Senior Walk is a celebration in which soon-to-be graduates walk the hall of a nearby middle or elementary school as a way of demonstrating to younger students that hard work pays off.  Lake Forest Elementary will be hosting a senior walk for former Lake Forest graduates on May 24 at 8:30 am.  We are thrilled for our graduates, and all they have achieved.

The Leopard Letter is a monthly newsletter highlighting the important events happening at Lake Forest Elementary.  Be sure to check it out!  Click here to view the May edition.

This year, students in third, fourth, and fifth grades in South Carolina will take the SC College-and-Career Ready Assessment (SC READY).  Students in those grades will take ELA (writing and reading) and mathematics tests.  Additionally, students in fourth and fifth grades will take SC Palmetto Assessments of State Standards (SCPASS) science and social studies tests. In addition to the letters you received, you may view our testing calendar by clicking on the link below.  This test is untimed. This test is important to our students and school. We need to make sure that we provide the best testing environment possible so our kids do well on this test. No visitors are allowed in the building for any grade (even if you are not a testing grade).  This includes tutors, lunch visitors, etc.

1. Be sure your child gets plenty of sleep.
2. Be sure your child is on time for school.
3. Be sure your child has a healthy breakfast at home or at school.
4. Be sure your child is planning on doing their best work and remains stress free and focused.

Testing Schedule

Below is the link to our School Report Card, released November 29, 2018 by the State Department of Education.  Based on a number of factors, each school in the state has been rated as excellent, good, average, below average, or unsatisfactory.

These report cards are very different from past report cards in our state.  The new report cards factor in multiple data points, test scores and surveys. The report attempts to measure a school’s academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness and school climate. The reports will also include data on English Learners Progress, Student Safety, and Financial information. High School reports will factor in graduation rates, though the formula for determining the graduation rate has changed slightly from past years.

For the first time in South Carolina, NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) scores will be used to help determine schools’ ratings. NAEP tests students in every state in fourth grade and eighth grade in math, reading, science, and writing. The percentage of schools ranked in each category (from unsatisfactory to excellent) will align to the State’s 2015 NAEP results, so about 15 percent of schools in South Carolina will be rated “excellent,” 20 percent will be rated “good,” 35 percent will be rated “average,” 20 percent will be “below average,” and 10 percent will be “unsatisfactory.”

Along with the new rating system, the report cards feature several new pieces of data, including Education Value-Added Assessment System (EVAAS).  EVAAS measures student academic growth year-after-year. EVAAS measures student academic position in relation to his/her peers from one-year to another.  Growth among lowest performing 20% of students counts double toward each school’s report card.

If you have any questions or concerns related to our school’s ratings, feel free to contact our principals via email or phone.

School Report Card Link