By Betsy Finklea
South Elementary School has changed its ESEA Waiver Letter Grade (Federal Accountability) from an “F” (56.1 points) to a “C” (71.8 points).
A “C” rating means the student performance meets the state’s expectations.
Principal Dr. Louise Goings attributes the improvement to changing the curriculum to fit the child and having teachers with the heart and mind to change for the child.
She said she appreciates the efforts of the parents and their participation in the PTO, which had a good turnout.
One of the major changes is looking at the data. Data is used to group the children so teachers can tell what level they are and pull small groups. They have been testing on standards and re-teaching the areas where students need help.
Data is kept from 4K on so teachers can tell which areas students are excelling and in which areas they need help. By the time students move on to Gordon, the data goes wth them, and teachers don’t have to wait for fall MAP testing.
Dr. Goings said that she is excited about the teachers and the children, and there is an atmosphere of excitement at South.
For more information about the grades, please visit https://ed.sc.gov/data/esea/2014/index.cfm.