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Tag: Westwood High School

  • EOC scores: BHS up, WHS lags

    BLYTHEWOOD – Blythewood High School students outscored both the Richland Two district average and the state average in a key assessment that counts as 20 percent of a student’s final grade in core subjects in statewide results.

    Westwood High School, however, experienced a setback in the same assessment, mirroring a similar slide in statewide results.

    Those core subjects of testing consist of Algebra 1, Biology 1, English 1 and U.S. History and the Constitution. Students must pass each course at some point before they are awarded a high school diploma.

    Blythewood High’s Scores

    Blythewood exceeded state and district average mean scores in all four core subjects tested in the 2018 End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP). The school also exceeded the state and district in the percentage of A’s scored in three of the four subject areas – Biology 1, English 1 and U.S. History and Constitution.

    While the 2.6 percent of BHS students scoring an A in Algebra 1 fell short when compared to the district (10.6 percent) and to the state (9.1 percent), the school’s scores in Algebra 1 showed improvement from 1.9 percent in 2017 to 2.6 in 2018.

    Considerable improvement was seen in English 1, from 16.4 percent scoring an A in 2017 to 27.7 percent in 2018.

    Percentage of BHS students scoring an A in Biology 1 dropped from 34.6 percent (2017) to 26.5 percent (2018) and in U.S. History and Constitution from 20.7 (2017) to 18.3 (2018).

    The percentage of Blythewood High School students scoring an F remained well below both state and district percentages.  Only 9.2 percent of BHS test takers scored an F in English 1, down from 11 percent in 2017. Percentages also improved in U.S. History and Constitution from 22.1 scoring an F in 2017 down to 17.7 in 2018.

    More than one-quarter (28.5 percent) of BHS test takers scored an F in Algebra 1, up from 22.2 percent in 2017, and almost one-third (30.3) scored an F in Biology 1, almost doubling the percentage of 17.8 percent that scored an F in 2017.

    The mean scores of BHS students taking the EOCEP in 2018 exceeded the mean scores for both the district and the state in three out of the four subjects, falling behind only in Algebra 1.

    BHS students also saw gains over their 2017 mean test scores in English and U.S. History and Consitution, but declines in Algebra 1 and Biology 1.

    • Algebra 1 – 67.5 (2017) to 66.9 (2018), down 0.6
    • Biology 1 – 78.4 (2017) to 73.1 (2018), down 5.3
    • English 1 – 76.2 (2017) to 79.6. (2018), up 3.4
    • U.S. History and Constitution – 73.7 (2017) to 74.7 (2018), up 1

    Westwood High’s Scores

    Westwood High School test takers fell behind both the district and the state in all four of the tested subjects but improved their percentages for scoring an A over last year in both Algebra 1 and English 1.

    Students performed best on the English 1 exam, improving the percentage of A scores considerably from 3.2 percent (2017) to 12.6 percent in (2018). Improvement was also seen in those scoring an A in Algebra 1 from 0.4 percent (2017) to 1.1 percent (2018).

    WHS students struggled in Biology 1, going from 14.4 percent scoring an A in 2017 to only 2.2 percent scoring an A in 2018. Percentages scoring an A in U.S. History and Constitution stayed about the same, going from 3.6 percent (2017) to 3.5 percent (2018).

    Those WHS students scoring an F in Algebra 1 increased from 30.3 percent (2017) to 43.2 percent (2018) and in Biology 1 from 38.7 percent (2017) to 51.6 percent (2018).

    However, fewer WHS test takers scored an F in English 1, improving from 37.3 percent (2017) to 25.9 (2018) and in U. S. History and Constitution, improving from 49.1 percent (2017) to 38.6 (2018).

    While school’s mean scale score lagged behind both district and state scores, the greatest decline was in Biology 1 (down 7 points) and the most improvement in English 1 (up 6.3 points).

    • Algebra 1—63.3 (2017) to 62.9 (2018), down 0.4 points
    • Biology 1—66.8 (2017) to 59.8 (2018), down 7.0 points
    • English 1—65.2 (2017) to 71.5 (2018), up 6.3 points
    • U.S. History and Constitution—61.6 (2017) to 63.5 (2018), up 1.9 points

    Ready to Work

    Ready to Work (R2W) is a career readiness assessment administered to all eleventh grade students to determine student achievement in three key subjects – Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information.

    Blythewood High

    Blythewood High School R2W test takers outperformed the state averages in all three key subjects

    • Applied Mathematics—State average 241, BHS – 245
    • Reading for Information—State average 247, BHS – 251
    • Locating Information—State average 230, BHS – 231

    The test awards certificates, which are associated with career professions, beginning with bronze and peaking with platinum.

    Nearly 91 percent of 487 Blythewood students earned certificates, meaning 9.2 percent didn’t score high enough to earn certificates.

    Bronze Level certificates were earned by 19.1 percent of test takers, meaning they’re ready for 35 percent of jobs in the workforce. Bronze level sample professions include construction laborer, electrician assistant, cement mason and dental hygienist.

    Another 60.2 percent earned Silver Level certificates, which means they’re ready for 65 percent of jobs, including insulation installer, roofer, chef, pipe layer, flight attendant or machinist.

    Gold Level certificates were earned by 7.8 percent of students. This level includes credit analysts, aircraft mechanics, medical transcriptionists, acute care nurses and social workers.

    Platinum Level certificates were earned by 3.7 percent of BHS test takers, which includes architects, chemists, geographers, anesthesiologists and agricultural engineers.

    Westwood High

    Westwood High School test takers lagged behind the state averages in all three R2W key subjects

    • Applied Mathematics—State average 241, BHS – 238
    • Reading for Information—State average 247, BHS – 245
    • Locating Information—State average 230, BHS – 229

    Nearly 81 percent of 298 Westwood students earned certificates, versus 19.1 percent who didn’t. One-quarter (24.8 percent) earned Bronze certificates and exactly half (50 percent) earned Silver certificates. Five percent earned Gold certificates, while 1 percent earned a Platinum certificate.

  • BHS in top 20% of SC SAT test takers

    BLYTHEWOOD – While Blythewood High School seniors taking the SAT hovered just below the state average, the school ranked near the top in the number of test takers.

    Blythewood High placed in the top 20 statewide at 71.1 percent, ranking 16th out of 230 schools, with 335 of 471 seniors taking the test, according to S.C. Department of Education figures released last week.

    Other Richland 2 schools reported high percentages, ranging between 46 and 56 percent tested.

    “Students in the Class of 2018 and their parents decided whether or not to take the SAT,” Richland 2 spokeswoman Libby Roof said via email. “We don’t have any data that would indicate why a greater percentage of students in one school chose to take the SAT than in another school.”

    Blythewood seniors averaged 1,048, scoring a point shy of the state average. The school also shed 10 points from last year’s tally of 1,058, data shows

    Blythewood’s tally this year was the second highest in Richland 2. Spring Valley High School led the district at 1,098.

    Westwood High, meantime, struggled. The school averaged 970, creeping up four points from 966 last year.

    “As the district’s total score is below the state average, we recognize there is room for growth and are committed to helping our students better prepare for this assessment,” Roof said. “That being said, these assessments don’t provide teachers with the standard or strand-level results that are needed to make informed instructional decisions.”

    Slightly less than half – 168 of 342, or 49.1 percent – of seniors took the test, data shows.

    “We avoid using SAT scores as a measure to compare our schools to each other,” Roof said. “The SAT is designed to gauge a student’s readiness to perform college level work. It is used by colleges and universities to compare the academic readiness of students and to make admission decisions.”

    In tabulating SAT data, the Department of Education counted individual students only once, regardless of how many times they took the test. The most recent score was counted, figures show.

    Accurate data comparisons to 2016 and before were not possible because the College Board, which administers the test, changed the format in 2017.

    In 2017, the College Board, which administers the SAT, revised the test to score in two critical areas – evidence-based reading and writing, or ERW, and math, according to the Department of Education website.

    The ERW portion replaced the English/Language Arts and Writing sections, which gave the SAT three components, the website states.

    The test became a two-part test in 2017, broken down into Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Math.

    While Richland 2 saw high percentages of test takers, the number of Fairfield County seniors taking the SAT continued to sag.

    Only one in five Fairfield County seniors took the SAT in 2018, and those who did take the test averaged more than 80 points below the state average.

    Fairfield Central High School climbed from 922 to 983, with 41 of 198 seniors – or 20.7 percent – taking the test, about the same as last year, state data shows.

    Fairfield’s performance still fell 81 points behind the state average of 1,064. The national average was 1,049.

    Dr. J.R. Green, district superintendent, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

    In a prior interview with The Voice about the impact of per pupil revenues on student achievement, Green said that rural districts like Fairfield, where poverty tends to be high, tend to struggle academically.

    He also noted student achievement is measured in more ways than how students score on standardized tests.

    “The reality is there are students who can be successful, but not at a four-year institution,” Green told The Voice. “It doesn’t mean these kids aren’t sufficient. Poverty has an adverse effect on a kids’ ability to be successful academically.”

  • Smith to play in All-American Bowl

    Cam Smith (1)

    SAN ANTONIO, TX – Westwood standout defensive back and University of South Carolina commit Cam Smith now has another accolade he can pin to his already impressive resume. Smith, the third-ranked prospect in the state according to Rivals.com, has been selected to participate in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

    The All-American Bowl will be televised on NBC on Jan. 5, and its 4.4 million viewer average makes it the most-watch high school sporting event in the nation. Prominent names such as Andrew Luck, Odell Beckham Jr., Tim Tebow and Jalen Ramsey have participated in the All-American Bowl in past years.

    Smith received a bevy of offers from power-five schools, but officially made his decision to join the Gamecocks after Westwood’s season opener against Lugoff-Elgin. Rivals also has Smith listed as the 37th best cornerback in the class of 2019, and is listed as a four-star prospect.

  • Smith is officially a Texan

    Smith joins five other native South Carolinians on the Houston Texans roster. | Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle

    HOUSTON, TX – Vyncint Smith, a former Westwood High School and Limestone College offensive threat, signed with Houston Texans in April as an undrafted free agent, and impressed team officials enough to earn his spot on the official 53-man roster.

     

    The German-born Smith had quite the preseason. He has racked up four reception for 94 yards and his 41-yard touchdown against the 49ers was a game-winner. He ended his Limestone career with 153 receptions, 2,371 yards and 11 touchdowns.

  • Let The Games Begin – Fall Sports Preview is here

    If you are like us, you flipped the calendar to August and felt a slight shift in the air. The days are slowly getting shorter and soon, maybe…hopefully, the weather will get a little cooler.

    For us, the spectators, seasons are just getting started. But for athletes and coaches, preparation started months ago. While others’ summer days were filled with sleeping in and relaxing by the pool, these coaches and athletes spent their days designing schemes, running sprints, lifting weights, swimming laps. Getting stronger. Getting faster. Getting better. Because that’s what makes the difference come October and November. That’s what gives one team an edge.

    We don’t see the countless hours of blood, sweat and tears poured into these teams in the offseason. But we cheer for a return on those investments for athletes and coaches.

    Westwood athletics saw some returns last year. Volleyball and football made it to round three of the playoffs.  Cross Country runners made a showing at State. Many of the athletes from these teams return this year, looking to avenge their season-ending losses.

    Eagle football was bumped in the first round last year, but looks to push farther this year. To do so, they’ll have to get past newly realigned region foe Wardlaw. Cross Country enters its second season in school history with a new coach – Kristen Chaisson. Volleyball will have to overcome last season’s leadership struggles to find success on the court, especially against a tough Laurens team.

    The Griffin tennis program returns strong players and a settled coaching staff. The sky could be the limit for Syreeta Thompson’s squad. Football had a bumpy start last season, but had a strong run until Emerald dashed their playoff hopes in the third round. The region realignment places Keenan into the region, but they expect the toughest opponents continue to be Chester, Camden and Indian Land.

    Blythewood’s region shifted with the loss of White Knoll and addition of Lugoff-Elgin. Bengal volleyball, tennis and golf look to build on the foundations established last year. Will Epps returns for a second year as head of boys’ cross country and Aleshia Hawkins takes over the girls’ squad.  Perhaps the biggest change comes with the new face of the football program, Jason Seidel. Seidel, looking to change the culture of the program after its dismal 2017 season, is ‘all in.’

    Soon the stadiums, courts and gyms will be filled with our cheers (or silent golf claps). Exciting, isn’t it. A blank slate – a new season on the horizon. Where will we end up in October and November?  Only time will tell.

    Honor Roll

    We thank the many talented people who helped make the 2018 Fall Sports Preview happen. First, our sports writers.

    They report weekly from the trenches, day and night, near and far – Ross Burton, Worthy Evans, Martha Ladd and Blake Wooten.

    And our photographers who contribute vivid images of our athletes in action: Ross Burton, Leroy Howard, DeAnna Robinson, Joe Seibles, Martha Ladd and Kristy Kimball Massey, Carolina Sports Photography and especially our designers Ashley Ghere and Callie Ladd Sims.

    We also thank the following for their time and contributions: Paul Brigman, Ross Burton, Kristen Chaisson, Dustin Curtis, Demetrius Davis, Kelly Edrington, Will Epps, Robin Gaithers, Mary Hall, Aleshia Hawkins, Mary Hunter,  Ciji Kuhlmann, Brice Mann, Jason Minkel, Rachel Peake, Jason Powell, Terrell Roach, Jason Seidel, Syreeta Thompson

    Pick up a copy of the Fall Sports Preview (28 pages) today!

  • Smith signs contract with Texans

     

    Smith finished his Limestone career as the school’s leader in receiving yards. | Photo: GoLimestoneSaints.com
    Smith

    HOUSTON – Former Westwood and Limestone College big-play receiver Vyncint Smith signed a free agent deal Saturday with the Houston Texans. Smith, who was born in Germany, played varsity for the Blythewood Bengals during his sophomore season and then played two seasons with the Redhawks.

    Smith earned an All-Region honor during his senior campaign at Westwood with 31 receptions for 503 yards and four touchdowns. He continued his momentum by finishing second on the team in receiving yards as a true freshman at Limestone.

    Smith posted career highs in catches and receiving yards in his senior season and was an All-South Atlantic Conference choice.

    Smith finished his stellar career at Limestone as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards and second in total receptions. He also became the first player in program history to sign a professional contract.

  • UPDATE – Teen charged as adult for school threat

    BLYTHEWOOD – A 17-year-old has been accused of threatening to “shoot up” Westwood High School Friday morning, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.

    Hilliard

    On Feb 16, at approximately 8 a.m., the Sheriff’s Department was alerted to a Twitter post made by Hilliard threatening Westwood. He was charged with unlawful communication and disturbing schools, Sheriff Leon Lott said in a news release.

    Hilliard turned himself into investigators at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters for what was termed by the RCSD Public Information office as “not a credible threat” and was arrested without incident. He was released on a $1,000 bond.

    The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating.

     

    BLYTHEWOOD – Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announces the arrest of Kameron Hilliard, charged with unlawful communication and disturbing schools.

    On Feb. 16, at approximately 8:00AM citizens alerted the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to a Twitter post made by Hilliard threatening to shoot up Westwood High School. Hilliard turned himself into investigators at the Richland County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters and was arrested without incident.

    The Sheriff stated that social media threats are taken very serious and will be prosecuted. Hilliard has been charged as an adult and transported to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.

    Published 2/16/18, Updated 2/22/18

  • Richland Two students make holidays brighter

    Westwood High School’s Student Senate visited residents of The Crossings.

    BLYTHEWOOD – The holidays were brighter for many in the Midlands, thanks to the hard work of Richland Two high school students.

    During the first week in December, Westwood High School’s Student Senate, along with three honors societies, visited residents of The Crossings, an independent and assisted living community. They played Bingo, tic-tac-toe and crafts with the seniors.

    Also in December, Westwood and Blythewood high schools joined forces for military families in the Blythewood area. The “Red, White, and Blue Holiday Party” included food, games, carriage rides and a visit from Santa.

    Blythewood High’s Unarmed JROTC Drill Team performs at during the pep rally at Main Street Elementary School in Lake City.

    Blythewood High adopted Main Street Elementary School in Lake City through a program called Project Connect. The school received donations from parent groups, individuals and other Richland Two schools to provide supplies for each of the school’s 14 classrooms as well as related arts classrooms.

    On Dec. 7, BHS students traveled to Lake City to deliver and set the supplies in every classroom. Main Street Elementary students arrived the following morning to positive notes on their desks and a festive gym ready for a pep rally.

  • Schools get report cards

    BLYTHEWOOD/WINNSBORO – The three local high schools – Blythewood High School (BHS) and Westwood High School (WHS) in Richland 2 School District and Fairfield Central High School (FCHS) in Fairfield County School District – show varying results on the 2017 statewide, standardized tests used to determine the State Department of Education’s (SDE) annual report card scores.

     ACT SCORES

    2017 Average ACT Scores

    All eleventh graders were given the ACT college readiness assessment test last spring.  Scores for English, reading, math and science as well as a total score for all four subjects combined can range from 1 to 36; writing scores range from 2-12. FCHS’s total ACT score improved from 15.8 in 2016 to 16.3 in 2017, BHS’s total score decreased to 18 in 2017, down from 19.2 in 2016; and WHS’s 2017 composite ACT score of 16.2 was slightly decreased from its 2016 score of 16.4.

    COLLEGE READY

    The report cards also show the percentage of students deemed college-ready by meeting ACT benchmark scores for each of the four subjects tested.

    Benchmark score for English is 18. That score was met by 38.4 percent of BHS students; 24 percent of WHS students and 22.8 percent of FCHS students.

    Benchmark score for math is 22. That score was met by 20 percent of BHS students; 9.4 percent of WHS students and 13.2 percent of FCHS students.

    Benchmark for reading is 22. That score was met by 29.9 percent of BHS students; 17.5 percent of FCHS students and 16.2 percent of WHS students.

    Benchmark for science is 23. That score was met by 19.5 BHS students; 8.5 percent of WHS students and 7.9 percent of FCHS students.

    Not as many students met the college-ready benchmarks in all four subjects tested by the ACT.  That number was 11.7 percent of BHS students; 4.9 percent of WHS students and 3.2 percent of FCHS students.

    SAT SCORES

    Average 2017 SAT scores

    Participation in SAT test taking is on a volunteer basis. Improvements in the 2017 SAT scores over 2016 could not be determined because the SAT was redesigned for this year using a different scale.  For 2017, the highest score for each individual section on the SAT is 800 and the highest total score is 1600. The following chart is based on those scores.

    END OF COURSE SCORES

     

    End of Course Tests – Percent with scores 60 or above

    The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) provides tests in high school core courses and for courses taken in middle school for high school credit.  The core courses are: Algebra 1 / Math for the Technologies 2, English 1, Biology 1, and US History and the Constitution. Statewide, almost 75% percent of students passed all subjects with a score of 60 or above.

     

    ACT WorkKeys

    Percent of students meeting Platinum, Gold or Silver thresholds for WorkKeys, 2017

    According to the SDE website, the ACT WorkKeys® is a job skills assessment system measuring «real world» skills that employers believe are critical in the workplace. Like the ACT, It is given to 11th graders. The assessment consists of three sub-tests: Applied Mathematics, Reading for Information and Locating Information. Students can earn certificates at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze level on WorkKeys assessments.

    GRADUATION RATES

    The 2017 report cards show that South Carolina’s four year graduation rate increased to 84.6 percent, an all-time high and a two percent increase over the previous year. BHS’s graduation rate soared to 97.3 percent; FCHS’s graduation rate is 91 percent and WHS’s rate is 80.1 percent.

    The school report card data is available on the SDE’s website and a new tool makes it very easy to see all the information for each individual district or school.

    The current report cards do not give an overall district and school rating of “excellent, good, average or at-risk” for 2017.  However, the 2018 report card will be revamped to meet the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the state’s new accountability system. Schools will not be rated for state accountability purposes until the fall of 2018 when the state will transition to a single accountability system.