CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - On Monday, the State Department of Education will release a list of schools that the state identifies as needing improvement.
This comes after the release of state report cards that showed schools across the state were “unsatisfactory” or “below average”, including several schools in the Lowcountry.
As part of the state’s new school improvement designations, information from the Department of Education said the state will add financial and teaching support for schools that are in the bottom 10% of all schools or have a graduation rate below 70%.
The official list of schools that need state oversight will be released on Monday, but three Charleston County School District high schools fall into the graduation rate criteria.
R.B. Stall High School, St. Johns High School, and North Charleston High School all had less than 70% of their seniors graduate last year.
“I think we’ve shown over the last 20, 30, 40, 50 years there’s somethings in Charleston County we just don’t get right when it comes to educations. So if the state’s going to come in and lend their support and expertise to us, not only do we need it but we welcome it as well,” said Charleston County School board member Michael Miller.
Miller said there are things the district has not been able to fix, and the state report cards show that the district needs work.
“There’s a lot of programming. A lot of ideas but they haven’t really come with real substantive evidence-based programming that can really move children forward,” Miller said.
Miller said if the state can come in and provide oversight and assistance, the district needs it.
Schools that qualify for the state to step in and help will receive a transformation coach, a school assessment, professional learning on improvement, federal improvement funds, and state assistance funds.
The state will release list of schools that need assistance on Monday.
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