Anderson School District Two is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. This past school year, we launched our Introduction to Manufacturing program. This program serves 9th-12th grade students by providing skills necessary to move into the workforce. In addition, Belton-Honea Path High School is collaborating with Tri-County Technical College to create a Certification pathway for our students in this class. Students can take two classes their senior year plus an internship the following summer and gain a Manufacturing Certification to be used in the workforce or to assist in continuing education.
Another area our district is preparing our students comes through the Teacher Cadet program. We have extended this program to 9th-12th grade students. Our desire was to create a pipeline early in a student’s high school career with a desire to explore teacher education. We have also enlisted partnerships with The Citadel and Erskine College to gain college credits for both the Teacher Cadet class and Psychology. Our classroom is designed with the most current technology and modern furniture to not only excite students about the profession but also to help them explore their potential as a public school teacher.
Our one piece of data we continue to highlight is our percentage of students that take the next step after graduation. A diploma cannot be the stopping point for our students, they must be prepared for life after their diploma. For the last three years, we have averaged approximately 94% of our high school graduates moving on to a four year school, a technical school, the military or have secured gainful employment. That is up from 70% five years ago.
Our expectations remain high for both staff and students. We are truly devoted to our vision statement of “Respecting the Past, Embracing the Future, and Opening the World.” We will continue to lead the way for the next generation of students. It is a great day to be a Bear!
Dr. Richard Rosenberger
