Laurens County School District 55 2022-2023 School Report Card Data Released
October 10, 2023
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2022-2023 School Report Card Data on October 10, 2023. Each year around this time, school report cards containing information about each school, including test performance, student growth, teacher qualifications, school climate, and student safety, are released for public information. Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) maintains its commitment to transparency in school accountability and highlights details from the school report card data.
The 2022-2023 School Report Card Data for Laurens District 55 High School (LDHS) shows promise with the Percentage of First-Year Students On-Track to Graduate (1YOTG). The state’s 1YOTG average is 76%, while LDHS’s 1YOTG rate is 76.1%. The LDHS On-Time Graduation Rate is 80.9%, while the state’s average is 83.8%. The LDHS Percent of Students Demonstrating Success in High School is 78.3%, a rating very close to the state’s average of 80.3%. LDHS’s Five-Year Student Success Rate (5YSSR) is 80.7%, close to the state’s average of 85.3%. LDHS also increased the Percent of Students in the Graduation Cohort Eligible for the Palmetto Fellows Scholarship. 63.2% of LDHS students took the Career Readiness Test and earned Employability Credential. LDHS is ahead of its track on long-term goals in achieving Percent of EL (English Learner) Students Meeting 70% Proficiency Target. The 2026 goal for that criterion is 50.2%, while LDHS’s current rating is 53.3%. LDHS is also ahead of its track on long-term goals in achieving Percent Scoring Level 3 or Above- English/ELA (English Language Arts) – All Students. The 2026 goal for that criterion is 56.6%, while LDHS’s current rating is 58.0%. These positive results may be partially attributed to a combination of factors, such as an increase in the percentage of teachers with advanced degrees, an increase in prime instructional time, and a decrease in student-teacher ratio in core subjects.
LCSD 55’s 2022-2023 School Report Card includes data on the percentage of readiness to learn among kindergarten students. This data is reported but not part of accountability. This data is noteworthy as it reflects that LCSD 55 kindergarteners are performing comparatively as other kindergarteners across South Carolina. There is evidence of the positive impact of LCSD 55’s efforts in supporting early literacy using the Science of Reading and state-aligned resources in English and Mathematics. The results for readiness are close to the state averages. The kindergarten ratings are as follows: Social Foundation is 43.9%, Language and Literacy 29%, Mathematics 32%, and Physical Well-Being 52%. The state averages are as follows: Social Foundation 49.4%, Language and Literacy 34.6%, Mathematics 35.2%, and Physical Well-Being 53.4%.
LCSD 55 also highlights data on first-grade students. According to the district’s school report card, the percentage of LCSD 55 First Grade Students Who are On Track for Success in Mathematics at the Second Grade is at 50.6%, while the state’s average is 54.4%.
The information found in the SCDE & EOC School Report Cards is a compilation of various pieces of data that LCSD 55 monitors and analyzes to identify strengths and areas of growth as a school and a district. LCSD 55 saw significant growth across the board in both English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades 3-8, and this is reflected in an increase in ratings for several LCSD 55 schools.
LCSD 55 Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas stated, “Our dedication and commitment to excellence have yielded positive results as we have successfully improved overall rating levels at E.B. Morse Elementary, Hickory Tavern Elementary, Waterloo Elementary, Gray Court-Owings Middle, and Hickory Tavern Middle. This achievement is a testament to the unwavering efforts put forth by our students, educators, staff, and administrators. While we take pride in our growth and hard work, we remain mindful that there is still much work to be done and we continue to focus on continuous improvement. We are confident in our plan, structures, and initiatives to continue on this positive trajectory and ensure ongoing improvement for our schools.
LCSD 55 continues to share its excitement about student growth at Waterloo Elementary School (WES). WES demonstrated some of the highest growth scores in the state, and this along with other quality data points, earned them an Excellent rating for this year. LCSD 55 also celebrates the growth of students at Hickory Tavern Elementary School and Gray Court-Owings Middle School. Both schools are rated Good. Further, Hickory Tavern Elementary School is only two points away from making an Excellent rating.
LCSD 55 will continue to utilize the School Report Card Data to drive decision-making and track progress to provide a quality educational program for the students of Laurens 55.
