Winning the gold: Charleston Progressive Academy among area schools honored by state

Charleston Post and Courier
Diette Courrege
February 1, 2011

The whirlwind of changes at Charleston Progressive Academy hasn’t shaken the school’s focus on student learning, and it’s paying off with the school winning its first-ever Palmetto Gold award for performance and a Palmetto Silver award for its progress in closing the achievement gap.

“I’m trying to contain myself,” said School Principal Wanda Wright-Sheats on Monday when talking about the awards announced by the state Department of Education.

The county-wide magnet school lost its seventh and eighth grades last school year as part of the school district’s redesign initiative, and the school moved from its downtown campus to North Charleston this school year because of concerns with its former building’s seismic instability. The elimination of middle school grades has been positive in that it enabled the school to concentrate on elementary students, Wright-Sheats said.

“A lot of energy and time went into the middle school, but the resources that we really needed to move the middle school weren’t there,” she said. “When we could gear everything toward the elementary school, I think that made a big difference for us.”

Charleston Progressive is one of dozens of Lowcountry elementary and middle schools receiving state recognition for academic progress or achievement. The state General Assembly created the Palmetto Gold and Silver awards program to recognize schools performing at high levels or making strong growth in closing the achievement gap. More than 400 schools statewide were honored this year.

Schools honored for general performance receive a certificate and award flag, while those recognized for closing achievement gaps receive a certificate.

In the Lowcountry, 21 Berkeley schools, 28 Charleston schools, 15 Dorchester 2 schools, and 1 Dorchester 4 school received gold or silver awards for general performance.

The honor is based on schools’ absolute and growth ratings, which are determined by students’ scores on the state Palmetto Assessment of State Standards. Awards for high schools will be announced later.

Schools received closing the achievement gap awards based on the academic gains or performance by students in one historically underachieving group, including black students, Hispanic students, high-poverty students, and students with non-speech disabilities. In the Lowcountry, 11 Berkeley schools, 16 Charleston schools and nine Dorchester 2 schools were recognized for achievement in this area.

Charleston Progressive never had won an award for closing the achievement gap, and it did so for its growth in achievement among black and high-poverty students. Wright-Sheats credits the school’s relatively new after-school program in improving students’ performance. The school received a grant that enabled it to create in 2008-09 a daily after-school program, and Wright-Sheats hired four certified teachers to staff it. That time has turned into an extension of the school day during which students receive help with homework and whatever else may be giving them trouble in class, she said.

“I have seen steady gains since having that program,” Wright-Sheats said.

The school also has spent more time on literacy instruction, and it has been using a computerized instructional program for low- and high-achieving students to supplement classroom lessons, she said.

The school’s academic efforts are yielding some promising results. Although the school’s report card rating has held steady at average for the past three years, its improvement rating has gone from “at-risk” in 2008 to “excellent” in 2010.

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