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A press release from the Beaufort County School District
Fifteen Beaufort County Schools are being
recognized by the State Board of Education for high levels of academic achievement
and improvement.
Coosa Elementary, Bluffton Elementary, Michael C. Riley
Elementary, Mossy Oaks Elementary, Okatie Elementary and Port Royal Elementary
received the Palmetto Gold Award
based on their state report card rating for the 2009 – 2010 school year,
indicating outstanding student achievement.
Beaufort Middle, Daufuskie Island Elementary, Joseph Shanklin
Elementary, H.E. McCracken Middle, Hilton Head Island Middle, Hilton Head
Island School for the Creative Arts, Hilton Head Island Elementary
International Baccalaureate and Red Cedar Elementary received the
Palmetto Silver Award based on its state report card rating for the 2009 –
2010 school year for excellent general performance. These ratings are
determined by achievement on the PASS test of state standards for elementary
and middle schools. High school awards were not announced at the time of this
release.
In addition to the overall performance Gold and Silver Awards,
Coosa Elementary, Joseph Shanklin Elementary, Okatie Elementary, Port Royal
Elementary, Mossy Oaks Elementary, Michael C. Riley Elementary, and Bluffton Elementary
Schools received the Palmetto Silver Award for Closing the Achievement Gap. Robert Smalls Middle School also received the Palmetto
Silver Award for Closing the Achievement Gap.
Chief Instructional
Services Officer, Dr. Sean Alford, is encouraged by the results. “The
collaborative work of our schools, teachers, parents and community has helped
to improve student performance. The recognition is well deserved.”
Superintendent Valerie Truesdale said, “We are very proud to
receive six gold and eight silver awards! This is the highest number ever
received by Beaufort County Schools. Students, teachers and school leaders have
been vigilant in their focus on reading and mathematics. We applaud their hard
work. Of particular merit is the recognition earned by eight schools for
closing the achievement gap. When a school’s student achievement is among
the highest in the state and they also are closing the gap, we have a tangible
demonstration of the equitable opportunities for learning provided to all
kids. With the state’s financial cuts of awards such as Palmetto Gold and
Silver, it is really important for our community to celebrate gains in student
achievement so that we stay energized and sustain forward momentum. In
the past, monetary awards from earning Gold and Silver were available to School
Improvement Councils to fund classroom and school innovations.”
Elementary, middle and
high schools earning Palmetto Gold and Silver awards for general performance
will receive award flags and certificates. Schools that won Palmetto Gold
and Silver awards for closing achievement gaps will receive certificates from
the State Department of Education.
