The mission of Bamberg School District One is to ensure all students develop world class skills and life and career characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. This year brought many changes and challenges to the district in meeting that mission. All three schools began the year with teachers and students instructing and learning in virtual mode. As the year progressed, many students and parents who opted for virtual discovered the best place for learning was back in the school building in a classroom with their teachers and classmates. However, there were students who remained in virtual mode throughout the year, and teachers and support staff rose to the occasion to ensure all their needs, whether academic or social and emotional, were met. Teachers adapted to virtual learning using the Google LMS through extensive professional development provided by our district Instructional Technology Coach.
The district has taken additional steps to ensure we are prepared to continue with student learning through almost any eventuality. These include achieving full 1:1 student technology device distribution, working towards state E-learning certification to mitigate school closings due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, and improving our planning and response to learning disruptions.
Richard Carroll Elementary School (RCES) used the state-mandated LEAP week prior to the start of the school year to assess students to determine learning loss. LEAP week was also used to prepare students for the changes in the daily routine, such as mask-wearing, social distancing, and Plexiglas throughout the building. Students responded with great cooperation. LEAP week assessments provided teachers with critical student-level information to build instruction. Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments were administered three times during the year, with students demonstrating growth with each administration. Based on MAP results, RCES is confident most students regained the ground lost due to the previous year’s school closures. Afterschool activities and a planned summer school for both Reading and Mathematics are also anticipated to help close the gap. The last state report card rating in 2019 for RCES was Average, meaning its performance met the state’s criteria for preparing students to meet the standards of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. The Student Engagement metric was Below Average, and the school has been working diligently to see this rating improve with its next report card.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt Middle School (BEMS) endured the same challenges presented by COVID 19 as RCES and other schools across the state and used its LEAP week to accomplish the same goals as RCES. The school remained in Additional Targeted Support and Improvement status for the 2020-2021 school year due to the pause in state report card ratings and identification of ATSI schools brought on by the COVID 19 pandemic. The principal and her English Language Arts and Mathematics teachers worked closely with highly skilled and knowledgeable outside professional development providers to review their standards and instructional methods, and through regular data analysis continued to make progress towards exiting ATSI status. Despite the ATSI designation, BEMS received a Good rating on its 2019 state report card. A Good rating means the school exceeds the state criteria for preparing students to meet the standards of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate. BEMS also had a Student Engagement rating of Good, earning 8 of 10 possible points in that area. BEMS provided afterschool and summer school opportunities for students who demonstrated the need for additional academic assistance to ensure they are prepared for the transition to the next grade and beyond to high school.
Bamberg-Ehrhardt High School scored an EXCELLENT on the state’s 2019 report card indicating the school exceeds the state criteria for student preparation to meet the Profile, with that rating carried over through the 2020-2021 school year. BEHS was also rated Excellent in the Student Engagement category, earning 5 of 5 possible points. As with RCES and BEMS, many BEHS students who opted for virtual learning at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year quickly discovered they needed to be back in the classroom and actively participating in daily high school life. LEAP week assessments, MAP assessment data, Fall End of Course assessment results, and preliminary Spring End of Course results provided the necessary data to address student learning loss due to the pandemic’s ongoing impact. BEHS began afterschool activities in the Fall of 2020 and continued those throughout the school year. A summer school credit recovery opportunity is also being provided. BEHS’ efforts are focused on ensuring students remain on track to graduate in their indicated four-year cohort.
To say the 2020-2021 school year has been a challenge is indeed an understatement. However, Bamberg School District One responded to this challenge by keeping its commitment to ensuring what’s best for children at the forefront of every decision made and every action taken. This would not have been possible without the support of parents, the Board of Trustees, and the school district community.
Dottie Brown
Interim Superintendent
