Greenville County Schools Struggle as Five Institutions Listed as Underperforming

Greenville County Schools Face Challenges as Five Schools Declared Underperforming

Greenville, SC – Five schools in Greenville County have been added to South Carolina’s list of underperforming schools. This revelation came during a Committee of the Whole meeting held by the district’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday morning, where various issues and challenges faced by these schools were discussed. Among the highlighted challenges was a significant language barrier hindering effective communication between students and teachers.

Board member Lynda Leventis-Wells underscored the gravity of the situation, 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?” Schools are classified as underperforming if their scores fall “below average” on the state’s report card. Currently, Greenville County has 10 schools designated as underperforming, comprising less than 5% of the 214 such schools statewide, as reported by Tim Waller from Greenville County Schools (GCS).

List of Underperforming Schools

The five schools that have received the underperforming designation are:

• Alexander Elementary School
• Armstrong Elementary School
• Duncan Chapel Elementary School
• Hollis Academy
• Tanglewood Middle School

While schools can be classified as underperforming for various reasons, some dominant factors include:

• Student progress: Failure of individual students to meet expected progress compared to peers.
• Climate surveys: These provide feedback on school environments, but their variability year over year complicates consistent assessment.
• Socio-economic factors: Elements like poverty and a high turnover rate of families can hinder academic success, particularly for the growing population of multi-lingual learners.

Strategies for Improvement

The GCS has already begun implementing strategies aimed at improving the performance of these schools. Tim Waller mentioned that these include:

• Providing extra support for students.
• Introducing before and after-school programs.
• Addressing specific academic weaknesses through tailored remediation.
• Ensuring access to high-quality instructional materials.
• Recruiting and retaining excellent teachers.
• Engaging in collaborative planning among educators.

At the meeting, Royster pointed out that the current testing system presents flaws, as it does not always allow teachers enough time to cover all necessary material. Teachers might only teach some of the 50 standards, yet tests can cover any of those, leading to students being unprepared for certain questions. “It takes three to five years to track a school’s progress accurately,” said Royster, emphasizing the complexity of the situation.

Continuous Improvement Plans

As per state requirements, underperforming schools must create a Turnaround Plan or Continuous Improvement Plan to elevate student achievement. Key components of this plan include:

• Goals: Setting specific, measurable educational development targets.
• Strategies: Utilizing evidence-based interventions to boost student success.
• Evaluation: Establishing metrics to assess the effectiveness of the plan.
• Collaboration: Developing the plan with input from stakeholders.
• Monitoring: Conducting quarterly reviews of the implementation progress.

Currently, both Alexander Elementary School and Lakeview Middle School are enrolled in the GCS’s Elevate Plan, designed to boost performance in underperforming schools. While it’s too early to determine the success of this four-year pilot program, GCS aims to cultivate a culture that emphasizes high-quality teaching and learning.

With concerted efforts focused on addressing immediate challenges, the Greenville County district hopes to improve academic outcomes for affected students while promoting an environment conducive to overall educational success.