In the latest evidence that South Carolina’s public education system is hands-down the nation’s worst, a recently-released list of America’s 100 worst public schools was dominated by the Palmetto state.
According to the list, published by NeighborhoodScout.com, South Carolina is home to a whopping thirty-seven of these 100 failing schools.
That’s right – more than one third of America’s worst public schools are located in the Palmetto state.
(To view the list of schools, click here. To view the website’s methodology, click here).
Sadly this news isn’t all that surprising. According to the latest data, our state’s overall graduation rate remains among the worst in the nation – improving by a meager 1.5 percent over the last decade (one of the worst percentage improvements in the entire country). That’s consistent with our rural graduation rate (which currently ranks dead last in the country) as well as our declining SAT and stagnating ACT scores.
In spite of record funding increases in recent years, our monopolistic system has continued to produce nothing but incremental gains among white students while relegating yet another generation of black students to second-class status – even as black “leaders” continue embracing the failed status quo.
In fact, at this very moment there are 109,000 South Carolina school children trapped in persistently failing schools.
In an effort to hide these miserable outcomes from parents, House Speaker Bobby Harrell (aided by liberal lobbyist J. Warren Tompkins) has been working hard to dumb down the state’s costly and inefficient academic assessments. Also, South Carolina remains the only state in America that does not release graduation rates for minority students – yet another effort to conceal the generational failure of our current system.
So … what should be done to turn things around?
This website has made no secret of our support for a universal parental choice plan that would provide either tax credits or academic scholarships to all South Carolina parents. In fact a plan to do just that received the support of U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint last week.
“We need to make school choice a reality for students here in South Carolina, as well as across our nation,” DeMint said in endorsing the proposal.
Yet while DeMint has stepped up his advocacy in support of parental choice, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley – once a strong supporter of this legislation – has recently backtracked on her commitment.
That’s too bad. Absent real reform, our state will continue to fall further behind the rest of America – as America continues to fall further behind the rest of the world.
Good luck creating jobs if that status quo is maintained …
WORST PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE USA (Neighborhood Scout)
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By Joey Jo Jo, Jr. Shabadoo March 9, 2011 at 9:44 am
Something tells this SC pub school grad that they might want to go back to work on their “patent pending” methodology.
If only those poor students in Rains could get a voucher to go to another school. They could probably set up a great one in that fireworks trailer across the street.
By Huhhh??? March 9, 2011 at 10:06 am
Here goes Sic with his private SC economic development efforts again – privately taking money from Howard Rich to work as his shill.
By Bob March 9, 2011 at 10:21 am
Looking down the list of SC schools, they are pretty much all in shit hole communities that are way above average in percentage of well fare recipient students, or are in communities with prominent private schools that are attended by the vast majority of the kids in the area with actual support from home. I’m not too sure how much throwing any more money at these failing schools or their students is going to help if the parents of the kids attending don’t step up and see school as being more than a daycare that serves two free hot meals a day. Too bad we can’t bring such POS parents in front of a community forum for a good ass kicking by the tax payers that are stuck footing the bill for their lack of initiative.
By definition of crazy March 9, 2011 at 10:35 am
I know it’s cliche…but hey…that’s what all the public school employees are rooting for-more of the same.
Everyone is screaming about how vouchers will screw the system up more yet completely neglecting to do or say what they think will “fix” the system.
Throw more money at it? Has it worked in the past? No. There are better school systems out there working on less money per student. “Parental involvement”? How’s that gonna work? Are they going to throw all those parents who don’t give a damn in jail? Are they going to boot their kids out of school?(not without a lawsuit if it’s a public school). The answer is No, no, and there’s nothing they can do. Accountiblity testing? How’s “no child left behind” working out for everyone? Can you say “teaching to a test” or how about “pass them anyway” so their not “left behind”.
Drastic situations require drastic measures….like vouchers. End of story, game over. SC’s public school system is a dyfunctional money wasting joke that is not educating half the people attending…kill it-kill the system for a chance to have a phoenix rise from its ashes. Obviously we have nothing to lose…though anyone gainfully employed by the public school system I’m sure will say otherwise.
By AgamousChild March 9, 2011 at 10:41 am
“In operation, the system takes the average percentage of students testing as proficient in reading and math on the NCLB state-specific test and subtracts the percentage of students in that state who passed the NAEP, either in total or for these specific subjects. This subtraction produces a gap value that is then subtracted from each school and school districts NCLB proficiency percentages. Once the NCLB results are adjusted, the schools and the school districts nationwide are then ranked relative to one another. As a result, the method and system of the present invention provides a curve that brings all individual schools and every school district to a nationally comparable rating based on the NCLB testing results.”
Web developers need to remember that they don’t know everything. This adjustment for NAEP makes no sense.
By Road to Serfdom March 9, 2011 at 10:47 am
Always ready to shoot the messenger, get nit picky about the methodology or attack the proposed reforms… but NEVER willing to admit that some schools might not be as good as they ought to be!
By Shanky March 9, 2011 at 11:12 am
W,
Don’t worry General Zais (R) and his two very intelligent fat boys are running the show now so… oh shit, 11:11a, I better get my ass to the Palmetto Pig before all the kickin chiken is gone.
By Will March 9, 2011 at 11:28 am
It’s clear that schools have much room for improvement, but it’s also clear that the reasons for failing schools depend heavily on the community, as well as the school. Even the study showing slight improvement for vouchers described on this blog cautioned against implementing them in rural areas. Until we can tackle poverty, we will always have “failing” schools. For an excellent summary of these issues, I recommend this documentary on the Black-White education gap: http://nancycsolomon.com/mindthegap/download.html
By Matt March 9, 2011 at 11:30 am
…Once again
South Carolina currently is one of five states to require 24 Carnegie units for high school graduation. 24 units is the highest number of credits among the states. Link= http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2007/analysis/sa_table.asp?tableID=851 Of course we have less students graduating. We have tough graduation requirements.
As for low SAT scores, 64% of South Carolina’s students take the SAT. We could pull a Mississippi (4%), Alabama (10%), Louisiana (8%) and only have our top students take the test. We’d look much better if only 10% of the students in the state took the SAT.
link= http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d06/tables/dt06_134.asp
Also, state’s set their own levels of “proficiency.” Guess what? South Carolina’s definition of proficiency is much tougher than most states.
By Trey March 9, 2011 at 11:41 am
All of SC’s schools on the list heavily African American population.
By Andrew Schiller March 9, 2011 at 12:04 pm
I do not understand the resistence to the methodology that some of the comments have shown. The methodology is very solid. Even statisticians at the US Dept. of Education agree that nromalizing state-specific NCLB by that state’s NAEP passing rate is an excellent way to normalize the different state tests for true national comparison, and hence, comparing the testing results of each school to others across the nation.
Andrew Schiller, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO
Location Inc
By victor March 9, 2011 at 12:37 pm
The current choice legislation will do nothing to solve underperforming schools. The multimedia dog and pony show (probably paid for by Howard Rich) that Randy Page staged at a subcommittee meeting yesterday is a smokescreen for a bill that will not serve poor children, but will subsidize parents who don’t want their children in the same classrooms with poor and minority students. If Page had any integrity (yeah, right), he would insist that provisions be added to the bill that would hold private schools accountable for both accepting economically disadvantaged students and for their performance once they get there. He won’t. He knows that private schools won’t cut the mustard unless they can pick their clientele and kick out students if they don’t “fit.”
By Shanky March 9, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Damn, entire SCDOE was in there and not a drumstick was to be found. Listen here Victor, would you want your kids in a school full of did not fall so far from the tree variety pak trash, don’t think so.
By Matt March 9, 2011 at 1:22 pm
As I commented eralier, states set their own proficiency levels. South Carolina has the 3rd toughest definition of proficient in the United States. Of course we’re going to have less students at the proficient level than states that set the proficiency bar much lower.
link= http://educationnext.org/keeping-an-eye-on-state-standards/
By Matt March 9, 2011 at 1:23 pm
I really need to start proofreading what I post. I’m undermining my own arguments with careless typos…
By Scott March 9, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Poor Victor. Let’s see….there was no multimedia presentation.
Testimony was given by a special needs mom about how the public schools failed to help her.
Testimony was given by a bank president about how his company had been involved in helping fund educational scholarships for low-income children in Florida and how he felt that they would do exactly the same thing in South Carolina.
Testimony was given by a headmaster — an African American gentleman — I might add, who talked about how many of the boys in his school had been kicked out by the public schools.
I know Victor may not get out that much, but there are already poor and minority children going to independent schools…and this bill most definitely helps them.
Perhaps Victor should read the bill and quit reading the vitriol from SCASA, SCSBA, SCEA and PSTA. Read the bill. It’s quite different from the rest.
By baker March 9, 2011 at 2:45 pm
If that’s really you, Dr. Schiller, how much of the study is weighted on NAEP scores alone, and what do factors mentioned on your website explanation such as “school environment” and “funding” count for?
By dwb619 March 9, 2011 at 3:21 pm
With the voucher system, would the private schools be forced to take any child with a voucher? Or would they say “We have no room”.
Seems like just a way to subsidize a select group to me. Then again, I’m a product of the public schools during the 50′s and 60′s.
By CNSYD March 9, 2011 at 3:55 pm
As mentioned by others, the list represents poor neighborhoods with kids whose parent (singular intentional) provides virtually no home support. In the metro areas, these schools are located in high crime areas. Two of the ones in Greenville may have better success if they taught in Spanish in lieu of English. Admit it Sic Willie, it is demographics. Also FITS ignores the fact that SC MAKES students who have no intentioon of ever going to college take the SAT. They arrive, Christmas tree the score sheet and leave. Smarter states only let students who are top performers and are college bound take the SAT/ACT. So you are comparing apples to oranges. But what else is new?
By Joey Jo Jo, Jr. Shabadoo March 9, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Dr. Schiller, it’s call a smell test. No Ph.D. required. If 37% of the schools are from a single state representing about 1% of the population then something is amiss. For that matter, what is with the overrepresentation of middle schools? Are you here to tell us that our middle school are some of the worst on the planet but miraculously these students bounce back in high school? Sorry, but it’s back to the drawing board my friend.
By baker March 9, 2011 at 4:03 pm
One thing that was interesting to me about this list is that so many of the school appear to be charter schools. Several of the SC schools mentioned, in fact, are charters.
Does this suggest that charter schools aren’t always so great? Or is it that these charter schools are geared toward taking on students with severe academic needs — and thus shouldn’t be singled out as “bad” schools?
Also worth noting: Whitlock Junior High in Spartanburg is no longer open as a junior high. It is a countywide alternative school now.
By Brakeman March 9, 2011 at 5:07 pm
You already have “universal school choice.” Move to another school district or pay to send little Willie to a private school. Quit calling vouchers or tax credits choice.
By Mrs. Krabitz March 9, 2011 at 5:11 pm
agree with the posts by Bob and Will March above.
S.C. needs to STOP giving the SAT to ALL seniors. Most states only give the SAT to college-bound seniors. SC also needs to STOP requiring Enlgish language learners and the learning disabled on IEPS take the PASS test. This skews the results considerably.
As anyone involved in public education in this fine state will tell you ( if they’re honest ) our top-heavy system exists NOT to improve education, but to maintain the status quo. That way, all the over-paid big-wigs at State and District levels can justify and keep their jobs.
By Mrs. Krabitz March 9, 2011 at 5:12 pm
HAHA English not Enlglish….and no, I did not graduate from a public school in SC.
By eggaday March 9, 2011 at 5:34 pm
A lot of good people graduated from SC public schools. I know Harvard grads, and other Ivy league grads that hailed from SC.
Can Howard Rich explain that?
Learning is motivated by things other than vouchers and money.
By victor March 9, 2011 at 6:13 pm
Interesting…The guy from BB&T who wants to give scholarships is very touching. But he could have been doing this all along. He didn’t need this legislation to do so. Makes you wonder a little about the purity of his intentions. Or who promised him what.
How many more low income children will be served by this bill? Shouldn’t the legislation include indpendent accountability measures to track this data and report it to the public? It doesn’t. Accountability is good, or is the crowd pushing for this legislation afraid of it? Anyone can engineer anecdotal testimony for a subcommittee. God knows it’s an art form in this state. That’s not accountability. That’s theatre. There’s a difference.
By Todd March 9, 2011 at 8:34 pm
So 6 of the top 12 worst schools are from SC but 3 of the 6 are Charter schools. But wait…aren’t Charter schools suppose to be THE answer? Could it be that the problem is not always the school or the teacher but maybe the ENVIRONMENT!!!!!! Today I had a child who has been acting up. He has been suspended several times and is in danger of failing. We have tried many different strategies. So at the third parent conferences (first two were missed by the mom)the mother said, “I never got a letter about this conference. I just felt like I should show up.” When we showed her the letter we sent inviting her, she replied, “Oh I saw that letter several weeks ago.” And why do you think the student is not doing well?
By Shanky March 9, 2011 at 11:17 pm
DWB619, BINGO you are a #Winner
By Mike at the Beach March 9, 2011 at 11:27 pm
Hey Matt- “fewer,” not “less.” We are, after all, debating public education…
Vouchers or not, I’ll keep running my business and working two jobs if that’s what it takes to continue to keep my kids out of the clutches of this state’s broken ed system.
By Andrew Schiller March 10, 2011 at 9:25 am
Joey,
That is a very rude way to converse. People seem to give their opinions on things with very little knowledge of them. Your comment is simply ‘I do not agree with the results, so I do not think the analysis was good.’ It would be more introspective to take a hard look at your a priori assumptions rather than to disparage research that you do not fully understand. To do so is a sign an educated person. Seek to understand first, and then make your judgment. Do not judge first, and then try to disparage anything that conflicts with your leap to judge.
If you would like to read the full methodology, we have it to provide, and would be glad to do so. I would post it here, but it is long, although it is not overly technically written.
Wishing you well.
Andrew Schiller, Ph.D.
Location Inc
By Johnnie April 10, 2011 at 1:00 pm
I am a school teacher in South Carolina, and I am very concerned, not about the state of our schools, but the state of people’s attitudes towards education. From what I’ve read on this website, the problem is epitomized by these articles.
Since the 1950′s, demands on public schools have increased dramatically, but we have not added days to the school year in over half a century. With good reason, schools were tasked with taking on much needed programs, including home support, drug prevention, and health classes. I do not deny their necessity, but the schools cannot carry the full load of everything that is wrong with society today.
If parents are not happy with a school, they must make their voices heard and become an active participant in their child’s education. The best schools, and I’ve been in several, have a strong community. Parents, teachers, administrators, and students all play a vital role in working together to make the school a good school.
I suggest reading The Death and the Life of the Great American School System by Dianne Ravitch. She advocates that there is no silver bullet, as proponents of charter schools or vouchers would have us believe. We must return to the basics, maintaining high expectations for students, developing strong curriculum, and relying on teachers to use the instructional strategies they were trained to use. It’s like a diet. General wisdom now says that there is no silver bullet for loosing wait and that we should not buy into fad diets. The same is true for public school. It is more hard work and dedication than anything else. Above all, it takes time.
In regards to maintaining high expectations, our PASS test is one of the toughest in the nation. Instead of dumbing down our test, as many states opted to do, we made our test harder. Thus, we may appear to have more failing schools than the rest of the country, but our state exceeds expectations on the national test. Our nation is moving towards a national curriculum and a national test, putting all states on a level playing field. Some of our key politicians, however, are opposed to this move. I disagree because, until we have a national way to assess student growth, comparing states to one another is like comparing apples to oranges.
Dianne Ravitch explains all of this in her book. I highly recommend this read for anyone truly interested in solving the issues facing our education system today.
By Heather December 7, 2011 at 12:12 pm
I’d just like to point out (as a graduate of a school that wasn’t in SC) that 73 out of 100 represents more than 2/3rds of the list. :)
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By Kelly February 15, 2012 at 10:24 pm
I didn’t see ANY SC schools n the list…especially not the 37 that Fits is saying is there.
By Priscilla March 31, 2012 at 9:51 pm
I went to SC public schools through eighth grade; then my parents decided they wanted better for me than what I was getting. I was enrolled in and graduated from a SC private Christian school. Prior to being accepted, I had to take an aptitude test. My score was low, showing that I was only in seventh grade and way behind. Unfortunately, this was the same story for everyone else from my rural community that was trying to attend; we were all way behind. We all had to attend “summer school” the entire summer just to bring our aptitude scores high enough so that we could enter the school. Initially, I hated it; they expected too much, homework every night except Wednesdays(to ensure we were able to attend church, Bible classes, etc. Upon graduating an attending college, I realized just how much I appreciated the desire of my parents wanting better for me and the sacrifices that parents made to send me to this EXCELLENT school. I graduated with 16 other students. All of my teachers seemed to take it personally if a student was struggling with a class and did as much as possible to help that student understand. The student to teacher ratio in SC public schools is pitiful, yet parents can’t wait to point a finger at the teacher if their child is struggling with a particular subject. SC public schools needs a serious overhaul that is long over due. I wish I had the perfect way to do that, but unfortunately I don’t. It’s truly sad……..