Cherokee Charter Academy becomes top-performing public school in district

GAFFNEY, SC – In only its third year of existence, Cherokee Charter Academy (CCA) continues to increase educational opportunities for students in Cherokee county. According to the most recent state assessment data, CCA outperformed all other public schools in Cherokee County in overall proficiency ratings, which includes both English/Language Arts and math scores.

The SC READY, South Carolina’s College-and Career-Readiness Assessment, is administered to grades 3-8. Students are tested on English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

CCA elementary schoolers (grades 3-5) demonstrated a proficiency rate in ELA of 59.7%, meaning that 59.7% of CCA elementary schoolers scored Meets or Exceeds on SC READY ELA. In math, CCA elementary schoolers achieved a proficiency rate of 48.7%. CCA middle schoolers (grades 6-7) achieved an overall proficiency rate of 59.1% in ELA and 37.6% in math. CCA’s middle school achieved the highest overall proficiency rates in Cherokee county in both math and ELA.

School Leader Jason Byrd says that these gains demonstrate the continued growth of CCA.

“It’s a collaborative effort. We could not have accomplished this without the hard work of our staff and teachers,” Byrd says. “It’s an honor to lead this school and watch the students, faculty, and staff strive for excellence every day. We’re going to continue to grow and succeed as a family.”

Byrd accepted the position of School Director in April 2022, and has since emerged as an impactful charter leader. He was recognized by CCA’s statewide authorizer, the Charter Institute at Erskine, as the Rookie of the Year in 2023. These accolades continue as both he and CCA have received recognition from across the state for educational achievements.

Cherokee Charter Academy is a 4K-8 tuition-free public charter school in Gaffney, SC. Its mission is to develop the next generation of American citizens with a classical education. Cherokee Charter Academy is authorized through the Charter Institute at Erskine and managed by Tutelage School Solutions. For more information about CCA, please visit www.cherokee.education.

Source: https://ed.sc.gov/data/test-scores/state-assessments/sc-ready/2023/district-scores-by-grade-level/?districtCode=4801&schoolCode=020