BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Berkeley County Schools have scored excellent on the state report card for the first time, according to district officials. Students surpassed the state-set benchmarks in English Language Arts (ELA) across all of the rated social-economic sub-groups.
School leaders say the Berkeley County School District is steadily closing the performance gap between students who receive reduced school meals and those who do not.
District leaders say they’re also pleased to report that Berkeley County high schools have increased the graduation rate from 77.3 percent in 2012 to 80.3 percent in 2013.
Some of the standout schools are Berkeley Intermediate, Boulder Bluff Elementary, Henry E. Bonner Elementary and Sangaree Intermediate School. South Carolina Department of Education rated Berkeley Intermediate, Boulder Bluff Elementary and Sangaree Intermediate as Reward Performance schools, which means they scored and A or B on the report card, have more than 50 percent of their students below the poverty level and have no significant performance gaps.
The state ranked Bonner Elementary School as a Reward Progress School as one whose students are both passing is one of the top ten percent of schools demonstrating progress in closing their performance gap. The district’s growth rate increased from Below Average to Good this year on the state report card, which means that all sub-groups particularly African Americans have substantially increased their graded performance in the past year.
Berkeley County School District is guided by a five year strategic plan and it continues to transform teaching and learning by focusing on common curriculum, common assessments and professional learning opportunities. The district is expanding its early learning opportunities in the classrooms and introducing more technology earlier to expand our science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education throughout our high schools as well as preparing students in elementary and middle schools.
Berkeley County is one of the nation’s most rapidly expanding counties and is building and improving schools to keep pace with demands. The district is expanding its teacher recruitment and professional development to ensure that highest caliber educators available lead the students’ education.
Schools in all grade levels continue to outperform the state standards in the state and federally mandated Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Federal Accountability System. More than 90 percent of schools surpassed the state requirements, which were more rigorous than last year. The federal report card takes into account Science, Social Studies, Math, English Language Arts (ELA) and graduation rates. All students must achieve well above the minimum grade level requirements for a school to pass.
“Berkeley County School District is very pleased that the State Department of Education has validated the excellence that the students, educators and administrators demonstrate every day,” said Dr. Kevin O’Gorman, Berkeley County School District’s Associate Superintendent for Instruction and Accountability.
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