Lee County School District is dedicated to helping all students develop and enhance the World Class Skills of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. Our focus is on academic programs and experiences that provide learning opportunities based on the four Cs: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. During the 2022-2023 school year, our goals included enhancing instructional practices and providing relevant, job-embedded professional development opportunities to address our students' learning and social-emotional development impacted by COVID-19. The successes of our intentional and systematic approaches to meeting the needs of our students during the unprecedented pandemic are evident in higher levels of student engagement and participation, attendance rates, academic performance, and parent/community engagement.
Our school district is committed to providing our students with a world-class education that prepares them for success in their future endeavors. Before the pandemic, our district offered diverse career and technology programs, media literacy classes, arts-infused curricula, service-learning opportunities, job-shadowing experiences, and off-campus field trips. These authentic learning experiences have helped our students develop their oratorical, research, and presentation skills. Moving forward, Lee County School District will continue to enrich our students' educational experiences by connecting classroom instruction with real-world applications. Our teachers and support staff regularly participate in workshops, coaching sessions, and professional learning communities focusing on effective instructional practices such as student engagement, data-driven decision-making, literacy development, structured lesson planning and delivery, and interventions.
The district's commitment to providing high-quality education is evident in its efforts to provide training on various software programs and management systems, including Zoom, Canvas, Google Classroom, Near Pod, Edmentum, Edgenuity, IXL, Creative Curriculum, Moby Max and Flocabulary. Waterford South Carolina Family Engagement Program has been very effective engaging parents and family members in their child’s education through the use of a device at home coupled with face-to face family engagement activities and strategies. These tools have been instrumental in enhancing the learning experiences for both teachers and students.
Moreover, our elementary teachers, special education teachers, principals and the Coordinator of Special Services have all participated in a two year program LETERS Training, sponsored by the Palmetto Project which focuses on reading and writing.
In addition to providing training on these software programs and management systems, Lee County School District has partnered with Lee County First Step, South Carolina State University, University of South Carolina at Sumter, Francis Marion University and Clemson University’s Extension Services to provide opportunities for our students and staff.
The success of Lee County School District in meeting the needs of our students is primarily attributed to the expanding and enduring external partnerships that have been established. These partnerships are cultivated and sustained with higher education institutions, local businesses, and community and faith-based organizations. Furthermore, these sustained partnerships have provided students with acceleration, enrichment, remediation, exposure to industries and opportunities to tour colleges and universities in South Carolina and neighboring states. For instance, juniors and seniors can earn college credits through a partnership with Central Carolina Technical College. Six seniors earned their associate degrees during the 2022-2023 school year, while five others earned 24-30 hours of college credits. Significantly, the 2023 graduating class received scholarship offerings of over 13 Million Dollars.
The Lee County School District's mission is to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in a dynamic and competitive global society. The mission, as articulated to all stakeholders, is to ensure that all students are successful as members of an ever-changing world through effective teaching of a challenging and goal-oriented curriculum. Its deliberate actions and plans reflect the district's focus on delivering effective teaching through a challenging, goal-oriented curriculum. Additionally, the district is committed to providing multiple avenues for professional enrichment and career growth for all employees, further enhancing the district’s ability to deliver on its mission.
