McCormick Middle School (MMS) is continuing its efforts to develop the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate within each student. The push to create a learning environment that provides opportunities for student ownership, growth, and success is ongoing. In an effort to increase students’ knowledge of what the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate entails, MMS emphasizes communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity to follow the district’s focus of personalized learning and being World Class Chiefs. MMS has the expectation that teachers will focus on state standards and grade-level content. Additionally, MMS remains steadfast in its endeavor for all students to build positive relationships and take responsibility for personal learning and behavior.
Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, the need to continue personalized learning became more evident as McCormick County School District (MCSD) continued as a lighthouse district in South Carolina. The focus on personalized learning supports the demand to address the social-emotional needs of students, determine the next steps in assisting identified students within the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and building vertical teams within the district.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the South Carolina State Department of Education provided math professional development across all grade levels (K-12) in identifying the priority standards for students based on our data, and then creating targeted performance tasks, which focus on critical thinking for students. Representatives from the department also assisted our teachers with constructing a curriculum framework that aligns with the new state math standards. In professional development, teachers focused on growth mindset and differentiation, and we look forward to continuing the professional development in the 2024-2025 school year.
MMS will continue to require teacher data folders and lesson plans, evidence-based strategies to support student learning, school-wide test-taking strategies promoting common language across classes and grade levels, and personalized learning strategies such as voice and choice. Understanding that we cannot stand alone, MMS will continue to work closely with our entire community for the success of the district, its faculty, staff, and students.
