With one exception, schools met or exceeded

All Oconee schools, with one exception, met or exceeded expectations for a new rating system developed by the state Department of Education. Results of ESEA, the South Carolina Elementary and Secondary Education Act waiver approved by the U-S Department of Education were released today. Seneca’s Blue Ridge Elementary, a school with a high percentage of students who come from low income backgrounds, was given an ‘F’ rating and 51 points out of a possible 100. But Dr. Mike Lucas, district superintendent, is not overly-worried. He calls attention to an announcement by the state’s Education Oversight Committee which complains that differences in the accountability systems cry out for improvement. “Blue Ridge actually improved this year. The scores went up, but under the methodology that was used by the state that didn’t look so good based on performance,” Lucas said. Besides ESEA, scores were released today for two other areas of measurement: PASS, the Palmetto Assessment of State Performance, and the Exit Exam, which must be passed by high school students to receive a diploma.