New data from 2022-23 school year report cards have highlighted various areas of achievement and areas where improvement is needed in Edgefield County School District students and schools.
According to a recent press release from the school district, nearly all Edgefield schools have an “average” rating, meaning school performance meets criteria to ensure students are fulfilling the standards for South Carolina graduates.
“The latest school report card data shows we are not where we need to be, but we are seeing the kinds of grade level success across our school district that can transform school report cards moving forward,” said Superintendent Kevin O’Gorman. “We have a lot of work left to do, primarily within the subject area of math. We’ve seen tremendous progress in ELA, and we are now applying those strategies in math.”
However, O’Gorman remains confident future report cards will display the positive surge the school district is seeing in many grade levels and classrooms.
“I’m extremely confident in the amazing ability and dedication of our teachers,” O’Gorman said. “Our new data dashboard, which allows school leaders to quickly find areas where successful strategy is moving data, clearly shows we have dynamic teachers in every school, at every grade level and in every subject area. Replicating these best practices with teachers helping teachers, and focusing expectations based on the high standards our teachers have set is where we are headed moving forward.”
The press release also listed additional school county achievements, including Strom Thurmond High School’s class of 2023 exceeding the state in the number of graduates who were career ready, 61.4-63.6%, and graduates posting a similar score for college readiness at 64.6-64.7%.
The district has also increased spending on resources for academic instruction by nearly 10%, stated the release.
“According to the South Carolina Department of Education, school report cards based on South Carolina’s education accountability system, are required for all elementary, middle and high schools, which receive overall ratings based on a 100-point scale,” the release stated. “Schools also receive ratings on various indicators such as academic achievement, college and career-readiness, and graduation rate.”
