Education Department Honors Individuals, Organizations for Service to Adult Education
December 31, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC – December 30, 2008 – The South Carolina Department of Education has honored a variety of individuals and organizations for their leadership roles in improving adult education programs across the state.
“South Carolina’s adult education programs are a vital part of our overall education effort, and these people and these groups have made outstanding contributions,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex. “High-quality adult ed programs benefit not only the students, but also the communities where those students live and work. Viewed from a broader perspective, they improve our state’s quality of life.”
Susan Bowman, Vice-President of Developmental Resources, Inc., and Youthlight, Inc., a non-profit faith-based organization dedicated to serving incarcerated youth and their families, was the keynote speaker.
Bowman is a volunteer at the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. Awarded the Cornelius P. Turner Award by the American Council on Education’s GED Testing Services in 2005, she was honored as the national Outstanding GED graduate. Telling her inspirational story of hardship and lack of education, Bowman made it clear that GED preparation and testing turned her life around and gave her the opportunity to achieve a graduate degree and dedicate her life to helping other dropouts and troubled youth.
Awards were presented in the following categories, honoring adult education programs, school districts (some adult ed programs are consortia that include multiple districts) and individuals:
Palmetto Performers
Presented to the counties or districts with the highest number of high school credentials awarded during 2007-2008, based on the census count of their counties and the number of individuals lacking credentials.
Recipients were Bamberg and Barnwell Counties, Beaufort County, Dorchester County, Lexington District 1, Lexington Districts 2 and 4, Lexington District 3, Lexington/Richland 5 and Union County. Honorable mentions went to Calhoun County and Colleton County.
Palmetto Pride Award
Presented to adult ed programs that met or exceeded federal performance measures for English as a Second Language. Recipients were Beaufort County, Charleston County, Dorchester County, Horry County, and Lexington District 3.
Career Readiness Award
Presented to programs awarding the highest numbers of Career Readiness Certificates in 2007-2008 in excess of 150 certificates. Recipients were Anderson 1 and 2; Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Berkeley County; Charleston County; Cherokee County; Clarendon County; Colleton County; Darlington County; Dorchester County; Greenville County; Horry County; Lancaster County; Lexington 2 and 4; Lexington/Richland 5; Oconee County; Orangeburg County; Pickens County; Richland 1; Spartanburg County; Sumter & Lee Counties; Union County; and Rock Hill 3.
Palmetto Pace-Setters
Presented to superintendents and adult education directors in districts that provided new facilities for adult education programs. Recipients were Aiken County; Cherokee County; Darlington County; Dorchester County; and Sumter County.
SCAACE (South Carolina Association of Adult and Community Educators) Staff Awards
Full-time Teacher of the Year, Beverly Felder (Clarendon County); Part-time Teacher of the Year, Paula Marett (Cherokee County); Paraprofessional of the Year, Linda Miles (Berkeley County); Administrative Assistant of the Year, Lee Cox (Spartanburg County); and Community Educators of the Year, Bill Ansley (Kershaw County) and Debbie Ardis (Sumter County).
SCAAED (South Carolina Association of Adult Education Directors)
Director of the Year Sandy Andrews, Rock Hill 3
Vocational Rehabilitation Program Awards
The first award was presented to the top three programs issuing the highest number of Career Readiness Certificates through their Vocational Rehabilitation Partnerships during 2007-2008. Recipients were Greenville County, Lexington Districts 2 and 4, and Oconee County and Pickens County. The second award was presented to adult education programs that met or exceeded the VR area goals for the number of WorkKeys batteries given in 2007-2008. Recipients were Anderson Districts 3, 4, and 5; Oconee County; Pickens County; Lancaster County; and Rock Hill 3.
Adult Education Director’s Hall of Fame
Suzanna Maroney, Aiken County; Dr. Chuck Welch, Greenville County; and Hazel Smith, Hampton County Literacy Association.
Adult Education Teacher’s Hall of Fame
Teachers with 10 or more years of experience in Adult Education Ella Harrison, Abbeville County; Virginia Kitchings, Aiken County; Andrew Ford, Anderson Districts 1 and 2; William Martin, Anderson 1 and 2; Tom Ackerman, Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Jasper Mursier, Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Wilhelmina Rhoe, Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Sara Milo, Beaufort County; Beth Martin, Cherokee County; Carolyn Addison, Chesterfield County; Grace Lipsey, Chesterfield County; John Mayfield, Chesterfield County; Judith Miller, Chesterfield County; Lillian Wilson, Chesterfield County; Ernestine Mickens, Clarendon County; Beth Bryan, Dorchester County; Claudia Hawkins, Dorchester County; Joyce Gray, Florence 2 and 3; Anna Maria Ford, Georgetown County; Colette Smith, Georgetown County; Ricardo Wingate, Georgetown County; Janie Bradford, Greenville County; Maudene Cantrell, Greenville County; Brenda Deener, Greenville County; Tony Lehde, Greenville County; Carol Petty, Greenville County; Cheryl Bailey, Horry County; Judy Gidney, Horry County; Richard Grainger, Horry County; Allen Ryals, Horry County; Vickie Granger, Kershaw County; Nancy Kalutz, Kershaw County; Sandra Lee, Kershaw County; Marie Ruggieri, Lancaster County; Joanne Thomason, Laurens County; Sandra Owens, Laurens Literacy; Judy Knoechel, Lexington 2 and 4; Doris Antley, Lexington 3; Ruth Hughes, Marion County; Barbara Hilliard, Orangeburg/Calhoun Counties; James Howard, Orangeburg/Calhoun Counties; Dr. Incentlee Lemon, Orangeburg/Calhoun Counties; Bernice Pelzer, Orangeburg/Calhoun Counties; Emma White, Orangeburg/Calhoun Counties; Jerri Channell, Pickens County; Rosalyn Moore, Pickens County; and Amy Pace, Sumter/Lee Counties.
Administrative Staff Hall of Fame
Presented to Adult Education staff with a minimum of 10 years’
experience and who have worked with data collection or in other administrative capacities, and were recommended by their directors.
Recipients were Deborah Ayers, Abbeville County; Hank Wilkinson, Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Tommy Burriss, Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Sharlene Smalls, Charleston County; Nancy Jo Sellars, Cherokee County; Elvia Grooms, Chesterfield County; Marian Evans, Clarendon County; Sherry Coker, Clarendon County; Gloria Chapman, Darlington County; Renee Rivers, Dorchester County; Shelly Baker, Dorchester County; Julie Campbell, Dorchester County; Pamela Rabon, Florence 1, 4 and 5; Susan Sheely, Florence 1, 4 and 5; Donna Washington, Georgetown County; Ann Nickles, Greenville County; Jimmie Lou Vaughn, Greenville County; Teresia Hayes, Kershaw County; Annette Deese, Lancaster County; Christy Henderson, Lexington 2 and 4; Pamela Alston, Marion County; Hattie Williams, Pickens County; Joyce Jones, Saluda County; and Lee Cox, Spartanburg County.
Correctional Education-GED Initiative
Presented to programs that served incarcerated individuals in state prison or county jail settings and that awarded a minimum of 30 GED credentials for a state prison and a minimum of 10 for a county jail.
State Prison: Kershaw County; Lexington 2 and 4; Richland 1; and Sumter/Lee Counties. County Jail: Richland 1, Sumter/Lee Counties, and Trident Literacy.
Correctional Education/Career Readiness Certificate Award
Presented to programs that served incarcerated individuals in state prisons or county j
ails and that awarded a minimum of 150 WorkKeys CRC credentials for a state prison and a minimum of 50 for a county jail.
State Prison: Lexington 2 and 4, Lexington/Richland 5, and Union County. County Jail: Horry County and Richland 1.
Palmetto Masters Award
Presented to programs that met or exceeded the state GED first-attempt pass rate of 67 percent during the 2007-2008 school year. The passing percentage was determined by dividing the number of GED examinations passed on the first attempt by the number of GED candidates being tested for the first time during 2007-2008. Recipients were Anderson 1 and 2; Beaufort County; Berkeley County; Charleston County;Cherokee County; Colleton County; Dorchester County; Florence 1, 4 and 5; Florence 2 and 3, Hampton and Jasper Counties, Horry County; Lexington 1; Lexington 2 and 4; Lexington/Richland 5; Newberry County; Pickens County; Richland 2; Spartanburg County; York 1, 2 and 4 and Chester County; and Rock Hill 3. The Department of Corrections and 20 school district programs teamed up to earn the award for inmates earning a GED diploma.
Palmetto Trend-Setters Award
Presented to programs that met or exceeded the state GED pass rate of 70 percent (this rate can include multiple test administrations). Recipients were Anderson 1 and 2; Anderson 3, 4 and 5; Berkeley County; Charleston County; Cherokee County; Dorchester County; Florence 1, 4 and 5; Florence 2 and 3; Horry County; Lexington 1; Lexington 2 and 4; Lexington/Richland 5; Newberry County; Oconee County; Pickens County; Spartanburg County; Union County; York 1, 2 and 4 and Chester County; and Rock Hill 3. The Department of Corrections and 20 school district programs teamed up to earn the award for inmates earning a GED diploma.
Information about Adult Education services is available from the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Adult Education, either via the web or telephone (803-734-8071).
