Great Falls Elementary is a rural school that serves a diverse population of approximately 350 students in grades PK – 5.  Great Falls Elementary is helping all students develop the world class, life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate by being continually committed to the social, emotional, and academic development of each child. Our school is a safe, challenging, caring, and supportive environment where teachers, parents, students and community members work together to ensure all students have a solid foundation for success throughout their lives. We strive to make the learning experiences interesting and engaging while holding students accountable for reaching their highest potential.

Great Falls Elementary School is committed to ensuring that all students achieve academic success and meet rigorous learning standards.  We continue to experience growth in all academic areas. Although our student achievement is not where we desire it to be, our students are performing above the district's averages in several subject areas. We are very close to the state’s averages in ELA, as well.  By closing academic gaps, our students are growing exponentially each year with an emphasis on growing all students especially our students who have been identified as academically gifted  We will continue to work diligently to close existing gaps in achievement while moving more students into the categories of meets and exceeds to be comparable with other schools with exceptional academic achievement throughout South Carolina. 

The goal of Great Falls Elementary is to continue to improve and achieve at high levels, so that all students achieve at least at the 90th percentile.  

Great Falls Elementary School's data for the 2025 – 2026 SC READY administration are as follows:

Reading

51.0% of 3rd graders met or exceeded expectations.

60.3% of 4th graders met or exceeded expectations.

63.4% of 5th graders met or exceeded expectations.

School-wide data 58% of students met or exceeded expectations.

Math

47.1% of 3rd graders met or exceeded expectations.

44.8% of 4th graders met or exceeded expectations.

26.8% of 5th graders met or exceeded expectations.

School-wide data 39.5% of students met or exceeded expectations.

Science

36.2 of 4th graders met or exceeded expectations

Early Childhood/Primary (PK–2): At Great Falls Elementary School, there are no summative assessments for students in grades PK – 2. Students in Pre-K are assessed using PALs.

Kindergarten students are assessed using the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA), Fountas and Pinnell (F&P), MAP Reading Fluency – and Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).  Readiness for students at Great Falls Elementary continues to improve as more students are being promoted with readiness to achieve grade level standards at the next grade.  As previously mentioned, for the 2025 – 2026 school year, students in Kindergarten through second grades were assessed three times during the year for screening purposes using the MAP Reading Fluency assessment. 

First and second grade students were also assessed using F&P, MAP Reading Fluency, and MAP Growth.  NWEA 2026 Spring MAP scores indicate Great Falls Elementary School students continue to grow.  The results also reveal that 65% of first grade students met the “On-Track” cut score for ELA.  In math, 65% of first grade students met the “On-Track” cut score for Math.  In second grade, in reading, 52% of second grade students met the “On-Track” cut score for ELA.  In math, 57% of second grade students met the “On-Track” cut score for Math.

GFE continues to implement a school-wide PBIS system.  As a result, the school has seen tremendous improvements in both school climate and student achievement data.  The schoolwide system has helped to reduce the number of referrals and suspensions in grades PK – 5 during the 2025-2026 school year.  

Great Falls Elementary works hard to provide many opportunities to help our students be successful and well-rounded both in and outside of the classroom.  Students have a variety of activities in which to participate, including: GITI Math and Science Club, GFE Garden Club, Jr. Beta Club, and National Elementary Honor Society, Read Across America events, Safety Patrol, Student Council, swimming lessons provided by the Arras Foundation, and a variety of Book Battles and Competitions that are held throughout the school year Parent involvement and community connections continue to improve through planned PTO and school events including: a Winthrop Net-Serve, Partnership, a School-wide Discipline PBIS incentive system, Junior Achievement, Meet the Teacher events, Quarterly Awards' Days, Parent Conferences with a steadily increasing rate of parents attending, Family and Staff Cookouts, and PreK, Kindergarten, and 5th Grade Promotion Ceremonies. We are very proud of our Mentoring Matters program, as well that supports our students both inside and outside of the classroom

 At Great Falls Elementary School, we are committed to providing every student with a strong academic and character foundation that prepares them for the next steps in their educational journey and beyond. As Dream Chasers, we believe every child has the potential to achieve greatness and become college, career, and life ready.

Our commitment to excellence is rooted in intentional instruction, meaningful relationships, and unwavering dedication to our students and their families. By honoring our promises, maintaining high expectations, and working together as partners, we are creating a culture where every student is empowered to dream big, work hard, and chase greatness. It is this collective commitment that continues to propel Great Falls Elementary toward our ultimate goal: ensuring all students achieve at high levels and are equipped to turn their dreams into realities.