Blythewood High School Improvement Council Named 2015 Dick and Tunky Riley Award Winner

COLUMBIA, SC – The Blythewood High School Improvement Council (SIC) has been awarded the 2015 South Carolina SIC Dick and Tunky Riley Award for School Improvement Council Excellence. The award was presented Saturday during the annual meeting for the South Carolina School Improvement Council (SC-SIC) at River Bluff High School in Lexington.

The Blythewood SIC, along with administrators and teachers, implemented a strategic plan to prioritize SAT/ACT preparation, individualize guidance and improve career planning. A variety of initiatives were created including specialized software that provided staff, students and parents comprehensive web-based access to student information and college/career information. A special student guide, “Bengals and Beyond,” was also developed for students and parents with complete information and checklists for graduation requirements, college preparation, application tips and financial aid.

As a result of the collaborative work, the school saw an increased graduation rate (87 percent to 97.3 percent); increased college acceptance rate (66.9 percent to 91 percent); and increased scholarship money awarded ($10 million to $15 million).

“We are proud of the work undertaken by the Blythewood SIC in conjunction with the staff of Blythewood High School,” said Superintendent Debbie Hamm. “This type of collaboration and dedication to the education of our students is paramount to their success, and we know that a high-quality education for all begins with partnerships between our schools, our parents and our communities.”

For the past three years a Richland Two school has been selected as a finalist and Blythewood becomes the district’s second winner in that time frame.