S.C. public schools get mixed reviews

Jun 14, 2009 — The State

Gina Smith

Jun. 14, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- Two-thirds of S.C. business leaders say the state's K-12 public school system is not providing students with key knowledge.

That contrasts with how parents and educators rate public schools. Nearly half of parents and 56 percent of educators say schools are getting the job done.

This week, the S.C. Education Oversight Committee, the state's education watchdog group, released the results of a study conducted by Clemson University in which they quizzed 6,500 S.C. taxpayers, educators, parents and business professionals on the performance of public schools.

The EOC, a nonpartisan committee, will use the study results to help set goals for the state's public schools for the year 2020.

Among the findings, South Carolina's educators and taxpayers say schools should concentrate on the traditional three R's: reading, writing and 'rithmetic.

But business leaders placed more importance on work readiness than other respondents. They say work skills such as teamwork and softer skills such as communicating effectively should get more attention during the school day.

Overwhelmingly, business stakeholders agreed that to be successful in the work world, students need:

--The ability to communicate effectively

--Commitment and motivation to do a job well

--Reading and writing skills

Computer skills and industry-specific skills were not rated as important.

"We have been saying for many years that the soft skills are a missing component of kids coming out of school," said Robert Barnett, associate vice president for work force development and education policy for the S.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Until 1996, Barnett worked as the top S.C. manufacturing executive for Honeywell (NYSE:HON) Inc.

"We'd interview 300 people to get to 30 that we believed could do the job," he said of Honeywell's efforts to fill textile jobs that required a high school diploma.

Barnett and other business leaders say the Education and Economic Development Act, in its fourth year of implementation, will help solve the problem.

The initiative, which will be fully implemented by 2011, requires all S.C. high school students to declare majors with help from their parents and counselors, take classes that support their specific interest and participate in internships.

The goal is to graduate students who are prepared to either enter college career-focused or enter the work force prepared to thrive in the workplace.

By 2020, 85 percent of S.C. jobs will require some education beyond a high school diploma, Barnett said, be it an apprenticeship, a certificate or a degree.

"The business leaders are expecting results that EEDA is going to give them. We're moving in the right direction," Barnett said. "But the kids haven't graduated yet. It won't be until 2011."

Bob Couch, director of the Office of Career and Technology Education for the state Department of Education, said schools are teaching more work skills than ever before.

Incremental progress can be seen, he said, including news earlier this week that Education Week now ranks South Carolina 37th among states in its graduation rate, an indicator of work readiness. Two years, ago, the national education magazine ranked the state's graduation rate 50th.

"We've made progress (in teaching the softer skills and work skills), but it isn't fast enough as the business community wants and I understand that," Couch said. "You just can't turn it around overnight, but everyone is on board and we're working together to set it right."

The EEDA, paired with several other new statewide education programs, should yield results soon, Couch said, including High Schools that Work.

So far, 177 high schools are participating in the reform initiative that requires students to develop a focused area of study in preparation for entering the work force. Beginning next school year, soft skills like critical thinking and teamwork will be included in the curriculum, Couch said.

Reach Smith at (803) 771-8658.

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