On behalf of Horry County Schools and the Horry County Board of Education, it is a privilege to present our 2018-2019 State Report Card, a collective summary of progress in upholding our commitment that all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. This report includes a vast amount of information about students’ performances on statewide assessments, yet numbers alone do not speak to the energy and innovative efforts that contribute to performance gains. We are continuously looking for ways to improve the K-12 educational experience, and we celebrate accomplishments and achievements throughout the year that validate the talents of our students and the professionalism of our staff.
While working to prepare students for dynamic and global careers, HCS strives to offer more opportunities to learn, more strategies to optimize learning, and more ways to demonstrate mastery, and imagination. While our curriculum content is the keystone of our instructional program, our instructional processes require students to demonstrate critical thinking, communication skills, collaboration, and creativity. During the year, there are several community showcase events that allow our stakeholders to get a glimpse into the way our students demonstrate impressive examples of authentic learning and real-world experiences.
One such event is our annual HCS Technology Fair, which just last year celebrated its 10th anniversary with record-high participation and special guests. Over 700 entries representing more than 2,500 students were presented in grade-level categories ranging from coding to application development. Another 400 students faced-off in the Rubik’s Cube Challenge, and more than 150 competed in robotics. In a separate event, District high schools competed against 65 teams representing multiple states and other countries in the Palmetto Regional FIRST Robotics Challenge. Guests who watch the robots in action feel the adrenalin rush, yet they may not know that only weeks before, students received a “box of parts” with no instructions. The short weeks between opening the box and competing in the arena require every 21st Century skill one could imagine.
A conversation about the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate most always incudes the acronym STEM. HCS launched its first Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program in 2011 at the Academy for the Arts, Science, & Technology. To meet growing interests, Carolina Forest High and Conway High later added STEM programs, offering opportunities for students to prepare for advanced study or earn certifications that allow them to attain gainful employment after high school. In collaboration with the area’s leading medical centers, Conway High has been the host school for the District’s annual Health Sciences Career Fair. Recently, more than 475 students enrolled in STEM courses met with medical professionals in dozens of healthcare careers. The District is now working to expand STEM education into the instructional program of all schools in grades K-12.
There were many honors and awards received during the year that paid tribute to the District, our schools, our students, and our staff. Three of our high schools were rated among the Top 25 Best High Schools in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and earned silver medals; Carolina Forest High (#18); St. James High (#23); and Socastee High (#24). Aynor, HCS Early College, and North Myrtle Beach High Schools were awarded bronze medals for high rankings, as well. The rankings are based on a school’s number of offerings and participation in the most rigorous of classes. More rigorous coursework leads to higher scores on college entrance exams. SAT results reported in the fall of 2018 indicated that HCS surpassed the national composite by 46 points for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Mathematics. HCS students made a five-point gain in the pass rate for Advanced Placement exams, up to 66 percent and ahead of the national pass rate of 57 percent. Results of the state’s Ready-to-Work assessment show that 86.9 percent of HCS third-year high school students met certificate criteria, compared to 83.4 percent statewide. District students made more A’s and B’s on all four End-of-Course exams than students statewide, with a margin of nearly 10 percent higher on U.S. History and Constitution and Algebra I exams.
Information gathered for the Class of 2019 reflects the competitive edge gained when students take a rigorous road to graduation. In June, 2,715 students graduated from 10 high schools. Seventy-five percent of graduates indicated they were advancing to higher education. They earned $75 million in scholarships and a record-setting 91 percent of college-bound students qualified for scholarships supported by the South Carolina Education Lottery. Many students got a jump start and a cost savings on college costs, having collectively earned 3,185 dual-credit courses. Nine graduates were named National Merit Semifinalists. Dash Stevanovich, a 2019 graduate of the Scholars Academy and Socastee High, was one of three students in the state named a Presidential Scholar. Socastee graduates Ward Wilson and Illriana Lekani were named Distinguished Finalists in the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Award for their efforts to organize efforts to help others during the historic flooding that followed Hurricane Florence. Wilson was also one of two students from the state chosen as a delegate for the 57th Annual United States Youth Program.
HCS was honored nationally this year when named among the 2019 Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association for Music Merchants. This award recognizes the District’s systemic commitment to music education. Record numbers of HCS students were selected for All-State chorus, band, and orchestra ensembles. Both Aynor and Ocean Bay Middle Schools received Outstanding Performance Awards from the South Carolina Band Directors Association.
For the first time in history, HCS schools won four State Championships in team sports, including two state titles in football: Myrtle Beach High in Class AAAA and Green Sea Floyds High in Class A. North Myrtle Beach High won the State Championship in Class AAAA Volleyball, and Myrtle Beach High won the State Championship in Class AAAA Boys’ Tennis.
The District’s building project of five new energy efficient schools was completed when Socastee Middle opened its doors in August 2018. The multi-school building project was named the Best K-12 Education Project in the Southeast Region by the Engineering News-Record and received the 2018 Carolinas Green Award from the Carolinas Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Two of the five newest schools earned honors from the National Energy Education Development Project for student-led energy education initiatives. Myrtle Beach Middle was named the South Carolina Junior School of the Year, and St. James Intermediate was named the National Elementary Rookie of the Year and the South Carolina Elementary School of the Year. During the year, the former middle school in Myrtle Beach was renovated to serve students in grades 3-5, and elementary grade-level schools in Myrtle Beach were reconfigured to optimize facilities and gain capacity.
The 2018-2019 school year was a successful year with many historic accomplishments. We continue to grow in enrollment. We continue to improve in performance measures. We continue to look for innovative ways to inspire new possibilities within our students. Most importantly, we will always uphold great reverence for the sacred trust our parents and community have placed in us to prepare a new generation for college, careers, and citizenship.
Rick Maxey, Ph.D., Superintendent
Ken Richardson, Chairman of the Horry County Board of Education
