State ‘achievement gap’ shrinks in math but changes little in reading, study finds

South Carolina’s “achievement gap” between white and African-American students mirrors the rest of the nation’s, according to a federal government report released today. Although mathematics and
reading test scores have improved for both ethnic groups, the gap between the two has decreased only in math.

The new U.S. Department of Education study examined scores between the early 1990s and 2007 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires states to participate in NAEP, which is the only assessment that allows apples-to-apples comparisons. State-by-state NAEP results are reported every two years.

Overall, South Carolina’s fourth- and eighth-graders score near national averages in math and slightly below national averages in reading. In 2007 NAEP results, South Carolina fourth-graders ranked No. 33 in the nation in math and No. 42 in reading. South Carolina eighth-graders ranked No. 28 in math and No. 41 in reading.

But the new federal study shows that significant scoring gaps persist between white and African-American students:
● Math, Grade 4: South Carolina’s 31-point achievement gap in 1992 (NAEP has a 500-point scoring system) had decreased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 26 points).
● Math, Grade 8: South Carolina’s 33-point gap in 1992 had decreased to 27 points by 2007 (national gap, 31 points).
● Reading, Grade 4: South Carolina’s 27-point gap in 1992 had decreased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 27 points).
● Reading, Grade 8: South Carolina’s 25-point gap in 1998 had increased to 26 points by 2007 (national gap, 26 points).

“South Carolina’s NAEP math scores have increased dramatically in recent years for both white and African-American students, and that’s good,” Rex said. “But when scores for both groups are improving, African-American students must improve at an even faster pace if we want to close the gap.”

Reading scores have not improved at the same rate as math scores, and Rex said a new statewide literacy initiative will be aimed at changing that.

“Reading and writing are the fundamental tools for learning any subject,” Rex said. “How can you learn U.S. History if you can’t read? So one thing we need to do is move away from the idea that
reading and writing should be a central focus only in English Language Arts classes. For many schools, that will be a major paradigm shift.”

The State Superintendent said that in recent years, South Carolina has emphasized reading and writing instruction in early childhood grades (K-3).

“But there’s a danger in assuming that fourth-graders have command of those skills, because if you do that, then reading and writing instruction can get a lower priority in grades 4-12. We need to do a better job of helping students who continue to struggle past their early childhood years.”

Deputy State Superintendent of Education Valerie Harrison said a key goal of the new literacy initiative would be making reading the responsibility of all teachers in all subject areas. To help do that, the Education Department will incorporate that goal into its regional professional development programs.

“If you’re a visual and performing arts teacher, we’ll show you how to incorporate reading and writing instruction into your class work,” Harrison said. “If you’re a financial literacy teacher, we’ll do the same thing. One example might be to have students ‘notebook’ their class work – to write about what they’re learning on a daily basis.”

Harrison also said the Education Department would convene a statewide literacy panel comprising educators, parents, business leaders and representatives of professional organizations. She said that panel would recommend policy changes and practical strategies aimed at improving reading and writing instruction, in addition to giving regular feedback to the state agency as the initiative moves forward.

African-American students’ 2007 NAEP scores

In math, South Carolina African-American fourth-graders’ average NAEP score was 221, just below the national average of 222. Eighth-graders average 265, significantly above the national average of 259.

In reading, South Carolina African-American fourth-graders’ average NAEP score was 199, below the national average of 203. African-American eighth-graders’ average reading score of 242 was just below the national average of 244.

The U.S. Department of Education said its next achievement gap report would focus on Hispanic students.

Rex names J.V. Martin principal as leader for state ‘Turnaround Schools’ initiative

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex announced today that Amanda Burnette, principal of J.V. Martin Junior High School in Dillon, will head a new statewide initiative to turn around some of South Carolina’s most challenged schools.

The 17–year education veteran will direct the South Carolina Turnaround Schools Project, a new initiative aimed at improving student performance and closing the achievement gap.

Burnette’s determination to promote equality in educational opportunities for all students garnered the attention of people throughout the world, including President Barack Obama, who made two trips to J.V. Martin during his campaign and pledged his commitment to improve conditions there. The president also spoke about the school in February during his first address to a joint session of Congress.

"Amanda Burnette is the ideal person to lead this effort," Rex said. “Her enthusiasm, creativity and vigor were integral to improving teaching and learning at J.V. Martin Junior High. Because of her hard work, the face of the school has changed. Not only has she inspired students and teachers, she’s inspired that entire community and our nation as well."

The Turnaround Schools Project is a targeted expansion of the state’s Palmetto Priority Schools Project which works in collaboration with partners across the state to provide assistance to 41 Palmetto Priority Schools. Those schools formed the collaborative when they failed to meet expected progress on student achievement required by the Education Accountability Act. Burnette will report to Palmetto Priority Schools Director David Rawlinson.

“It’s always great to add someone to the team who comes in directly from the field,” Rawlinson said. “Her successes and frustrations are still fresh in her mind, and she’ll be able to bring that perspective to broader policy discussions.”

Burnette said the Turnaround Schools initiative will provide an opportunity to share and build upon tried and true best practices. “I’m excited to be a part of this innovative approach,” she said, “and I applaud Dr. Rex for taking a bold step to provide concentrated assistance to the schools that need it most."

During Burnette’s tenure at J.V. Martin, the school experienced a dramatic transformation that included marked gains in test scores in all core subject areas, improved student attendance and a significant boost in the caliber of teaching.

“Amanda’s efforts in working with teachers have instilled a powerful movement at J.V. Martin,” said Dillon 2 Superintendent Ray Rogers. “Her ideas and support set a high standard of excellence and motivated both faculty and students to work hard and achieve academic excellence.”

Burnette was instrumental in bringing attention to the school’s plight, and while at J.V. Martin she helped to secure donations totaling more than $1 million dollars. Donated items ranged from books and band instruments to new furniture for the entire school.

“Amanda has built relationships with philanthropists and business people from around the world who share in her excitement about educating all students,” said Rex.

One of Burnette’s students, Ty’Sheoma Bethea, was invited to join the First Family for Obama’s first address to Congress after she sent a letter to Washington seeking help for the school. Bethea wrote the letter on a computer at the Dillon public library after Obama mentioned J.V. Martin in his first press conference as an example of inadequate schools that would be helped by the federal economic stimulus plan. Burnette assisted Bethea in getting her letter to members of Congress and eventually to the President. Once the President’s invitation for his address was extended, Burnette helped to secure funds needed for Bethea and her mother to make the trip to Washington.

“My principal has given me the confidence to know that every child has a voice,” said Bethea, who graduated from middle school earlier this month and is now headed to high school. “She has made a difference in my life and the lives of all students who will attend J.V. Martin after me. Her goal is to create the best school possible, one where every student, without exception, will succeed.”

John Harlow, a member of J.V. Martin’s School Improvement Council, also praised Burnette.

“Amanda came to J.V. Martin tasked to 'turn the school around' using pretty much the same budget and human resources provided to earlier principals,” Harlow said. “The difference was her contagious vision that our students were not the problem, but instead were the solution.”

Prior to working in Dillon, Burnette served as principal at Ewing Middle School and Blacksburg Elementary School, both in Gaffney (Cherokee County). She begins her new duties at the Education Department on June 20.

The Turnaround Schools Project will organize small clusters of schools with common attributes, such as school type, student needs and reform approaches. The project will require schools to change conditions in teacher quality, leadership and curriculum and instruction. While the Education Department will take a leadership role in building a constituency for turnarounds, schools will have the authority to change their existing climates through flexibility in state regulations and policies that deal with hiring, budget, curriculum and teaching.

The Turnaround Schools Project is based upon the work of Mass Insight Education & Research Institute, an independent non-profit group funded primarily by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and devoted to student achievement.

Rex says federal funds will be available in time to help students next school year

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said that
today’s South Carolina Supreme Court ruling paves the way for
federal stabilization funds to be drawn down quickly and sent to local
school districts in time to help students next year.

“What I’m hearing today is a big sigh of relief from local school
districts,” Rex said. “This ruling – and the governor’s pledge
not to appeal it – gives them assurances that federal help is coming.
Now they can move ahead and approve budgets that save teaching positions
that were going to be cut. They can save effective programs that were
on life support.

“Class sizes were really going to go up next year as a result of
these cuts, and many programs were on the chopping block for big
reductions: summer school, after-school programs, adult education,
athletics, you name it. Courses were being canceled right and left.
Students were going to feel a direct impact, and now schools may be able
to avoid some of that.”

The five-member high court determined that Gov. Mark Sanford must
follow the wishes of the General Assembly, which recently approved a
budget using federal stabilization funds, and directed the governor to
apply for them. Sanford, who had refused to apply for the money, said
he would not appeal the court’s ruling that he do so.

Rex said he had been assured by the U.S. Department of Education that
the federal agency would expedite South Carolina’s request for $350
million in stabilization funds, $184 million of which would go to local
schools. The rest of the funds would go to higher education and law
enforcement agencies.

“The USDE says that South Carolina’s application could be approved
in as little as 10 days,” Rex said. “We might end up being the last
state approved, but at least our local districts won’t have to face
the worst-case scenarios that were looming for them on July 1, when the
new fiscal year begins.”

Rex has already completed and signed South Carolina’s application,
which now requires only Sanford’s signature.



At stake in the court battle was $700 million in federal stabilization
funds -- $350 million the first year – that Sanford had refused to
draw down unless the General Assembly agreed to devote an equivalent
amount of money to reducing state debt. The White House Office of
Management and Budget had twice told Sanford that such a move would
violate the intent of the federal stimulus law.

South Carolina schools have been hit with nearly $400 million in cuts
this year, and absorbing those midyear reductions has left many
districts with few alternatives except to consider cuts to their most
important assets – their classroom teaching positions. Eighty to 90
percent of a typical school district’s budget is salaries, with most
of those salaries going to classroom teachers.

Many school districts across South Carolina have placed their budgets
on hold because of uncertainty over how many positions they would have
to cut next year. A South Carolina Department of Education survey of
school districts indicated that about 2,600 jobs, including 1,500
classroom teaching positions, would be eliminated next year unless the
state receives the stabilization funds. With those funds available,
about 700 jobs would be saved, including 500 teaching positions.

The state-funded 2009-10 Base Student Cost – the fundamental building
block for local school district budgets – would have been $2,687 per
student had it been fully funded. If Sanford had prevailed in court,
next year’s BSC would have been $2,034 per student. Once the federal
stabilization dollars are applied, next year’s BSC would be $2,334.

S.C. will assist common core standards project without governor’s OK, Rex says

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said that South Carolina hopes to participate “to whatever extent possible” in a national effort announced today that aims to develop common academic standards in mathematics and English language arts.

The state cannot officially join the Common Core State Standards Initiative, sponsored by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, because Gov. Mark Sanford refused to co-sign South Carolina’s application with Rex.

Governors and state education superintendents from 46 states and three U.S. territories formally signed on to the state-led process to develop a common core of state standards that will be research and evidence-based, internationally benchmarked and aligned with college and work expectations. South Carolina, Alaska, Texas and Missouri are the only states not yet admitted.

“I’ve been assured by CCSSO that South Carolina will not be excluded from these worthwhile discussions due to the governor’s refusal,” Rex said. “In today’s global economy, the idea of each state having its own unique academic standards makes very little sense.

“Even so, this isn't a top-down federal mandate. It's a collective effort of the states, which can adapt the common core standards to their individual situations and timelines.”

Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, NGA’s vice chairman, said American students must be better prepared to compete with students from around the world if the nation is to maintain its competitive edge.

“Common standards that allow us to internationally benchmark our students’ performance with other top countries have the potential to bring about a real and meaningful transformation of our education system to the benefit of all Americans,” Douglas said.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative builds on recent efforts of leading organizations and states that have focused on developing college- and career-ready standards and ensures that these standards can be internationally benchmarked to top-performing countries around the world. The goal is to have a common core of state standards that states can voluntarily adopt. States may choose to include additional standards beyond the common core as long as the common core represents at least 85 percent of the state’s standards in English language arts and mathematics.

“Measuring our students against international benchmarks is an important step,” said Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine. “Today, we live in a world without borders. It not only matters how Virginia students compare to those in surrounding states - it matters how we compete with countries across the world.”

The NGA and CCSSO are coordinating the process to develop these standards and have created an expert validation committee to provide an independent review of the common core state standards, as well as the grade-by-grade standards. This committee will be composed of nationally and internationally recognized and trusted education experts who are neutral to - and independent of - the process. The college- and career-ready standards are expected to be completed in July; grade-by-grade standards work is expected to be completed in December.

Founded in 1908, the NGA is the collective voice of the nation’s governors. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. CCSSO is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield donation helps expand One Laptop per Child Project

An initiative to improve student achievement by making laptop technology available to every elementary school student in the state is expanding this month with the addition of 12 schools.

One Laptop per Child /South Carolina is a partnership between the nonprofit Palmetto Project, Blue Cross Blue Shield and the State Department of Education. State Superintendent Jim Rex and Steve Skardon of the Palmetto Project accepted a $500,000 donation today from Blue Cross Blue Shield division president and CEO David Pankau to help fund the expansion.

The laptop program was piloted last year in rural Marion School District 7. That rollout has been highly successful, garnering positive response from students, parents and the community. School officials expect test results at the end of the year to show students are performing better since technology has been integrated into teaching and learning.

“We believe that working with a school-issued laptop will help our students improve their academic skills and inspire them to set goals and achieve great things in their lives,” Rex said. “Thanks to our partners in this project, we’re making a bold commitment to prepare South Carolina’s children to become true leaders in the global economy of the 21st century.”

The neon green and white XO laptops used in the project look like toys with their rounded edges, kid-sized plastic handles and rubber-membrane keyboards, but they’re equipped with a camera, microphone, stereo speakers and a screen that rotates into a tablet configuration.

The laptops are spill-proof, rain-proof, dust-proof and drop-proof. Students can use them to draw pictures, compose music, read and listen to books, collaborate on classroom projects and play games.

The computers were designed by One Laptop per Child, a nonprofit organization created to manufacture and distribute inexpensive technology to children in the world's poorest countries. The $200 computers are supplied at no charge to students, although parents must attend one of several seminars offered on laptop use and care and sign user agreements.

Schools for the expanded program were selected based on student need and the capability of teachers and administrators to implement the initiative successfully. Schools being added this month include:

● Chester Park Technology Center, Chester
● Mountain View Elementary, Taylors
● India Hook Elementary, Rock Hill
● Buffalo Elementary, Buffalo
● Foster Park Elementary, Union
● Monarch Elementary, Union
● Sandy Run Elementary, Swansea
● Vance-Providence Elementary, Vance
● North Vista Elementary, Florence
● Rice Creek Elementary, Columbia
● Port Royal Elementary, Port Royal
● North Charleston Elementary, North Charleston

Obama voices support for teacher performance pay, spotlights SC

WASHINGTON, DC - President Barack Obama today renewed his support for a merit-based system of paying educators and praised the work being done in this area by South Carolina.

In his first major speech after taking office seven weeks ago, Obama, in an address to the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, presented his agenda for improving America’s schools and called on a new generation of Americans to step forward and serve in classrooms across the country.
In challenging prospective teachers to make a difference in the life of the nation, the President promised his administration would do its part to support them.

“That’s why we’re taking steps to prepare teachers for their difficult responsibilities, and encourage them to stay in the profession,” Obama said. “It’s why we’re building on the promising work being done in places like South Carolina’s Teacher Advancement Program.”

“It’s time to expect more from our students,” the president said. “It’s time to start rewarding good teachers, stop making excuses for bad ones. It’s time to prepare every child, everywhere in
America, to out-compete any worker anywhere in the world. It’s time to give all Americans a complete and comprehensive education form the cradle up through a career. America’s entire education system must once more be the envy of the world - and that’s exactly what we intend
to do.”

South Carolina has been widely recognized for its involvement in the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), a national initiative created by the Milken Family Foundation in 1999 to draw more talented people into education. Last year the state was featured in a Time magazine cover story on attracting and retaining high-quality public school teachers.
TAP was called “an impressive model” for giving teachers an opportunity to earn higher salaries and advance their professional skills.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, a strong proponent of performance pay for educators, said the TAP program highlights South Carolina’s efforts to elevate the teaching profession and create a team approach at the school level. He said TAP should be a key component of a larger, comprehensive system of teacher pay.

“We need a comprehensive restructuring plan for teacher pay,” Rex said. “That plan might include salaries at the national average, financial incentives for improved classroom performance, incentives for teaching in schools that are struggling due to high poverty levels or low academic achievement, and National Board certification stipends.”


Rex said that TAP has expanded from 18 South Carolina schools to 43.
“It provides teachers with the tools they need for success and rewards those who improve student achievement the most,” he said.

Teachers and principals in TAP schools are eligible to earn incentive pay that can range from $2,000 to $10,000 per year, based on factors including individual and schoolwide student achievement, plus classroom observations made four to six times during the year. Teachers can earn monetary rewards for remaining in the classroom while taking on additional responsibilities and leadership roles, such as master and mentor teachers.

President Obama’s address today was a first step in laying out his agenda to improve America’s schools. White House officials said that more specifics would be outlined to Congress in the coming weeks.

Rex says that transparency, accountability should accompany federal stimulus dollars

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex said today that billions of federal stimulus dollars aimed at helping hard-hit public school systems should be wisely used and painstakingly tracked.

Rex and 40 of the nation’s state education chiefs met at the White House today with Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to discuss the school-related components of the federal stimulus package. Recently approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will invest more than $130 billion in the nation’s public education system. About $600 million is headed for South Carolina schools, with additional dollars available through grant applications.

“These new resources represent a profound investment in our kids and in our future, and they come at a critical time for public schools that have been battered by budget cuts,” Rex said. “We owe it to every parent and every taxpayer to be perfectly clear about how these dollars
are spent.”

Secretary Duncan told the state education chiefs that he expects to begin announcements next week concerning when and how the new federal funds will be made available. He pledged that his agency would "turn on a dime" to make the best use of data and input from the states.

Like Rex, Duncan emphasized the need for transparency and called for detailed descriptions on how the education stimulus funds are used, quarterly reports on the use of those funds and estimates on the numbers of jobs created and retained.

"We have to be accountable for every penny we spend,” Duncan said.

Rex met last week with South Carolina Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom to ask how the state’s public schools could be proactive in showing parents and taxpayers how federal stimulus dollars are being used. The two agreed to work collaboratively in the weeks ahead. Rex said he also would contact Gov. Mark Sanford to discuss strategies for using the money.

“South Carolina taxpayers are making this investment in public education,” Rex said, “and we need to show them how their dollars are being used - and why they are being used. We should be able to defend every expenditure to parents, teachers, citizens and business leaders.”

Teachers will join State Superintendent to discuss budget crisis on

A panel of classroom teachers will join State Superintendent
of Education Jim Rex Sunday night for a live discussion on how South
Carolina’s current budget crisis is affecting public schools - and
what can be done to improve the situation.

The special live broadcast of “In Our Schools” will air from 6-7
p.m. on South Carolina ETV stations across the state, and viewers can
e-mail questions to Dr. Rex and the panelists at
inourschools@scetv.org.

The teacher panel comprises:
● Jenna Hallman, South Carolina’s 2009 State Teacher of the Year
and a science teacher at Calhoun Academy of the Arts in Anderson School
District 5.
● Stephanie Seay, a first-grade teacher at Houston Elementary
School in Spartanburg District 5 and the 2006 State Teacher of the
Year.
● Genia Web, a Milken National Educator award-winning math teacher
at Lexington Middle School in Lexington District 1.
● Eric Wilkerson, a Milken National Educator and associate choir
director at Wando High School in Charleston County.

“We have short-term challenges and long-term challenges,” Rex said.
“Schools obviously need help in weathering the current crisis, and we
should provide that help whenever and wherever we can. But at the same
time, we need to start developing a more adequate and equitable way of
funding public schools. If we delay, then when the economy turns
around, we’ll be putting our tax dollars back into a system that
everybody agrees is broken.”

South Carolina online learning program ranks 17th in nation

South Carolina is ranked 17th in a new survey of online learning policies and practices across the 50 states. The survey was conducted by the Center for Digital Education to examine what it called “the overall landscape of online learning in U.S. schools.”

The center’s findings are based on interviews with officials from each state. The survey found that 15 states (including South Carolina) offer state-led programs, while 16 states provide multi-district online learning. Two states are in the planning stages and 17 presently have no online program.

Other southern states with high rankings include Arkansas and Louisiana at fourth and fifth, respectively; North Carolina, ranked eighth; and Virginia, listed in 12th place. Alabama is 23rd and Georgia is 26th.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex pushed for expansion of South Carolina’s virtual school program for online learning in 2007 as part of his plan to offer students and parents more public school choice.

“The virtual school gives more choices and flexibility in what, when and where students learn,” Rex said. “We’ve shown that the demand for online classes can be met without sacrificing quality or accountability. It’s a great example of using innovation to improve student achievement.”

South Carolina has enrolled nearly 7,400 students for online learning, with enrollment growth of 350 percent since the beginning of the program. The state earned favorable marks in the survey for allowing all students to have access to online learning opportunities, for making online learning part of school reform strategy, and for offering teacher training online.

Unlike the online learning programs offered in some other states, South Carolina’s virtual school has a structured curriculum aligned to state standards, state-certified teachers, testing and transcripts.

The Center for Digital Education said its survey and rankings show that online education will become more prevalent as states and school districts continue to face the challenges of meeting student achievement levels, finding qualified teachers and preparing the next generation for
careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Name That Test

South Carolinians to select name of state’s new testing system; deadline to vote is Labor Day

The direct link to the online ballot is here.

State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex announced today that South Carolinians will name the state’s new standardized testing system, which will replace PACT tests that have been administered statewide since 1999.

Voters can visit the South Carolina Department of Education’s web site and cast their ballots on line. The deadline to vote is Labor Day, Sept. 1, at 5 p.m., and Rex will announce the winning name on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

School Funding Discussion

A special live edition of the “In Our Schools” television program this coming weekend features a roundtable discussion on funding 21st century public schools in South Carolina.

The one-hour telecast airs at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 17, on SCETV. “In Our Schools” is a series designed for parents, educators and community partners and produced by ITV, which is part of the Department of Education, with ETV’s assistance.

The Aug. 17 program will be hosted by State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, who will lead a conversation with business, education and community leaders on the negative impact of property tax reduction legislation, on the shortfall in funding for education and on the need for comprehensive revenue and funding reform. Viewers can participate in the program by e-mailing their questions to inourschools@scetv.org.

Sunday night’s program will be repeated on Aug. 21 and 25 and on Sept. 8 from 10:30-11:30 a.m. on Channel 301 for taping by schools (unlimited rights).