It's report card day in the Palmetto State. But these grades aren't for students, they're for schools.
The report cards released Friday in South Carolina and for the first time they show the results of the new state standardized PASS test.
Overall, student performance in public schools was either flat or down from 2008 to 2009, but education officials caution against comparing the the scores since the statewide testing for younger grades changed.
While officials from Horry County Schools say there's always room for improvement, they add that they're happy with the way Horry County Schools performed.
Here are the grades Horry County elementary, middle and high schools brought home: 14 received "excellent" grades, another 14 received "good" grades, 21 received an "average" grade, one school, Bridgewater Charter Middle School, received a "below average" grade and no schools received an "at-risk" grade.
In the end, 98% of Horry County Schools met or exceeded state standards. That's up from 82% in 2008.
"I think overall we should be pleased with the report card that came out today. We've seen growth among our schools and at the district level and the performance of this past year as well as the growth factor from the previous year," said Teal Britton, Spokesperson for Horry County Schools.
The county's "growth factor," an overall indication of how schools are getting better, did drop from an "average" grade in 2008 to an "at-risk" grade in 2009.
Britton says, that doesn't mean that schools did not improve.
In order for the district to have kept that "average" grade, at least 10% of schools would have had to perform better than the pervious year, which obviously did not happen.
Still, Britton says the report cards are not just about test scores, but a look at the climate within the schools.
Britton says school officials ask themselves "what are the changing elements inside our schools that may be impacting a school positively or, hopefully not negatively, with the student performance?"
School officials say many factors could ultimately impact a school's performance. from student demographics and teacher turnover to budget cuts.
With more than $700 million in cuts in less than two years, State Superintendent Jim Rex says schools are feeling the impact.
Rex said, "We have 1,400 fewer teachers this year, and even more teaching positions will be cut next year. successful academic programs are being reduced or eliminated. one thing i know is that schools won't be able to budget-cut their way to success."
Rex added that no one should be satisfied with where schools are with regards to performance or state support of individual school districts.
To find out how your school or district did, click here.
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