS credential demonstrate they have gone beyond basic CS to grasp how AI algorithms work, which is exactly what SC’s newest standards aim to achieve.

State CTE Information Form

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A certification is an official document, or digital document, attesting the status of a certain achievement. In the IT learning industries, this can come in the form of a digital certificate and often a hard copy is also sent.

No, certifications have value if they are coming from a recognized body and are accredited by endorsements, credentials, or a badge.

Yes. Knowledge Pillars exams can be taken from anywhere as long as you have access to a suitable environment and adequate hardware, software, and bandwidth. You can find out more about preparing for proctored testing here.

Yes. Knowledge Pillars delivers full curriculum across four subject areas: Coding, Web Development, AI, and Cybersecurity.

Each course teaches students real-world skills. They follow guided lessons, build functional projects, and complete hands-on tasks that build skill step by step. Coding pathways cover 12 languages, with Apprentice courses that ground students in the fundamentals and Specialist courses that take them deeper in the same language toward job-ready depth.

Every lesson maps to a Knowledge Pillars certification, so the curriculum doesn’t just teach concepts — it moves students toward a credential they can earn, and employers can verify.

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More States Coming Soon!

We are continuously working to expand our state-approved CTE certifications. Check back for updates as we add new states each year through the Industry-Based Certification approval process.