U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today recognized five South Carolina schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2018, including Tigerville Elementary in Taylors, S.C. The recognition is based on schools’ overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Tigerville becomes the 15th school in the District to win National Blue Ribbon status.
According to the most recent SCReady and SCPASS test results, Tigerville Elementary led Greenville County Schools in the 2017-18 school year with 87% of its students scoring meets or exceeds expectations on SCPASS science and 95% of its students scoring met or exemplary on social studies. Additionally, Tigerville students improved their performance on the SCReady English Language Arts exams by 9% and increased the percentage of students scoring meets or exceeds expectations in math by 1%.
“Tigerville Elementary is proof that students in rural schools can produce outstanding academic results,” said Superintendent Burke Royster. “It is also evidence of the important role community partners such as the Cliff’s Residents Outreach can play in a school’s success. I want to extend my congratulations to Principal Diane Jackson, her administrative staff, outstanding teachers, and the school’s hard-working students and supportive families for receiving this national recognition. We are incredibly proud of their accomplishments.”
Now in its 36th year, the National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence Program has bestowed recognition on more than 8,800 schools. On November 7 and 8, the Secretary and the Department of Education will celebrate with all honorees at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Other South Carolina schools honored today included: Beech Hill Elementary (Summerville), Fort Mill High School (Fort Mill), Mount Lebanon Elementary (Pendleton), and York Preparatory Academy (Rock Hill).
