The 2018-2019 school year marks another year of the Bobcat tradition of excellence.
Our school is helping all students develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by providing the opportunities for world class knowledge, skills, and life and career characteristics.
When it comes to world class knowledge, Bluffton High School sets high academic standards for all students. We have rigorous standards in language arts and math when it comes to career and college readiness. Recent data shows that 95.1% of our graduates are college and career ready upon graduation. This is also evident in our ACT scores. The vast majority of our juniors take the ACT. Our average composite for ACT is 17.4. Although only a small number of our students take the SAT, their scores 1055.2. Further, in 2018-2019, the class of 2019 was the first to have all juniors take the WIN Ready to Work Assessment. Our students performed well. only 14.6% did not score in the certificate range.
In addition to testing, our scheduling ensures rigor and high standards. We offer a variety of honors and AP level courses. Of course with those AP courses comes AP tests. In 2018-2019 we tested 292 students with 606 AP tests. This was in increase from testing in 2017-2018 with 265 students and 486 test. Our overall percent of students with qualifying scores increased from 65% to 71%. Our AP Scholar students increased from 71 in 2017-2018 to 87 this past year. In 2018-2019 school year was our first group of students to earn an AP Capstone diploma.
Further, our rigorous schedule options provide opportunities for honors classes in all levels of English, and social studies, most levels of math, and science, and many other subjects, including world languages, the arts, technology, engineering, and more. Compared to other schools in our district and state, Bluffton High School students preform as well or better than average. Our overall percentage of passing EOC scores for English 1, Biology 1, US History, and Algebra 1 were the top in the district at 81.3% while the district percentage of passing was 76.1%.
Many of these classes also provide opportunity for students to gain world class skills. Though many of the courses in our arts program, multimedia program, STEM courses, and more, students have the opportunity to increase their creativity and innovation [give an example]. They develop critical thinking and problem solving in course such as those offered in our Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program, where students {insert example]. Students stretch the limits of critical thinking with the new offering of AP Computer Science and AP Physics. In these classes they learn to [insert example – see Sandusky]. While working in programs like Fire Fighters Academy, students learn they must learn to work together and rely on each other. They see that the collaboration and communication needed for teamwork in this program may actually be a matter of life or death. Our Sports Med students collaborate with the community as they accept internships. Here they learn the importance of a team in medical related fields. Our athletic programs epitomize teamwork. Student Athletes work with their coaches to work for a common goal – the win! We offer a wide variety of sports for men and women, including insert . Many of our extracurricular and co-curricular activities also provide opportunities for students to collaborate and work together as a team. Student Government, DECA, YIG, insert example allow students the opportunity to collaborate as they make important decisions which impact the school or a larger entity. These types of activities allow students to understand the significance of the skills they learn in high school. Other skills, such as communication, using information, and using media and technology are also imperative for success beyond high school. Many of the aforementioned organizations and classes promote these skills, none more so than our Media and Technology class. In this class, students learn to take information and communicate it to an audience through the use of media and technology. Students make public service announcements and many other projects where they showcase their unique skills through media and technology. Through many of these programs students learn how to apply their skills, but it is also important to understand the metacognition that goes with these skills. In order to understand how they learn and improve their academic skills, Bluffton High School has participated in Independent Learning Time (ILT). During ILT students work in setting where they have more individual time with their teachers. This is a time to help them understand material and prepare for academic success . Each of these help students develop the world class skills they need to be successful in life in the 21st century.
Further, students need certain life and career characteristics These are the characteristics needed to be successful in life beyond high school. Colleges and employers expect students to come to them able to function in those settings. Students need a work ethic, interpersonal skills, perseverance, and Faculty and staff at Bluffton High School seek to set standards for integrity every day.
We believe in providing students with the right opportunities to create bright and promising futures. We believe in promoting excellence in student academic achievement and preparation for Careers and College.
On behalf of our School Improvement Council, we take pride in our school and in our community. The “Bobcat Nation” has good reason to be proud!
