Just as Hurricane Helene began to impact our area a month ago, the district received some incredible news. The rain may have been pouring down, and the winds may have already started howling, but on Thursday, September 26th, a beam of sunshine radiated throughout our district. We learned that for the first time since 2010, we have earned three “Average” ratings on the SC Department of Education report card!
This kind of growth does not happen overnight. This type of growth does not happen because of one person or a small group of people’s dedication. This growth did not occur accidentally. This growth occurs to an entire TEAM working together, moving together in one direction, and buckling down to personalize learning for ALL kids!
Here are some notable areas of growth at each school:
McCormick High School
McCormick High School jumped two categories, from an Unsatisfactory rating in 2023 to an Average rating in 2024!
The graduation rate increased from 76.6 to 82.1!
McCormick High School also experienced great growth on their End-of-Course testing.
English- Students scoring As, Bs, or Cs increased from 32.35% to 47.69%!
Algebra I- Students scoring As, Bs, or Cs increased from 6.94% to 32.62%!
Biology- Students scoring As, Bs or Cs increased from 17.03% to 28.13%!
McCormick Middle School
McCormick Middle School moved from a Below Average report card rating to Average!
All three grades grew in ELA, with 8th grade seeing the biggest increase from 20.9 to 41.2% of students scoring Meet or Exceeds! That is double the growth!
7th Grade ELA- grew from 29.4% to 40%
6th Grade ELA- increased from 30% to 31% of students scoring in the Meets or Exceeds category.
While Math is a targeted area of growth for the entire district, 6th and 8th grade Math did grow by 6% and 4%, respectively!
McCormick Elementary School
McCormick Elementary School not only maintained an Average report card rating from last year…they are steadily closing the gap and moving closer to a Good rating!
In the area of ELA:
4th grade ELA- Increased from 29.4% to 37.8% of students scoring Meets or Exceeds!
3rd grade ELA- Grew from 31.4% to 41.2%!
In the area of Mathematics, all grade levels showed improvement!
3rd grade Math- Increased from 33.3% to 44.1% of students scoring in the Meets or Exceeds category!
4th grade Math- Huge growth from 14.7% to 28.9% of students scoring in the Meets or Exceeds category!
5th grade Math- Increased from 12.9% to 21.4%!
While we celebrate this incredible growth, we can not or will not stop at achieving “Average” ratings. I echo what I have heard many of our staff members say, “We are better than average.” As parents and stakeholders in the community, I am positive you agree with this statement!
Additionally, please know that we do not underestimate the pivotal role you play in your child’s success. A huge kudos is due to you, as this type of success would not have been possible without your support and guidance. Parents- you are world-class and we appreciate you greatly!
But as I previously mentioned, our work does not end here. I encourage you to continue participating in your child’s educational journey. Become active in PTO. Attend School Improvement Council (SIC) meetings as you can. Sign up to attend Parent Universities. If you ever have any questions or concerns, the teaching staff and administration are here for you. We value your feedback, and will only continue to improve with your hand in this partnership.
Committed to Excellence,
Dr. Jaime Hembree
Superintendent, MCSD