Joseph R. Pye Elementary School (JPES) is full #STEAM ahead and fully committed to helping all students develop world-class academic and soft skills that support life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. We do this by focusing on being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing.
We are a forward-thinking community of learners located in the heart of one of the fastest growing districts in South Carolina. Our highest enrollment this year was 778 students in 4K through 5th grade. With a dedicated team of 115 professional and support staff, we are well equipped to meet the diverse needs of our student body.
JPES has earned multiple honors for educational excellence. We are proud recipients of the South Carolina Palmetto’s Finest Award (2018) and the National Partners in 21st Century Learning Exemplar School Award (2017). Most recently, the SC Department of Education recognized JPES as a Collective Leadership School. Our commitment to innovation and student success has also led to numerous grants and distinctions, including the 2025 ASCA Student Council School of Excellence Award, Capturing Kids’ Hearts Rising Star School Distinction, and a Distinguished Arts Program (DAP) Grant valuing over $18,000.
Our mission and vision remain steadfast: to put the needs of all children and their learning first. JPES strives to be recognized as a world-class STEAM school —integrating the arts and sciences into a highly engaged learning environment that prepares today’s learners to be tomorrow’s leaders through exploration, discovery, learning, and leading. Our School Improvement Goals are aligned to the Dorchester School District Two Guiding Tenets: Relationships, Rigor, and Relevance. To support this mission, JPES employs a dedicated STEAM Coach, who assists teachers in planning engaging STEAM units and experiences that enrich instruction across all grade levels.
We begin with high-quality curriculum to develop world-class knowledge. Our teachers drive instruction using the SC state standards to launch our STEAM approach. Teachers follow state-aligned pacing guides to ensure the delivery of relevant instruction consistently across all classrooms and provide differentiated instruction for advancement and intervention strategies to close achievement gaps.
Instructional planning and delivery are grounded in the Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) model, allowing our highly qualified teachers to maximize instructional time and student engagement. Our professional learning communities (PLCs) operate using four essential questions to drive instruction:
- What do we want students to learn?
- How will we know they’ve learned it?
- What will we do if they haven’t learned it?
- What will we do if they already know it?
We are most proud of our strong sense of community and commitment to providing quality time for students. JPES appreciates the value of creating classrooms that address the academic and wellness needs of all students and their families. Additionally, high expectations STEER (Safety, Teamwork, Eager to Learn, Expect the best, Responsibility leads to Respect) our students toward excellence in becoming kind and compassionate 21st Century learners who are prepared to navigate the challenges of an evolving world successfully.
