Report has bad news, good news about local high school graduates
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

A college freshman report gives mixed reviews on what happens to Blacksburg and Gaffney high senior classes.

The bad news is just over 50 percent of Blacksburg and Gaffney high students enter college immediately following graduation. The good news is 90 percent of the students who did go to college passed their courses in their first semester.

State scholarship money led almost all local high school graduates to attend college in South Carolina. Only 6 of the 253 graduates in 2006 went to an out-of-state college.

Gaffney High had 52.1 percent of last year's senior class go on to college, well below the state average of 65.5 percent for the fall of 2006. Blacksburg High saw 51.3 percent of its graduates enter college.

These figures are from information submitted by high schools for the 2007 College Freshman Report compiled annually by the state Department of Education. State law has required schools since 1947 to give the state a report on the number of graduates who enter college.

"We would certainly like to see a higher number of students attend college," Gaffney High Principal Marlene Davis said. "Once our students get there, they do well."

Gaffney High had 93.1 percent of its 195 college freshmen pass their first semester courses during the 2006-2007 academic year. At Blacksburg High, the figure was 84.9 percent.

The report tracks what happened to the 487 seniors in the 2006 graduation class at Blacksburg and Gaffney highs.

The report noted 11 county graduates went into the military. Another 184 high school seniors got jobs.

"Our goal is to graduate kids and prepare them for college. We want our students to be successful," Blacksburg High Principal Jim Touchberry said. "We had 60 students go directly into college from last year's graduating class. The freshman report does not include any students who decide to wait a year or two before enrolling in college."

The state's Education and Economic Development Act is changing the way students go through high school. High school programs are now organized into 18 academic majors.

Ninth grade students and their parents work with guidance counselors to develop individual graduation plans. Students plan their elective courses and coursework to prepare for their career interests.

More than 40 county high school seniors participated in dual credit academic courses this school year through a district partnership with Spartanburg Community College.

The courses allow students to earn high school units and college credit hours.

Due to the early exposure to college work, Davis predicts her high school will see an increase in the number of students attending college in future years.

"As more college and dual credit courses are offered, we will see more students go to college," Davis said.

"I think the higher the expectations, the more students will achieve," she continued.

OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL - NOW WHAT?

The College Freshman Report tracks how many South Carolina high school seniors enter college immediately following graduation. Here's how Blacksburg and Gaffney highs compared with surrounding high schools.