HARDEEVILLE, SC – Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts and Sciences Charter School (RLOACS) is the first South Carolina charter school ever to be named a School to Watch by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform. This designation recognizes schools that emphasize strong academics, sensitivity to young adolescents’ needs and interests, and commitment to providing all students equal access to a high-quality education.
The purpose of this program is to highlight top middle schools across the country that can be showcased as models of excellence for other schools. RLOACS joins just 35 other schools in South Carolina who currently carry this designation.
“Our RLOACS community is overjoyed to be named a School to Watch. It’s a well-deserved honor that speaks to the dedication and hard work of our teachers and staff,” said Dr. Karen Wicks, RLOACS Executive Director. “This recognition isn’t just a celebration – it’s an opportunity to share what’s working in our classrooms for the benefit of students across the state and the country. We’re excited to continue building on this success and maintaining this standard of excellence for many, many years to come.”
Schools must submit an extensive application and participate in a site visit to be considered for the recognition. The National Forum presents 37 criteria, all of which must be met by the schools.
In order to be selected, the school must demonstrate academic excellence through the use of a rigorous, innovative, and relevant curriculum. It must demonstrate developmental responsiveness by offering students a safe, healthy, and personalized learning environment that is responsive to the unique needs and interests of young adolescents. Finally, there must be organizational structures, where there is shared leadership, collaborative learning communities, targeted professional development, and effective organizational processes and structures in place.
RLOACS will be recognized at the Annual South Carolina Association for Middle Level Conference this month. It will also be spotlighted at the National Schools to Watch Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer.
Schools on the prestigious Schools to Watch list are recognized for a three-year period. At this timeframe’s conclusion, the school can apply for redesignation to demonstrate that they are able to maintain the National Forum’s standard for academic excellence.
Royal Live Oaks Academy of the Arts & Sciences is a K-12 public charter school located in Jasper County that uses project-based learning to highlight the importance of critical thinking and problem-solving. RLOACS is authorized through the Charter Institute at Erskine. To learn more, visit www.rloacs.org.
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The Charter Institute at Erskine is the fastest-growing school district in South Carolina. Serving 26 schools and 26,000 students across the state, the Charter Institute at Erskine is committed to innovative, creative, high-quality methods of education. For more information about the Institute, please visit www.erskinecharters.org.
