| Vital Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Public schools | 1,091 |
| Public school teachers | 45,830 |
| Pre-K-12 students | 699,198 |
| Annual pre-K-12 expenditures | $4.9 billion |
| Minority students | 45.6% |
| Children in poverty | 23% |
| Students with disabilities | 15.7% |
| English-language learners | 1.5% |
Summary of Grades
South Carolina scores at or above average in each of the four graded education policy categories in Quality Counts.
The state ranks near the top of the nation in standards and accountability. Its standards for the four core subjects have been rated as clear, specific, and grounded in content at all grade spans by the American Federation of Teachers. One of only 16 states to reward high-performing or improving schools, South Carolina also fares well on measures of school accountability.
In teacher quality, South Carolina ranks second in the nation. The state requires teachers receiving their initial license to pass a comprehensive battery of assessments. Strong measures are also in place to provide teachers with professional support and training once they have entered the classroom.
South Carolina earns an average grade in school climate. It fares well on measures related to facility issues and class size, although less well on school size. There is room for improvement in other areas, such as school safety. For example, the state lacks provisions related to school bullying or harassment.
The state also posts average scores for resource equity. South Carolina’s wealth-neutrality score shows that, as in most states, wealthier districts tend to have higher per-pupil funding levels than poorer districts do.
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| Quality Counts Grading Breakdown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note: Details may not sum to totals due to rounding.
