Carolyn Lewis School

Carolyn Lewis School is a large public school in Summerville, SC, serving 1,078 students in grades PK through 8 as part of the Berkeley 01 school district.

The most striking thing about Carolyn Lewis is that it performs like two different schools depending on the grade level. In elementary grades (3rd-5th), student proficiency is generally near or slightly below state averages. But by middle school, the picture flips dramatically. In 8th grade math, 56% of students are proficient compared to 44.2% statewide, and in 8th grade ELA, 63.4% are proficient versus 58.9% statewide. The standout is Algebra 1, where nearly 98% of students passed the end-of-course exam—a remarkable 24-point lead over the state average. This suggests the school has a particularly effective advanced math program and does an excellent job accelerating student growth as they move through the grades. The school also earns high marks for its African American students, who rank in the 70th percentile statewide, and has shown dramatic improvement for Gifted and Talented students, jumping from the 25th to the 65th percentile in just one year.

Compared to nearby schools, Carolyn Lewis is a solid mid-tier performer. It significantly outperforms Devon Forest Elementary (11th percentile) and College Park Elementary (16th percentile), while edging out Foxbank Elementary and Boulder Bluff Elementary. However, it trails Cane Bay Elementary (77th percentile) and Nexton Elementary (74th percentile), which could serve as benchmarks for improvement. One area of concern is the sharp decline in performance for English Language Learners, who dropped from the 38th to the 5th percentile in a single year. Chronic absenteeism (19.8%) is better than the district average but still higher than some neighbors. The school's unique PK-8 configuration means students don't have to transition schools during a critical developmental period, which may contribute to its strong middle school results.