Spartanburg County School District Two is one of the fastest-growing districts in South Carolina. In the past three years, the district added nearly 1,500 students, and is now serving approximately 12,000 students, 65% of whom come from low-income households. As our student population has grown, it has become increasingly diverse, including children from Russian, Ukrainian and Hispanic backgrounds. In fact, between 2023 and 2024, the district added 550 English language learners and more than 100 special education students. To address these rapid changes, the district committed to a focused approach prioritizing clear instruction and teacher collaboration that has resulted in increased levels of student learning and subsequent performance on end-of-year assessments. All levels of learning across our system have ranked in the top 10 in the state: first in Algebra I, second in US History, seventh in biology 1, eighth in 3-8 English Language Arts, ninth in 3-8 math and 10th in English II.
The cornerstone of our approach is coherence. Rather than implementing disconnected initiatives, the district created a unified approach that resonates across all schools and grade levels, including a focused Instructional Vision. This unifying vision entails an overlapping, three-pronged approach designed to meet the needs of all learners, the heart of our vision as we focus on providing purposeful learning experiences and scaffolded support. Visible Learning research indicates that “collective teacher efficacy” has the highest impact on learning; therefore, the constant challenge is making the instructional vision visible across all schools in our district to promote collective efficacy. This challenge led Spartanburg Two to develop what we call teaching and learning teams, or TLTs —our version of professional learning communities — which have become the backbone of our instructional improvement efforts.
Each year, we focus on system learning related to our instructional vision’s components, which keeps us from getting lost in the weeds and helps us make our vision visible across all schools and for all learners. With greater coherence, we can better link up and sync up the essential elements, key understandings and people who continue to move learning forward despite circumstances beyond our control, such as a pandemic or historic student growth!
The power of teaching and learning teams
Our TLTs do more than just meet regularly; they create a shared language and understanding around instruction. By emphasizing coherence in our approach, which Spartanburg Two developed based on the book “PLC+,” we ensure that all our initiatives connect meaningfully, fostering engagement among educators and supporting ongoing professional development across our system.
Central to our success has been the focus on teacher clarity. In our work with the authors and Corwin consultants Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey, we’ve found that when teachers have a crystal-clear understanding of what students need to learn and how to assess that learning, student achievement improves dramatically. This isn’t just about setting clear objectives: It’s about creating a through-line that connects standards, instruction and assessment in ways that make sense to both teachers and students.
To activate these ideas, the dedicated Corwin team supports the district’s implementation of monthly professional development sessions for principals, assistant principals and instructional coaches. After receiving district-led professional learning, these school leadership teams, in turn, customize it for their respective schools, giving teachers practical tools to support diverse learners effectively. Our approach emphasizes acceleration over remediation because the district believes that if we give students the support they need, the data will show that they’re moving forward.
Reimagining data as a tool for growth
Data plays a crucial role in our improvement strategy, but we’ve reimagined how we use it. Instead of wielding data as a punitive tool, we use it to motivate and celebrate. Our district-wide Academic Olympics, for instance, turns state performance data into an opportunity for friendly competition and recognition. The district is committed to making data visible and accessible to teachers, students and parents, and we share our data beyond our community by presenting at conferences or applying for accolades such as the Visible Learning awards.
Spartanburg Two has embraced the “Know thy impact” mantra from the Visible Learning School Awards, and every school holds three data meetings a year: in the fall to discuss the previous year’s data and discuss goals for the new year, at midyear to review progress and create a spring action plan, and at the end of the year to review data from the entire year.
This approach has yielded impressive results, particularly in our high schools. Our three-year on-time graduation rate is 90%. Last year, 77.2% of our students were college- or career-ready, the highest percentage to date. Spartanburg Two also led the state in the percentage of students eligible for LIFE Scholarships and in the percentage of students whose Algebra I scores were a C or above. While we’re proud of these accomplishments, a key aspect of our culture is to celebrate not only achievements like being No. 1 in the state but also to celebrate student progress. This raises the expectations for adults as well as students.
Our instructional coaches have been instrumental in this transformation. Each school has two coaches — one specifically for ELA and another for math and general support. These coaches ensure that our strategies translate effectively from professional development sessions to classroom practice.
Teacher clarity means choosing depth over breadth
Rather than looking for quick fixes or surface-level changes, Spartanburg Two continues to invest in our TLTs and relentlessly focuses on teacher clarity, which research says can double the rate of learning. There’s a difference between going deeper in the learning around our vision and getting lost in the educational weeds. Our shared commitment to aligning efforts across the district has created a clear, cohesive vision that empowers — rather than overwhelms — our teachers.
For districts looking to embark on similar improvement journeys, I recommend implementing programs or processes that feed a central vision rather than cherry-picking one shiny thing after another. Build strong collaborative teams, use data as a formative assessment rather than an autopsy, and know that when you provide teachers with clarity and support, you create the conditions for all students to succeed.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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