Summary:
The city of Cope, South Carolina, is served by a single public school, Carver Edisto Middle, which educates students in grades 6 through 8 within the Orangeburg school district.
For parents considering this area, the most important takeaway is that Carver Edisto Middle is a school in transition, showing clear signs of improvement while still facing significant challenges. The school has made a dramatic jump in its state ranking, moving from the 6th percentile in 2023-2024 to the 21st percentile in 2025-2026, and has improved its star rating from 0 to 1. This upward trend is visible across nearly all subjects, with 6th-grade math proficiency doubling from 19.8% to 39.2% in just one year. However, academic performance remains below state averages in most areas, particularly in math, where 7th and 8th-grade proficiency rates hover around 20% compared to the state's 40% plus. The school's biggest red flag is chronic absenteeism, which stands at 44.8%—more than double the state average of 22.3%. This means nearly half of the student body is regularly missing school, which directly impacts learning outcomes.
On a more positive note, the school spends a substantial $15,823 per student and maintains a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.7, indicating strong resource allocation. There is also a notable bright spot in advanced math: students taking the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam achieved a 70.36% proficiency rate, nearly matching the state average and far exceeding the school's own 8th-grade math scores. This suggests that students in the accelerated track are being exceptionally well-prepared. While the school's overall performance still lags behind state benchmarks, the consistent year-over-year improvements and the success of the Algebra program offer hope that recent interventions are beginning to take hold, though addressing the absenteeism crisis will be critical for sustaining this momentum.
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