W. Burke Royster, Superintendent
Greenville County Schools
People
Students
Processes
Programs
People

Preparing Individuals for
Dynamic Leadership
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 Director of Academic
Innovation and Technology
 Summer Academy/Upstate
Technology Conference
 API
 Leadership Training for
Supervisors in All Areas

Careful Screening of
Teacher Candidates
 Crown Global
 Electronic Applications
Emphasis to
Principals Regarding
Teacher Selection
 Don’t Hire Wrong
Person
 Talk to Previous
Supervisor
 Alert to Red Flags

Continually Moving
Average
 Average 5 years Ago =
Below Average Now
Programs

Unique Focus at All Schools
 Branding/Taglines
 New Schools – Form Follows Function

Choice-Driven Student Populations
 A.J. Whittenberg ES
 Sterling (K-8th)
 Fisher MS

Change In Assignment Choice
 15% (more than 10,000 students)
Programs

11 Magnet Academies
 Beck Middle (Middle
 Blythe Elementary
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(Language)
Stone Elementary (Arts)
East North Street
Elementary (Math and
Science)
League Middle (Arts)
Greenville Middle (Global
and Traditional Studies)
Hughes Middle (Science
and Technology)
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Years International
Baccalaureate)
Carolina High
(Engineering)
Southside High
(International
Baccalaureate)
J.L. Mann High
(Mathematics, Science,
and Technology)
Greenville High (Law,
Finance, and Business)
Programs

Other Newly Established Programs
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Manufacturing at Greer HS/J. Harley Bonds CC
STEAM at Sevier MS
New Tech at Carolina HS, J.L. Mann HS, GEC
Accelerate Engineering at J.L. Mann HS
Art of Architecture at Fine Arts Center
Visual Arts at Fine Arts Center
Options for Struggling Students
 Greenville Early College
 STAR Academy
 Satellite Diploma Program
Processes
Continuous Improvement in All Departments
 Reorganization of Every Operational Department
 Increased Efficiencies – Better Use of Funds

 Utility costs down from $1.50/square foot in FY08 to
$1.30/square foot in FY14 (11.9 million square feet)
 54% of maintenance work orders completed in week
opened, compared to 21% in 2009.
 ETS handled 43,452 calls last school year. The average
resolution time on a priority one call has been reduced by
20% since 2008.
 One of two school districts in South Carolina with the
highest credit rating that can be attained by a school district
in South Carolina ( AA+ by Standard and Poor).
Results
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ACT average above nation and state.
SAT average above state, just below nation.
For the third straight year, the percentage of
GCS students scoring Met and Exemplary on
PASS exceeded the percentage of students
across South Carolina scoring Met and
Exemplary in all areas and at all grade levels.
53.5% of AP tests given in GCS result in a
score of 3-5. Number of AP exams given grew
by more than 500 from 2013 to 2014 (6,821).
Results
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The percentage of students scoring Exemplary
on 2014 SC PASS increased in 25 of 30 areas.
2014 marked all-time high graduation rate of
81.7%.
Average or mean scores on the state’s 2013-14
End-of-Course exams improved in all four
exams.
District earned an Absolute rating of Excellent on
its 2014 Report Card.
Focus
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Centered on Students
Use Choices to Discover and Develop Gifts and
Talents
Connect Curriculum to Needs of Business and
Industry
Show Students the Connection Between
Education and Future Economic Success
“The number of jobs
requiring at least a
two-year associate’s
degree will outpace the
number of people
qualified to fill those
positions by at least
three million in 2018.”
- Georgetown Center for
Education and the Workforce
Academic Direction
“Relevance and Rigor”
Middle (6-8)
Pre-K
Assurance of
School
Readiness for
ALL children in
Greenville
County
Elem. (K-5)
Enhanced
Academic Rigor
Sound
foundation in
basic disciplines
Exposure to
College/Career
Opportunities
Initial exposure
to variety of
careers
Begin developing
future direction in
one of 16 career
clusters
Connection
between
education and
career choices
Expansion of high
school offerings to
students
High 9-12
College and Career Ready
As defined by Graduation
Plus…
+ Significant progress
toward a college major
and/or two year degree
+ Completion of freshman
level college courses
+ Completion of postsecondary vocational and
technical advanced
certification
+ Completion of a
vocational/technical
certificate
11th and 12th Grades Focus on
Post-Secondary College or Career
11th and 12th Grade Options
 Freshman Year 4-Year College Courses
 Initial Course Work in College Major
 Year 1 Technical College Courses
 Final Year of a Certification Program
 Apprenticeship
“Seamless From One Option to Another
Based on Graduation Plan”
Most Advanced Students
Work on College Major or Career
Expand on Established and Developing
Initiatives

Art in Architecture
 Accelerate Engineering
 Visual Arts
 Medical
 Humanities
Questions?