New South Carolina curriculum taking shape in year two

admin • Aug 09, 2016 News

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 News 12 First at Five

AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) — The writing is on the wall at Paul Knox Middle and for every nervous child there is a teacher.

“You would think after thirty years that I have this down pat, but every year I get nervous and I get excited,” Betty Ann Ferguson said, a sixth grade teacher at Paul Know Middle.

But every new school year presents a different challenge, last year it was the switch from Common Core to a brand new State curriculum.

“The way it’s laid out, I think it actually makes it easier for everyone because everything is broken down where it’s very easy and clear to read,” Ferguson said.

Teachers all over the state experienced the change, something Superintendent Dr. Alford saw first hand.

“So any first year your going to have some transitions and pains in that regard, but we were excited about the fact that our teachers embraced the opportunity to learn and continue to grow,” Dr. Alford said.

This summer teachers were able to talk in curriculum teams so they could be on the same page, something Alford says is key.

“The biggest challenge is making sure we help teachers have a clear understanding of what is students are expected to know and do,” Alford said.

With the switch in standards schools also switch testing, so it will take awhile to see what the affects could be in the classroom. But one thing making an impact this year is a ten point grading scale in high schools are South Carolina.

“They also deserve an equal chance, so when we’re surrounded by states who employ a ten point grading scale and we have a seven point scale that impacts our students opportunities,” Alford said.

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New South Carolina curriculum taking shape in year two

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