Greenville County Schools Strive for Improvement After Underperforming Designation
Greenville, SC – Five schools in Greenville County have recently been labeled as underperforming by the South Carolina state education board. This designation arises from challenges such as language barriers and student progress issues. At a Committee of the Whole meeting held on Tuesday morning, the Greenville County School District’s Board of Trustees discussed these challenges and proposed actionable solutions aimed at improving academic achievement across the affected schools.
According to the school board, underperforming schools are those that score “below average” on the state’s report cards. Greenville County currently has ten schools fitting this description, which represents less than 5% of the 214 schools on the state’s underperforming list. This is notable given that the district serves around 10% of the entire student population in South Carolina.
Current Underperforming Schools
The five schools now designated as underperforming include:
- Alexander Elementary School
- Armstrong Elementary School
- Duncan Chapel Elementary School
- Hollis Academy
- Tanglewood Middle School
Previously, schools like Sue Cleveland and Grove Elementary have improved and are no longer on the underperforming list. The criteria for labeling a school as underperforming involve various factors, including individual student progress, climate surveys, and socio-economic challenges prevalent in the areas surrounding the schools.
Challenges Faced by Schools
One of the significant issues highlighted during the meeting is the language barrier affecting many students. School board member Lynda Leventis-Wells emphasized this by stating, “Some of them have never been in school. Some of them don’t speak any English whatsoever, and they get frustrated, you know? How would you feel if you couldn’t communicate?” These challenges are exacerbated by a growing population of multi-lingual learners in the county.
Other factors impacting performance include a high rate of poverty and student mobility within Greenville County, which creates instability that hinders consistent academic progress. As noted by Tim Waller, the district plans to combat these issues through various strategies tailored to meet the specific needs of the underperforming schools.
Strategies for Improvement
The Greenville County School District aims to implement supportive measures for the affected schools, such as:
- Providing extra academic support for students
- Offering before and after-school programs
- Addressing specific academic weaknesses
- Ensuring availability of high-quality instructional materials
- Recruiting and retaining talented teachers
District officials stress the importance of collaborative planning with stakeholders to develop tailored improvement plans. Attendees of the meeting also noted issues with how tests are structured, suggesting that some students may be assessed on material not covered due to limited instructional time. This complicates the evaluation of student progress.
Turning Plans into Action
Schools designated as underperforming are required to create what is known as a Turnaround Plan. This plan must outline measurable goals, strategies to improve student achievement, and methods for evaluating the plan’s success. Furthermore, the district is committed to monitoring these plans quarterly to ensure their effectiveness.
Both Alexander Elementary School and Lakeview Middle School are currently participating in the GCS’s Elevate Plan, designed to boost achievement levels in underperforming schools. While it is still early to measure the effectiveness of this four-year pilot program, the district remains optimistic about its long-term benefits in fostering a culture centered on learning and solid instructional practices.
As the Greenville County School District confronts the challenges posed by underperforming schools, the focus remains steadfast on enriching the educational environment and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to succeed.
