In Our Schools Looks at Palmetto Priority Schools, Career Guidance, Teacher Training
March 26, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – March 26, 2009 – The “In Our Schools” television program this month looks at state efforts to raise achievement in 16 schools with a history of high poverty and low test scores.
The hour-long telecast airs at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 29, on South Carolina ETV. “In Our Schools” is a special series designed for parents, educators and community partners and produced by ITV, which is part of the South Carolina Department of Education, with ETV’s assistance.
The program’s lead segment examines the Palmetto Priority Schools project – a collaboration launched by the Education Department nearly two years ago to assist schools not meeting state-mandated learning goals. Television crews visit Estill Middle School, one of two Hampton District Two schools taking part.
State Superintendent Jim Rex created the initiative as an alternative to state takeover. He charged local school board members, school administrators, teachers, parents and community partners to work together to meet “the challenge of building high-quality schools in high-poverty areas.”
Sunday’s telecast has three other segments on these topics:
- Administrators, teachers and students share strategies they’re using successfully in Implementing an Innovation – Across the Curriculum and Out the Door! – an environmental education program at Forest Circle Middle School in Walterboro.
- Guidance professionals, teachers, community supporters and students at Greenville Middle Academy explain how their career education programs ranked number one in the nation and earned an ABC Award for Career Awareness and Exploration in 2008.
- Lexington School District Four works to improve student learning by offering teachers intensive, on-going training and professional development through the Department of Education’s coaching initiatives in literacy, math and science.
Sunday night’s program will be repeated on April 2 and April 6 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Channel 1 for taping by schools (unlimited rights).
