Greenville County Identifies Five Schools as Underperforming: Steps for Improvement Ahead

Greenville, South Carolina: Five Schools Designated as Underperforming

In a recent meeting, the Greenville County School Board announced that five schools in the district have been classified as underperforming. This decision was made during the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday morning, where board members discussed the ongoing challenges these schools face and the necessary steps to improve academic performance.

Who is Affected?

The schools that have received the underperforming designation include:

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

What Does Underperforming Mean?

According to state criteria, schools that score below average on report cards are labeled as underperforming. Currently, Greenville County has a total of 10 schools under this designation, which is a small fraction of the 214 schools statewide considered to be underperforming. Despite this statistic, the district serves about 10% of South Carolina’s student population.

Why Are These Schools Underperforming?

Several factors contribute to the low performance at these schools. School board member Lynda Leventis-Wells noted, “Some of them have never been in school,” emphasizing that many students face language barriers that hinder communication with teachers. Additional challenges include:

• Student progress: Some students are not meeting expected growth levels compared to their peers.
• Climate surveys: Varying conditions of the school environment complicate consistent evaluations.
• Socio-economic factors: Issues such as poverty and a high turnover rate among families can disrupt students’ learning.

Steps Forward

To improve these schools, the district plans to implement a variety of supportive strategies. These include:

• Extra support for students
• Before and after-school programs
• Targeted remediation for academic weaknesses
• High-quality instructional materials
• Attracting and keeping talented teachers
• Collaborative planning among educators

During the meeting, Tim Waller from GCS expressed concerns about the current testing system, highlighting that teachers often lack time to teach all required subjects, resulting in tests covering materials that students may not have learned. “It takes three to five years to track a school’s progress accurately,” he explained, illustrating the delays in assessing educational advancement.

Future Plans

Underperforming schools must develop a Turnaround Plan that outlines specific goals and strategies for improvement, with a strong emphasis on evidence-based interventions. The plan will be evaluated regularly to ensure progress. Notably, Alexander Elementary School and Lakeview Middle are currently enrolled in the GCS Elevate Plan, which has been organized to uplift struggling schools.

Success Stories

While focusing on schools requiring support, it is important to recognize that some schools have successfully moved off the underperforming list. Sue Cleveland and Grove Elementary schools are no longer classified as underperforming this year, reflecting ongoing efforts for academic improvement.

As Greenville County Schools pushes forward with its plans, the hope is that concerted efforts will enhance educational opportunities for all students, regardless of their challenges.

Nina Tran covers trending topics in Greenville County. For inquiries, please reach out via email.