Over 200 schools recognized as Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners
October 7, 2019
Today, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education announced that 249 schools across South Carolina have received the recently revised Palmetto Gold and Silver awards for their performance during the 2018-2019 school year.
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“The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards demonstrate a school’s commitment to excellence and ensuring every student meets the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “This achievement is testament to the hard work of the students, teachers, and principals in each school community.”
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The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards program was established by the Education Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 “to recognize and reward schools for academic achievement and for closing the achievement gap.” The State Board of Education, working with the S.C. Department of Education and S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) set the revised criteria for the awards program on May 14, 2019. The criteria, which identify the general performance of schools, were based upon an analysis of the 2018 annual school report cards and upon feedback from a task force of principals, coordinated by the EOC in 2019. Additional criteria will be added in the future to recognize schools that have closed the achievement gap.
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For elementary and middle schools, the criteria focus on two report card indicators: Academic Achievement and Student Progress. To be eligible to receive a Palmetto Gold or Silver designation, an elementary or middle school must receive a rating for the indicators of Academic Achievement and Student Progress as defined below:
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Palmetto Gold:
1) Excellent Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress, or
2) Excellent Academic Achievement and Good Student Progress, or
3) Good Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress.
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Palmetto Silver:
1) Average Academic Achievement and Excellent Student Progress, or
2) Good Academic Achievement and Good Student Progress, or
3) Excellent Academic Achievement and Average Student Progress.
For high schools, the Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards Program focuses on the following four report card indicators: Academic Achievement, Preparing for Success, Graduation Rate, and College/Career Readiness.
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Palmetto Gold:
High schools that have an Excellent rating on 3 out of the 4 indicators and a minimum of Good on the fourth indicator are eligible for the Palmetto Gold Award. A high school must also have an overall report card rating of Excellent or Good to earn a Palmetto Gold.
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Palmetto Silver:
High schools that have a minimum rating of Good on 3 out of the 4 indicators and no rating lower than Average on the fourth indicator are eligible for a Palmetto Silver Award. A high school must also have an overall report card rating of Average or above to meet the criteria.
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In addition to the above grade level criteria, to be eligible to receive a Palmetto Gold or Silver designation, a school must not be designated as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) school or an Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) school.
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The full list of 2018-2019 Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners can be found here.
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The full list of 2017-2018 Palmetto Gold and Silver Award winners can be found here.
