18 District 5 Schools Earn Palmetto Gold, Silver Awards

Eighteen Lexington-Richland 5 schools are the recipients of the 2012-2013 Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards, according to South Carolina Department of Education.

The Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards program — which began with the Education Accountability Act of 1998 —  recognizes schools for high levels of academic achievement and high rates of improvement as well as those schools that are closing the achievement gaps between groups of students, according to a release.

Schools recognized with Palmetto Gold Awards for general performance include: Elementary schools: Ballentine, Chapin, Irmo, Lake Murray, Nursery Road, Oak Pointe, River Springs, Seven Oaks; Middle schools: CrossRoads, Dutch Fork, Irmo; High schools: Chapin, Dutch Fork, Irmo

Dutch Fork and Leaphart elementary schools were recognized with Palmetto Silver Awards for general performance.

Eight schools were recognized for closing the achievement gap: Ballentine (silver), Chapin Elementary (silver), Chapin Middle (gold), Dutch Fork Elementary (silver), Dutch Fork Middle (silver), Harbison West Elementary (gold), Lake Murray (gold) and Oak Pointe (gold).

The state’s Education Oversight Committee approves the criteria used to determine the recipients of the awards. This year, 662 schools and career centers in the state were recognized for general performance, closing the achievement gap, or qualified in both categories.