• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Tenenbaum Touts S.C. Success

Posted on: Thursday, 22 June 2006, 09:00 CDT

By Jessica Foster, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Jun. 22--Myrtle Beach drew school administrators from across the state Wednesday to hear Inez Tenenbaum speak about the state's progress in math and science, and the challenges schools still face.

Tenenbaum, in her final State of the Schools address, pointed to scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which show S.C. fourth-graders leading the nation in improvement in science and eighth-graders doing the same in math.

"I am proud that South Carolina has not shrunk from, but has embraced accountability," Tenenbaum said, "that our standards are among the highest in the nation, that we are rolling up our sleeves and doing the hard work of meeting them."

The NAEP test, known as the nation's report card, is the only test that allows states to compare elementary and middle school achievement in various subjects.

Science education is especially critical, said Tammie Bazen, science learning specialist for Horry County Schools, because it opens the door to a variety of careers and gets students interested in learning at a young age.

"I definitely think we're making strides in science education both in the district and the state," Bazen said. "It's a class that lends itself to real-world experience."

South Carolina also has shown improvement in other areas, Tenenbaum said -- increasing scores on the SAT, a college entrance exam, by 42 points in eight years and making gains in some areas of the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test.

Other state awards include a third-place national ranking in the number of National Board Certified teachers and an A rating on the national report card "Quality Counts" published by Education Week, she said.

"We have every reason to celebrate and every right to be proud of what we have accomplished," Tenenbaum said.

Georgetown County School District Superintendent Randy Dozier, who heard Tenenbaum speak, agreed.

"We have a great number of achievements statewide. ... Some people get by because their standards are less strict. I think we're making good progress," Dozier said.

In spite of such gains, Tenenbaum said, S.C. education still has strides to make to compete in a world making rapid gains in science and technology.

To continue moving forward, Tenenbaum said the state should:

Fight the negative effects poverty has on education. One-sixth of S.C. schools have at least 90 percent of its student population living in poverty, which can have behavioral and psychological effects that students carry into the classroom.

Change the culture of education so that dropping out of school is not as socially acceptable.

Stay focused on the high standards and assessments already in place.

Tenenbaum hopes that focus will remain even after her term ends this year and a new state superintendent comes to office.

She has confidence that the state's educators will continue to foster improvement and is "in awe" of their dedication.

"I think that our educators are determined and they want our schools to stay the best," she said.

Contact JESSICA FOSTER at 626-0351 or jfoster@thesunnews.com [mailto:jfoster@thesunnews.com].

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Source: The Sun News (Myrtle Beach, S.C.)

More News in this Category