Dorchester Two 'Passes' Lowcountry

When it comes to this year's Palmetto Assessment of State Standards, gains were gained and losses were minimized, according to Dorchester School District Two officials.

Dorchester Two surpassed the neighboring Colleton, Dorchester Four, Berkeley and Charleston school districts, Superintendent Joe Pye said.

"I am beside myself with how good (the scores) are … The edge is always present," Pye said during Monday's school board meeting. "Our district leads the Lowcountry … We didn't fall as far behind as (neighboring districts) did and, where we gained, we gained ahead of them."

Among the top PASS-scoring schools in the district include: Flowertown Elementary, Beech Hill Elementary, Newington Elementary, Fort Dorchester Elementary, Rollings Middle School of the Arts, Dubose Middle School and Gregg Middle School.

Dorchester Two was also among the top performers in the state, Pye said. Anderson's school district appeared to be the top performer, according to district data.

The positive trends in data mirror a surge among the state's 86 districts.

Larger percentages of public school students met state standards on the 2011 administration of PASS. In addition, the percentages of students scoring at exemplary levels — the highest of three scoring levels under PASS — increased in all subjects and nearly all tested grades. 

Gains also were shown statewide by black students, students from low-income families and students with limited English proficiency in most grades and subjects.  There was little progress, however, in reducing achievement gaps because white and more-affluent students improved at even faster rates.

PASS, the state’s current accountability test for grades 3-8, was first administered during the 2008-2009 school year. Last year, the State Board of Education adopted academic standards proposed by the Common Core State Standards Initiative in the subjects of English language arts, writing and mathematics.  This decision will require the adoption of a new accountability test beginning in the 2014-2015 school year for these subjects and could be administered to most students by computer.

Click here to learn more about the 2011 PASS.

While the PASS scores are now in (months earlier than usually released), the board of education won't release the Adequate Yearly Progress reports until Aug. 1.

But education leaders across the state are already reviewing what worked and what didn't, just weeks before the new school year begins. .  

“The key is always going to be what happens in the classroom between a teacher and students,” State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais said.  “Credit for these results belongs to the hard work of students, teachers and parents across South Carolina. Test scores should improve further if we can energize that team with customized instruction to meet the needs of students.”

Dorchester Two has already given the data out to principals and teachers to help prepare for the school year. 

"They'll be able to use it as a resource," school board chair Frances Townsend said. 

Zais renewed his concern about two trends in reading: a decline in reading scores from Grade 3 to Grade 8 and the fact that one-third of students moving up to high school are not reading on grade level.

“It is simply not acceptable that one-third of last year’s freshman class did not read on grade level,” he said. “The decline in grade-level reading from Grade 3 to Grade 8 should continue to be a significant concern."

This is also noted in Dorchester County.

"Too many children are entering our ninth grade not reading on grade level," Pye said. "I'm not satisfied with good reading scores — I want to be superior or exemplary … That's going to be our real push."

Pye said that while the district has focused on math the last year and those scores have benefitted, it's time to focus on reading. He said he would examine reading in the district on a month-to-month basis to keep track of who's behind, what's working and what's not.

"We're going to take it apart," he said. "Children will never be successful in science and social studies until they know how to read."

The state will also address the problem.

"The Strategic Reading Initiative, authorized by the General Assembly this year, will need to address both of these systemic problems, propose innovative solutions and implement them without regard to parochial politics. I look forward to leading this initiative and delivering a meaningful report next January," Zais said.

Zais also raised concerns that one-third of students could not pass the writing assessment despite the importance of writing skills in preparation for entering the workforce, the military or a post-secondary education institution. More than 30 percent of eighth-graders did not have sufficient proficiency in mathematics and science.

Click here to see more results from the 2011 PASS.