Lexington One leaders speak at statewide TransformSC conference

LEXINGTON, SC — Lexington County School District One was featured at TransformSC’s statewide conference on innovative approaches to education. Seven hundred educators, business leaders, policymakers and other community leaders were in attendance.During the conference, Lexington One Superintendent Karen C. Woodward, Ed.D., presented a session on changing district culture. Woodward explained how Lexington Ones uses a collaborative culture to work through significant change as the district shifts from a “school system” to a “system of learning.”

River Bluff High Principal Luke Clamp, Ed.D., led a discussion on strategies to change school culture. Clamp elaborated on how River Bluff’s partnership with Expeditionary Learning has strengthened the school’s culture to personalize learning through meaningful and active experiences embedded in relationship development.Deerfield and Red Bank Elementary administrators and students participated in sessions regarding blended learning and competency-based progression in action. The sessions focused on customizing learning through flexible grouping and continuous progression.Pelion High Principal Clark Cooper presented during the innovative practices in S.C. schools sections about assessing and reporting soft skills. He shared resources that Pelion High uses to assist educators in identifying, reporting, and inspiring behaviors that help students take ownership of their learning.

Lexington One Director of Assessment and Accountability Janelle Rivers, Ph.D., and Coordinator of Instructional Program Evaluation Shane Phillips, Ph.D., also presented a session on the use of continuous, or formative, assessment as an integral part of good instruction. Formative assessments are those that are not used for grading, but for identifying the specific needs of students. There are many types of formative assessments including the use of non-verbal clues, exit slips, response cards and Socratic Seminars. The continuous use of these methods throughout instruction allows the teacher to provide students with specific, constructive feedback and adjust instruction to meet the needs of all students.

“It’s exciting to spend the day with other visionaries who realize the importance of a new system of learning to prepare our graduates. By working together we are starting to see a shift from thinking about schooling to thinking about learning, and a shift from thinking about a school system to thinking about a system of learning experiences,” said Dr. Karen C. Woodward. “We are thrilled to be a part of a statewide network to share ideas and best practices.”

Lexington One participates in TransformSC’s network of 37 schools and 20 districts from across the state. The initiative is a coalition of educators, parents, students, business leaders and policymakers united around a common vision: The Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. The profile has been adopted by TransformSC’s network of schools, the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, the State Board of Education, the South
Carolina Chamber of Commerce and the Education Oversight Committee.

“For the first time in decades educators, business leaders, policy makers, parents and students agree on a vision for graduates to be successful in college, careers and citizenship. It will be a long-term effort, but we believe we can make a positive difference across the state with continued engagement of all groups in our coalition,” said Mike Brenan, co-chair of TransformSC and state president of BB&T.

About TransformSC

TransformSC, an education initiative of the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness, is a collaboration of business leaders, educators, students, parents and policy makers transforming the public education system so that every student graduates prepared for careers, college and citizenship. TransformSC schools and districts are designing, launching, promoting and proving transformative practices in the classroom. Currently there are 37 schools and 3 districts in the TransformSC network. For more information, visit www.sccompetes.org/transformsc.