The mission of McCormick County School District is to implement a world class education for all students. We understand that we are preparing students for jobs that may not yet exist. As a result of this, we must begin with the end in mind, and ensure that our students receive world-class instruction, world-class experiences, and have world-class opportunities at their fingertips. The Profile of the South Carolina Graduate serves as our blueprint for this work. Not only are we striving for our students to exhibit the four C’s (Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking), but to also exhibit the soft skills of perseverance, having a hard work ethic, and the necessary interpersonal skills to thrive in a global society.
We believe that in order for students to actively be engaged in authentic learning experiences, they must take ownership of their learning. We have implemented Project Based Learning, Personalized Learning, AVID, Flexible Grouping, Mastery Connect, Odysseyware Academy, and 1:1 technology as means to increase student ownership. In 2020, our district was designated a “Lighthouse District” for our continued implementation with personalized learning. During the 2021-2022 school year, we launched a Lighthouse District “design team” to begin rolling out personalized competency-based learning. We will continue to work with the Office of Personalized Learning and Knowledge Works in the upcoming year to further personalize learning for all of our students.
We also offer many interventions to fill in any learning gaps that may exist through a comprehensive Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). While MTSS focuses on the academic needs of students, it also addresses the needs of the “whole child”, to include the social and emotional well being of each student. An additional school psychologist was hired in the 2020-2021 school year to focus specifically on the social, emotional and behavioral needs of students. A district social worker and Social Emotional Academic Support (SEAS) Interventionist were added to the team in the 2021-2022 school year to support these needs as well. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) were implemented in the 2021-2022 school year at McCormick Elementary School, and will be expanded upon at McCormick Middle School and McCormick High School in the 2022-2023 school year. A Social Emotional Coalition was also created in the 2021-2022 school year. The team meets monthly to discuss the social and emotional well-being of our students. MTSS was implemented in the 2020-2021 school year at McCormick Elementary School, and was implemented in the 2021-2022 school year at McCormick Middle School. We are excited to extend MTSS to McCormick High School in the 2022-2023 school year.
We are proud to be the first school district in the state to have implemented a modified school calendar in the 2019-2020 school year, following a pattern of nine weeks of instruction, followed by a two week intercession after each quarter. This calendar affords us with opportunities to ensure our students receive any additional support needed, remain engaged, and retain learning throughout the course of their educational experience with us. We are continuing our partnership with Piedmont Technical College for our Middle College Program, which yielded four associate degree graduates in May of 2021. We will also continue our partnership with Lander University for additional dual credit offerings. Our students have access to many CATE courses through our partnerships with Abbeville Career Center and Piedmont Technical College.
As we continue our journey to become Schools of Inquiry and Innovation, we will remain committed to exceptional professional development, implementation of researched based programs, and rigorous instruction. With a laser-like focus on student data and best practices, we will achieve excellence in academics, athletics and the arts. Using the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as our blueprint for excellence, our ultimate goal is for scholarships, highly skilled job opportunities, and acceptance for military service to become the norm for all of our graduates.
