Five South Carolina schools named National Blue Ribbon Award winners
September 15, 2010
CHARLESTON, SC – September 13, 2010 – Five South Carolina schoolsare winners of 2010 National Blue Ribbon Schools Awards, U.S. Secretaryof Education Arne Duncan announced.
The Palmetto State’s public school winners are:
- Powdersville Elementary in Anderson School District One;
- Howe Hall Arts Infused Magnet School in Berkeley County;
- Greenville County’s Greenville Technical Charter High School;
- Ballentine Elementary School in Lexington/Richland District Five; and
- Charles Pinckney Elementary School in Charleston County.
The U.S. Department of Education says that schools chosen as NationalBlue Ribbon recipients are models of excellence that other schools canemulate. Winners are either academically superior or that demonstratedramatic gains in student achievement.
“Congratulations to these five wonderful schools,” said StateSuperintendent of Education Jim Rex. “This award signifies theirsuccess in making it possible for each and every student to succeed, andit shows that they have outstanding administrators, creative teachersand dedicated staff members.”
Official award ceremonies will take place in November in Washington,where about 300 national winners will receive Blue Ribbon School flagsand engraved plaques as symbols of their success.
The National Blue Ribbon program was modified in 2001 to make selectioncriteria consistent with the goals of the federal No Child Left BehindAct. In the new system, the USDE determines how many nominees eachstate can submit. The federal agency allowed South Carolina to nominatefive schools that had to meet one of two criteria:
— Schools that have at least 40 percent of their students fromdisadvantaged backgrounds and that show dramatic improvement in testscores to high levels in English Language Arts and mathematics.
— Schools, regardless of their demographics, that achieve in the top 10 percent of schools in the state.
Powdersville Elementary and the Howe Hall magnet school met the firstcriterion, while the other winners met the second. All five SouthCarolina schools not only met the basic criteria, but also scored higheragainst those criteria than other South Carolina schools. All nomineeshad to have made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under NCLB for the2007-08 and 2008-09 school years, and also had to make AYP for the2009-10 school year to be eligible for recognition.
Here are snapshots of South Carolina’s winners:
Powdersville Elementary School (Anderson District 1) Opened in 2002 and located in one of the fastest-growing areas inupstate South Carolina, Powdersville Elementary School serves studentsin grades 3-5. During its eight-year history, the school hasexperienced tremendous changes and expansion. The student populationhas grown 75 percent to 577, and the percentage of students eligible forfree/reduced-priced lunches has increased from 17 percent to more than
45 percent. The school’s success reflects its commitment to excellence in the face of challenges posed by growth and change.
School leaders, faculty and staff are dedicated to designing andimplementing a high-quality curriculum and instructional program toensure that learning happens every day in every classroom. The schoolhas been recognized by the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards program fivetimes for high student achievement and for closing achievement gaps.
One of Powdersville’s priorities is involving parents and community ineducation, as well as students. Community members support the school asvolunteers, financially and as business partners. Parents give manyhours each year sharing their time and talents. The PTSO and SchoolImprovement Council’s assistance serve as a good role model forstudents.
Howe Hall Arts Infused Magnet School (Berkeley) A K-5 schoolserving 422 students with a poverty level of 46 percent, Howe Hall’smission is to provide students with a learning environment that makes“the arts as an essential component of the curriculum to optimizestudent achievement.” The school offers students instruction thataddresses multiple intelligences with lessons that combine arts andacademic standards. These lessons encourage high-level thinking whileproviding opportunities for creative expression in the learning process.
Students are motivated, learning is fun and relevant, and emotionalconnections through the arts help promote long-term mastery of academicskills.
Howe Hall’s level of student achievement is among the highest in thestate in assessments for academics (PASS) and the arts (SCAAP). Theschool earned a Palmetto Gold Award for Closing Achievement Gaps for thepast five years and received a prestigious Kennedy Center CreativeTicket School of Excellence Award in 2007.
Greenville Technical Charter High School (Greenville) Greenville Technical Charter High aims for a seamless transition fromhigh school to higher education and the world of work. With anenrollment of 420 students in grades 9-12, the school offers anacademically rigorous four-year program based on Mastery Learning. Manystudents earn enough credits to enroll in college courses assophomores.
The school’s ability to offer individualized academic plans and academicassistance creates an opportunity for success for each student.
Teachers use state-of-the-art technology and resources. The schoolexpects parental involvement at a minimum of one hour per week, 50 hoursof community service for every student each year, project-basedlearning that is competency-based, and a capstone senior project priorto graduation.
Thanks to its high level of student achievement and graduation rate,Greenville Tech Charter High has earned Excellent report card ratingsfor six consecutive years and Palmetto Gold Awards for the past fiveyears. It was designated as one of the top 15 charter schools in thenation by the USDE. In 2007, the school was honored as a NationalCharter School of the Year by the Center for Education Reform andreceived a bronze award from US News & World Report as one ofAmerica’s Best Public Schools in 2009.
Ballentine Elementary School (Lexington/Richland District 5) Openedin 2002, Ballentine Elementary serves 771 students in grades K-5. Ithas earned an Excellent report card rating and was recognized forClosing the Achievement Gap for six consecutive years.
Ballentine Elementary’s success reflects ongoing professionaldevelopment programs that help its faculty learn and grow to maximize
the effectiveness of their instruction. Another contributing factor isthe school’s ability to use data effectively to inform instruction.
School administrators and faculty use data to determine effectiveness ofteacher instruction, match students with intervention resources anddetermine staff development. Student achievement and schoolwideperformance are monitored through formal and informal methods.
Grade-level common planning allows for conversation about effectiveinstructional strategies, pacing and rigor of lessons and differentiatedinstruction.
A strong partnership between home and school also contributes toBallentine’s sustained success. The school has an activeParent-Teacher Organization and School Improvement Council and sponsorscommunity service projects and special family events.
Charles Pinckney Elementary School (Charleston) Serving 975students in grades 3-5, Charles Pinckney Elementary has receivedExcellent a
bsolute performance ratings on its school report card. Thebelief and commitment that all students can learn and excel is thephilosophical impetus that has enabled the school to pursue excellenceand maintain success. The school’s mission is “to provide each studentwith an extensive range of educational opportunities in a nurturingenvironment.”
School leaders understand the importance of having high-qualityteachers, rigorous curriculum and effective instruction. The schoolalso keeps a good balance between academics and extracurricularactivities. Students have a variety of extracurricular activities fromwhich to choose including Chess Club, Student Council, the Ecology Club,Percussion Ensemble, Drama Club, girls’ and boys’ basketball teams andWriter’s Cramp Club. Throughout the year, parents, students and staffmembers enjoy special events like the Harvest Ball, Oyster Roast,Festival of Books, Family Reading Night, Art Night and Family Math and
Science Night.
