More Greenville County Schools Rated “Excellent” on 2019 SC Report Cards

Thirty-Eight Schools Receive Highest Ranking, 94% of Schools Meet or Exceed State Criteria

The South Carolina Department of Education (SDE) released school report cards today, providing a rating of Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, or Unsatisfactory for every school in the state. In Greenville County Schools (GCS), 81 of 86 schools earned ratings of Excellent, Good, or Average, which are defined as meeting or exceeding the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate.

The report cards rate Academic Achievement, Student Progress, College and Career Readiness, and School Climate. The cards also include English Learners’ Progress, Student Safety, and Financial Information. Additionally, High School report cards factor in Graduation Rates. As a district, the 2019 GCS graduation rate improved to 85.1%, a 12.7 percentage point increase since 2012.

On this year’s report cards, 38 schools in the GCS district scored Excellent, compared to 20 last year.  One of the schools rated Excellent, Heritage Elementary, is the only school in the state that improved four rating levels.  The number of schools in GCS rated as Good decreased from 25 to 24, while schools rated Average dropped from 30 to 19.  Five schools in the district are rated Below Average or Unsatisfactory, compared to 12 a year ago.

“We are fully committed to improving the performance of all our schools,” said Superintendent  W. Burke Royster, “regardless of their rating.  Each year our instructional leadership team reviews test results, retention rates, survey data, and other data points to identify schools most in need of additional support.  Some schools need extra resources to meet the needs of their communities.  With the support of our Board of Trustees, we put those resources where they are most needed.”

Greenville County Schools saw significant gains in third through eighth grade English/Language Arts and Math scores on statewide standardized testing. High marks for academic achievement and growth are credited for the dramatic increase in schools receiving “Excellent” ratings.

Each school received a number grade that determined its rating. The point system does not align with a traditional grading scale (90-100=A, 80-89=B, etc.) and is not consistent between grade levels.

The report cards can be reviewed on the State Department of Education’s website.  Additionally, all schools in GCS are posting a link to their individual report card on the school’s website. Career Centers, Child Development Centers and Washington Center are not rated.