Greenville County Schools Designated Underperforming Amid Language Barriers and Socio-Economic Challenges

Greenville County Schools Labeled Underperforming

Greenville, South Carolina – Five schools in the Greenville County School District have been officially classified as underperforming based on academic evaluations. This designation was discussed during a Committee of the Whole meeting held on Tuesday morning. The schools faced significant challenges, including the language barrier between students and teachers, which has led to increased frustration among learners.

Who Is Affected?

The schools identified as underperforming are:

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

These schools earned a score of “below average” or lower on the state’s report card. Although Greenville County hosts a total of ten underperforming schools, this represents less than 5% of the 214 schools on the state’s overall list.

Where Is This Happening?

The underperforming designation affects schools located within Greenville County, a district that serves around 10% of the entire student population in South Carolina. Areas of concern identified during the meeting included growing numbers of multi-lingual learners and students who have had little to no schooling prior to entering these institutions.

When Did This Occur?

The Board of Trustees’ discussions occurred on Tuesday morning, indicating that ongoing evaluations and assessments lead to these recent classifications. Specific details regarding the challenges schools face were presented, shedding light on pressing issues educators are grappling with daily.

Why Is This Important?

Understanding the reasons behind the underperformance of these schools is crucial for implementing effective strategies for improvement. Factors contributing to their status include student progress metrics, climate surveys that change annually, and socio-economic issues prevalent in the community.

What Is Being Done?

Various strategies are being discussed to address these academic deficiencies. According to Tim Waller, the district is looking at options to provide extra support for students, including before and after-school programs and targeted remediation for specific academic weaknesses. Additionally, ensuring the availability of high-quality instructional materials and retaining exceptional teachers are also key components of the strategy.

Board member Lynda Leventis-Wells highlighted the importance of communication, noting, “Some of them have never been in school, and some of them don’t speak any English whatsoever, and they get frustrated, you know? How would you feel if you couldn’t communicate?”

Addressing System Flaws

During the meeting, concerns were raised regarding the current testing system. For example, it was noted that teachers often do not have enough time to cover all required topics, leading to tests that may include content not taught during the year. Royster emphasized that tracking a school’s progress can take three to five years, making it difficult to measure immediate changes in student achievement.

Future Directions

Underperforming schools are required to create a Turnaround Plan or a Continuous Improvement Plan. This plan must include clearly defined goals, strategies, evaluation measures, and ongoing monitoring by the school district. Alexander Elementary and Lakeview Middle are currently integrating their efforts into the GCS’s Elevate Plan, designed to boost achievement levels across underperforming institutions.

While it remains early to assess the long-term success of the recent pilot program initiated by the GCS, there is a collective hope that these measures will retain high-quality educators and foster an environment focused on learning and instruction.