On Monday, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman and the South Carolina Department of Education announced that 249 schools across South Carolina have received the recently revised Palmetto Gold and Silver awards for their performance during the 2018-2019 school year.

“The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards demonstrate a school’s commitment to excellence and ensuring every student meets the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “This achievement is testament to the hard work of the students, teachers, and principals in each school community.”

The Palmetto Gold and Silver awards program was established by the Education Accountability Act (EAA) of 1998 “to recognize and reward schools for academic achievement and for closing the achievement gap.” The State Board of Education, working with the S.C. Department of Education and S.C. Education Oversight Committee (EOC) set the revised criteria for the awards program on May 14, 2019. The criteria, which identify the general performance of schools, were based upon an analysis of the 2018 annual school report cards and upon feedback from a task force of principals, coordinated by the EOC in 2019. Additional criteria will be added in the future to recognize schools that have closed the achievement gap.

Mid-Carolina Middle School and Reuben Elementary School are among the state schools that earned membership in the “Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards” listing. Congratulations to these Newberry County schools!