Student Performance 'Not Met' for District

While Dorchester School District Two has received a stellar state report card and has met its objectives for graduation/attendance rate for the Adequate Yearly Progress report, it has received a "not met" in student performance and it's overall federal report.

The district met 36 of 37 objectives laid out by the federal No Child Left Behind report card.

Click here to view the full AYP report on Dorchester Two. 

One school district made AYP (Saluda County), compared to three districts last year. Seventy-two districts fell short by missing 1-5 goals, two more districts than last year’s 70.

The state made 35 of its 37 goals and so fell short of making AYP. Last year the state also made 35 of its 37 goals.

Most South Carolina schools, like Dorchester Two, have either 17 or 21 federal goals, and falling short on even one means that they do not meet AYP.

Those just shy of their objectives include Dubose Middle, Fort Dorchester Elementary, Newington Elementary, Oakbrook Elementary, Oakbrook Middle, Summerville Elementary and Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary.

South Carolina elementary and middle school ratings under the federal government’s No Child Left Behind law dropped dramatically this year despite . 

Only 27 percent of the state’s elementary and middle schools met all of their federal goals in 2011, down from 61 percent last year.

The schools that met the objectives in Dorchester Two include: Beech Hill Elementary, Eagle Nest Elementary, Flowertown Elementary, Spann Elementary, Knightsville Elementary, Rollings Middle School of the Arts and William M. Reeves Elementary. 

State Superintendent of Education Mick Zais described the federal No Child Left Behind school accountability system as “broken.”

“For the federal government to label a school as ‘failing’ when it meets or exceeds every goal except one defies common sense,” he said. “It’s time for Washington to end top-down directives and acknowledge its limited role in setting education policy.”

Zais emphasized that he is committed to a strong accountability system for South Carolina, but he said there are better ways to set and meet high standards for schools. Zais said the State Department of Education is reviewing federal mandates and may submit waiver requests to the U.S. Department of Education requesting flexibility while maintaining high standards.

“Washington should set clear expectations and measures of accountability, then get out of the way,” he said. “There should not be dual systems of accountability. Individually, a state and the U.S. Department of Education should agree to one system. Accountability and autonomy are two sides of the same coin. If the federal government wants to hold states accountable for the results, it should allow states maximum flexibility to affect the outcomes.”