'Unsatisfactory' schools told how to improve; 6 from region, one district among the 41 statewide
By LEE HENDREN, T&D Staff Writer Sunday, March 13, 2005External review teams have issued recommendations for improvement for 41 schools statewide, including six in The T&D Region, as well as one school district, Bamberg 2.
The State Board of Education approved the reports Wednesday. The complete text and summaries are on-line at http://www.myscschools.com/reports/ert/2005.
The district and 22 schools statewide received absolute ratings of Unsatisfactory on their state-mandated district or school report cards issued last November. Each received a full review.
The external review team found 44 unfulfilled indicators at the district level in Bamberg 2 and 41 unfulfilled indicators at the district's high school, Denmark-Olar High.
The other 19 schools — including five in The T&D Region — were rated Unsatisfactory in 2003, then improved to Below Average in 2004. They received a partial review.
In The T&D Region, the evaluators found:
State law mandates review team reports
The Education Accountability Act mandates the independent external review teams, which are composed of three or four K-12 and higher education professionals, school improvement council members, business persons and community leaders.
The external reviews examine leadership, governance, curriculum, instruction and professional development.
Each external review team examines school and district documents, interviews key persons and observes school procedures and classrooms.
The on-site review is conducted over a period of three to five days, depending upon the size, complexity and composition of the school.
"These review teams are very thorough, and they look at all aspects of school operations," State Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum said.
"In particular, their interviews with faculty and staff, and with parents and community members, help them develop solid strategies for school improvement," she said.
"By involving so many stakeholders in each community, the process becomes more comprehensive and leads to a plan that improves student learning."
The team's initial reports are reviewed by the local schools and districts, which are given the opportunity to refute any findings before the reports are presented to the State Board.
Teams recommend types of assistance
The external review teams recommend the types of technical assistance the State Department of Education provides low-performing schools.
Tailored to an individual school's needs, technical assistance can include the following:
Tenenbaum said one of the state's most effective assistance tools has been the addition of teacher specialists, classroom experts who coach teachers as they do their work.
Schools receive teacher specialists if the review teams recommend them and qualified specialists can be matched to the school.
Prior to South Carolina's first school report cards being issued in 2001, 73 elementary and middle schools were rated as Unsatisfactory based on PACT scores and received technical assistance from the State Department of Education.
Twenty-nine high schools were identified the following year, bringing the baseline number of Unsatisfactory-rated schools to 102.
Since that time, the number of schools receiving Education Department technical assistance due to Unsatisfactory ratings has dropped to 22.
The number of Unsatisfactory-rated school districts has dropped from eight to one (Bamberg 2).
Carmen Pough, who coordinates review team activities for the state agency, said the external reviews are a partnership process.
"These schools work together with the Education Department to determine what the schools are doing well and where they need special assistance," Pough said.
"The schools can plan for improvement, and the information helps the Education Department decide how to provide the assistance the schools need."
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