School Report Cards for Pickens County SC Show Positive Ratings

2009 School and District Report Card ratings show positive results for the School District of Pickens County. The district and all 25 schools scored Excellent, Good or Average on both Report Card ratings.

On the annual School and District Report Cards, each school and each district receives an Absolute rating – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or At Risk (formerly called Unsatisfactory) – based on student test scores.

Report cards also contain Growth ratings that compare student test scores from one year to the next. These ratings are based on mathematical formulas set by the Education Oversight Committee (EOC). Growth ratings were formerly called Improvement ratings.

“We are extremely pleased with this year’s Report Cards,” said Dr. Henry Hunt, superintendent. “With the change from PACT to PASS, we can’t actually compare every school’s ratings to previous years. We have to consider 2009 as a baseline year for elementary and middle schools. Still, the 2009 results are more reflective of performance in SDPC schools.”

The EOC revised rating calculations for elementary and middle schools after the new Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS) replaced the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests (PACT), formerly used to rate elementary and middle schools. Rating calculations were not changed for high schools, career centers or school districts.

Hunt continued, “I agree with Dr. Rex that we should raise the bar and expect schools to improve. The expectations, however, had become unrealistic and frustrating. The EOC revisions resulted in ratings that are a more accurate representation of how our schools are performing.”

On both ratings, the district scored Average, up from 2008’s Below Average rating.

Daniel High and Skelton Career Center both received Excellent Absolute ratings. Easley, Liberty and Pickens high schools received Average Absolute ratings. The Growth rating for all five schools was Good.

Middle school ratings were also positive. Edwards Middle’s Absolute rating was Excellent; Dacusville, Gettys, Liberty and Pickens middle schools received Average. Growth ratings were Good for Edwards Middle and Average for the other four schools.

Six of the district’s 15 elementary schools received Excellent on both ratings; all other schools scored Excellent, Good or Average. Below are ratings for all elementary schools.

Report Cards will be sent home with students on April 16. In addition to state and federal ratings required by EAA and the federal No Child Left Behind Act, Report Card data also include student-teacher ratios, dollars spent per student, absentee rates for students and teachers, amount of instructional time, average teacher salaries and the socio-economic status of students’ families.

Mark Brian

UGLYBUTHONEST.COM