Lexington Two is committed to helping students develop the world-class skills, knowledge and characteristics of the Profile of the South Carolina graduate by offering challenging academic programs and engaging experiences that connect K-12 education with the real-world opportunities of a global marketplace. By immersing students in a culture focused on critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration, graduates are prepared for their next chapters in education, career and life.
At the heart of our mission is offering each student a customized educational path within the larger public school setting. No program embodies this idea -- or better showcases critical thinking, communication, creativity and collaboration in action -- than our Lexington Two Innovation Center. The L2IC is a hub for our Early College, Advanced Placement and dual enrollment programs, as well as a curriculum that spans traditional vocational offerings like cosmetology and culinary arts plus global marketplace careers in engineering, science and medicine, arts and technology, industry and more. This has resulted in a broader range of opportunities for students to pursue along both college and career paths -- welding programs not only create bridge builders, for example, but engineers who design buildings, farriers who work with animals, blacksmiths who specialize in historic preservation, and more. With increased opportunities to gain college and career advantages during the high school day, our graduates are leaving the district not only with diplomas but often professional certifications, college credits -- and, in some cases, completion of associate degrees and full freshman-year college course requirements.
Getting to this level requires a strong foundation. The district’s pre-K and early childhood programs focus on creative learning for our youngest students. Staff work collaboratively with other preschool providers in the community to ensure a successful school transition for all students. At the elementary level, we emphasize key disciplines -- ELA, math and writing -- knowing that anything is attainable for the student who has mastered these skills. We elevate learning in these key subjects through creative engagement and activities, such as our district-wide Academic Math Bowl. Most of our schools have selected an academic area of focus, including the full-day gifted magnet Oasis Academy, and arts integration at Saluda River Academy. It is at the elementary level that we also begin to introduce a variety of careers through lessons and other activities, helping our students make early connections between education and career choices.
Those connections between education and career continue into middle school. Students are immersed in academic and extracurricular activities that further develop their creativity, critical thinking and collaborative skills, with accelerated opportunities to gain high school credits through courses including English I and Algebra I. Teachers and administrators at the district’s four middle schools work collaboratively, with the addition of high school English I and Algebra I teachers, to create common formative assessments and to address student learning through them. At the high school level, the focus is on honing students’ interests and educational experiences for college and career paths. Collaborative partnerships with businesses, government agencies and higher education institutions result in opportunities for internships and advanced training for our high school and L2IC students. The Class of 2019’s roughly 450 graduates earned a district record $17.4 million-plus in scholarships, while our career track students saved more than $205,000 in post-graduation training toward professional certifications -- proof that our graduates are gaining an edge as they begin college and career chapters. Our students also have an array of extracurricular programs in the arts, music, athletics, leadership, business and technology, part of our mission to develop well-rounded young adults.
Our goal is to nurture students who are not only academically ready for college and career but who are engaged citizens in their communities. In the 2018-19 school year, our L2IC students built walls for Habitat for Humanity homes through a partnership with the non-profit organization; elementary students spearheaded a community effort to collect 10,000 bottles of water to donate to South Carolina hurricane victims; high schoolers raised more than $55,000 to help children with cancer attend summer camp; and students from all levels collected goods to stock local food pantries.
Lexington Two earned top scores in its five-year accreditation from AdvancED. Evaluators noted a “powerful, systematic, strategic, data-driven plan” for continuous improvement in student learning that prepares them for post-high school endeavors. That learning continues in state-of-the-art facilities and with one-to-one technology, thanks to a $225 million plan, approved by voters in 2014. We are excited for the future, as we help students develop into the Profile of the South Carolina graduate -- ready for their next chapters in education, career and life.
