As a former high school math teacher, Tracie Anderson Swilley knows the importance of building a foundation: “Math builds upon itself,” she said. “If you don’t have a good, strong foundation, you’re not going to be successful.”
Swilley, who was named the National Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals, has led Fairfield Central High School in Winnsboro, S.C., for more than a decade. During her tenure, the school’s graduation rate has improved. Fairfield Central’s students have also made strong gains in both math and reading in the last three years.
It’s important to “meet students where they need to be met,” Swilley said in the video above.
One of her key strategies for academic success has been to introduce algebra to all 9th grade students and then track their progress. Students who struggle initially can take two years to complete the course instead of one, once they’ve mastered the fundamentals.
Last school year, for the first time in its 37-year history, Fairfield Central was awarded an overall “good” rating by the state. Swilly was quick to credit her teachers and students for “trusting the process” because “it did not happen overnight,” she said. “It takes time.”
