By Sarah Ostergaard Schools earn Report Card scores of Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average, or Unsatisfactory but what do they mean? The basis for the SC School Report Card is the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, which requires states to provide transparency in how well schools serve students’ academic needs.Continue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard In 2013, 2017, and 2023, LexRich5 Schools received Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). According to the MSAP website, the purpose of an MSAP grant is to “assist in the desegregation of schools servedContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Tuesday, November 7, was Election Day for many town offices across the state. Did you vote? Do you live in a jurisdiction that held an election this year? According to scvotes.gov, on this “Municipal Election Day” there were 217 elections in 39 counties across the state withContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard It is inevitable that questions, concerns, problems crop up and schools are no exception. Where should one go for answers? The next few articles in a series will turn to our layers of government, exploring which entities do what and whom to contact with an education concern.Continue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Why write about Athletics in a column about Education? Last month’s column was intended to start a conversation about the meaning of “an education.” An education should be well-rounded, to include extracurricular pursuits including but not limited to athletics. And YOU can be part of our studentContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard When considering a word I first turn to the dictionary. In this case, “an education” is defined by Merriam-Webster online as “the action or process of educating or of being educated.” Unhelpful; my 5th grade English teacher taught us not to define a word using the rootContinue Reading
A 2021 survey conducted by USC-Aiken found that SC voters do not know that homeowners do not pay school taxes on a primary residence. More than 40 percent of voters were unaware of the school tax exemption and about 33 percent incorrectly indicated there is no school tax exemption (YoungContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Education law is a tiered system, in line with one of our nation’s founding principles: federalism. Per the 10th Amendment, education is within the purview of each of the 50 states or their local jurisdictions. The federal government does, however, play a significant role. The federal EveryContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard Did you know that South Carolina offers free, public residential high schools focused on rigorous academics and professional achievement for students in any part of the state? These are called SC Governor’s Schools and there are three: the SC Governor’s School for Agriculture at John de laContinue Reading
By Sarah Ostergaard A grade serves many purposes: feedback, evaluation, motivation, assessment, achievement, a systematic communication of ability, and a demonstration of subject mastery. Grades matter when applying to colleges and for scholarships. Understanding the underlying assumptions in grade calculations is therefore very important. Does an A mean mastery andContinue Reading
by Sarah Ostergard It’s summer vacation. I know what you’re thinking — this is the perfect time to teach financial literacy. No? Please keep reading anyway. Parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents – we can have fun, keep the children occupied, and model financial literacy concepts through hands-on experiences this summer. FinancialContinue Reading