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Academy for Teaching and Learning

Q: Is Academy for Teaching and Learning a good school?

Academy for Teaching and Learning ranks 421 st of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades K-8

421^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 661 South Carolina Elementary Schools

Better than 36% of South Carolina elementary schools

Summary

Academy for Teaching and Learning is a public K-8 school in Chester, SC, serving 329 students within the Chester 01 district, where 100% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

This school stands out as a clear academic leader among its nearby peers. In recent testing, Academy for Teaching and Learning outperformed its district in every grade level for English Language Arts, with 3rd grade proficiency reaching 67.5%—more than 15 points above the district average and slightly above the state average. This is particularly impressive given that the school serves a 100% low-income population. The school also excels at getting kids to class; its chronic absenteeism rate of 16.4% is dramatically better than neighboring schools like Chester Park Elementary School of Literacy and Technology and Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts, which both exceed 28%. With a favorable student-teacher ratio of 11.7:1 and lower per-student spending ($14,498) than most comparable schools, this school delivers strong results efficiently. It consistently ranks higher than its sister schools in the district, which have ranked in the 2nd, 9th, and 19th percentiles statewide.

However, there are areas that need attention. While early elementary math is solid, proficiency drops sharply in middle school—6th grade math sits at 24.3% versus the state's 40.9%, and 8th grade math has been as low as 9.7%. Science scores also lag significantly, with 4th grade proficiency at 25% compared to the state's 51.6%. The school has shown resilience over time, peaking at the 52nd percentile in 2022-2023, and remains a strong choice for families prioritizing literacy and attendance, though parents should be aware of the STEM challenges in upper grades.

329

Students ?

11.7

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,714

Per pupil spending ?

60.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2023-24) ?

All students receive free meals (Community Eligibility, 2023-24)

≥ 96%

Students (all grades) with required immunizations (2025-26)

109 Hinton Street
Chester, SC 29706

(803) 385-6334

District: Chester 01

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.9%

African American:

16.4%

Two or more races:

2.4%

See top rated South Carolina elementary schools

Compare Academy for Teaching and Learning to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 52nd percentile in 2023 → 36th in 2026

Strengths

✓Small classes — about 12 students per teacher

Worth a look

!Test scores below the South Carolina average (47% vs 54% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 52nd-percentile peak (2023) to 36th (2026)

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school47%

District avg42%

South Carolina avg54%

Elementary school

421^st of 661

South Carolina public elementary schools ?

Bottom 36%▲ up 8 pts since 2016

From bottom 28% (2016) to bottom 36% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

222^nd of 341

South Carolina public middle schools ?

Bottom 35%▲ up 13 pts since 2016

From bottom 22% (2016) to bottom 35% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of South Carolina Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 6Elementary Schools in the Chester 01

54^th of 75Chester 01 among South Carolina districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.5	421 of 661	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.5	372 of 639	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	48.1	337 of 643	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.3	307 of 644	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	320 of 625	48.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	38.2	383 of 622	38.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.3	438 of 643	31.9%	★★☆☆☆
2018	20.7	507 of 624	18.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	37.9	396 of 639	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2016	32.2	445 of 619	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	35.0	433 of 638	32.1%	★★☆☆☆
2014	43.2	394 of 630	37.5%	★★☆☆☆
2013	36.3	414 of 599	30.9%	★★☆☆☆
2012	42.7	386 of 594	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2011	53.9	300 of 597	49.7%	★★★☆☆
2010	60.9	229 of 589	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2009	45.1	347 of 580	40.2%	★★☆☆☆
2008	52.4	306 of 577	47.0%	★★☆☆☆
2007	13.8	525 of 566	7.2%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	43.7	327 of 599	45.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.0	321 of 580	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.5	295 of 580	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.6	296 of 573	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	46.8	287 of 554	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	32.0	423 of 588	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	27.9	430 of 570	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	431 of 634	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2025	40.4	364 of 612	40.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	49.6	304 of 602	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	58.7	234 of 608	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.4	330 of 600	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.8	446 of 580	23.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	31.0	439 of 600	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.8	511 of 588	13.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2023	59.1	230 of 582	60.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.2	359 of 561	36.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.6	431 of 590	26.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	15.2	514 of 571	10.0%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	20.2	395 of 463	14.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	23.1	375 of 459	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	30.4	338 of 446	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	29.7	345 of 463	25.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.1	321 of 455	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	18.2	378 of 439	13.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.1	435 of 472	7.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	5.7	449 of 457	1.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	36.1	222 of 341	34.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	43.7	171 of 321	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	50.7	149 of 322	53.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.9	159 of 325	51.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.7	116 of 310	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.0	170 of 311	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	33.9	212 of 315	32.7%	★★☆☆☆
2018	25.5	229 of 303	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2017	38.8	196 of 317	38.2%	★★☆☆☆
2016	25.4	236 of 303	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2015	31.0	221 of 301	26.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2014	34.9	203 of 291	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2013	46.9	158 of 276	42.8%	★★☆☆☆
2012	49.3	153 of 271	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.4	121 of 269	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2010	50.8	147 of 261	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2009	43.0	161 of 249	35.3%	★★☆☆☆
2008	28.2	198 of 244	18.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2007	6.9	228 of 236	3.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2024	54.1	124 of 293	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	47.7	151 of 299	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	48.2	140 of 279	49.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	21.4	244 of 296	17.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	5.0	278 of 281	1.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	40.4	183 of 325	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	48.4	141 of 308	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.8	144 of 304	52.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	25.7	246 of 313	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	49.3	135 of 300	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	37.7	177 of 288	38.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	28.0	222 of 289	23.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	5.3	279 of 280	0.4%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2021	37.2	171 of 279	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	25.1	230 of 296	22.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	38.8	179 of 284	37.0%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	South Carolina percentile	Rating
2026	12.9	246 of 271	9.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	32.3	185 of 259	28.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	35.3	172 of 256	32.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.3	204 of 260	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	34.5	164 of 249	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	23.7	185 of 244	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	16.6	232 of 258	10.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.1	224 of 250	10.4%	★☆☆☆☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

Male (2023)60th percentile+8 vs school

Female (2026)45th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)32nd percentile-4 vs school

White (2026)15th percentile-22 vs school

Middle school

Female (2024)58th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)44th percentile+9 vs school

Male (2021)39th percentile-7 vs school

White (2026)9th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs South Carolina (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts58%-3 vs state

Mathematics41%-7 vs state

Science27%-24 vs state

★

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SC READY English Language Arts (2026)						SC READY Mathematics (2026)						SC READY Science (2026)		Vaccination (2025-26)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2026)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Directly certified (2023-24)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SC READY English Language Arts 3rd Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 4th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 5th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 6th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 7th Grade	SC READY English Language Arts 8th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 3rd Grade	SC READY Mathematics 4th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 5th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 6th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 7th Grade	SC READY Mathematics 8th Grade	SC READY Science 4th Grade	SC READY Science 6th Grade	Vaccination: Students (all grades) with required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Academy for Teaching and Learning	Public, Charter	K-8	109 Hinton Street	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	Yes	No	No	No	(803) 385-6334	329	28	11.7	60.2%	263 (79.9%)	54 (16.4%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	36.5	421^st of 661 public elementary schools	36.3%		40.5	372^nd of 639 public elementary schools	41.8%	49	67.5	61.2	52.6	51.3	59.2	58.3	56.7	47.2	42.1	24.3	29.6		25.0	29.7	≥ 96%		$14,714	$812	$343	$1,155	$10,953	$2,607	$13,559
Chester Park School Elementary of Inquiry	Public	PK, KG-5	835-C Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7282	355	29	12.2	86.6%	41 (11.5%)	260 (73.2%)	25 (7.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (8.2%)	12.9	605^th of 661 public elementary schools	8.5%		15.9	558^th of 639 public elementary schools	12.7%	47	54.5	46.5	41.5				31.8	27.9	20.8				18.6		95%		$21,571	$3,792	$1,648	$5,440	$12,224	$3,907	$16,131
Chester Park Elementary School for the Arts	Public	PK, KG-5	835-A Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7279	331	29	11.4	—	95 (28.7%)	163 (49.2%)	41 (12.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	30 (9.1%)	19.9	537^th of 661 public elementary schools	18.8%		18.9	535^th of 639 public elementary schools	16.3%	2	40.9	35.4	46.1				50.0	38.3	41.1				23.9		95%		$15,430	$1,046	$316	$1,361	$12,055	$2,014	$14,069
Chester Park Elementary School of Literacy and Technology	Public	PK, KG-5	835-B Lancaster Highway	Chester	29706	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 581-7275	300	22	13.6	—	54 (18.0%)	171 (57.0%)	44 (14.7%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (9.7%)	6.9	645^th of 661 public elementary schools	2.4%		6.6	623^rd of 639 public elementary schools	2.5%	22	30.9	45.2	26.0				40.4	26.2	8.7				11.9				$16,879	$1,929	$222	$2,152	$12,924	$1,804	$14,728
Lewisville Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	4006 Lewisville High School Road	Richburg	29729	Chester County	Chester 01	No	No	No	No	(803) 789-5164	594	41	14.6	69.2%	323 (54.4%)	151 (25.4%)	56 (9.4%)	9 (1.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.8%)	46.3	342^nd of 661 public elementary schools	48.3%		44	347^th of 639 public elementary schools	45.7%	5	62.5	58.3	63.3				58.4	37.4	53.1				40.7		95%		$13,684	$1,086	$553	$1,639	$9,760	$2,285	$12,045
Oakdale Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1129 Oakdale Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 981-1585	487	36	13.5	65.1%	106 (21.8%)	296 (60.8%)	37 (7.6%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	45 (9.2%)	69.5	197^th of 661 public elementary schools	70.2%		58.7	264^th of 639 public elementary schools	58.7%	67	73.8	77.9	57.3				66.2	70.6	46.7				67.7		94%		$15,471	$892	$722	$1,614	$12,534	$1,323	$13,857
Mount Holly Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1800 Porter Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 985-1650	514	36	14.2	64.8%	237 (46.1%)	172 (33.5%)	57 (11.1%)	4 (0.8%)	3 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (8.0%)	61.6	244^th of 661 public elementary schools	63.1%		53.7	283^rd of 639 public elementary schools	55.7%	39	77.7	64.8	73.9				65.3	50.0	46.4				47.3		94%		$16,140	$291	$879	$1,169	$13,550	$1,421	$14,971
Sunset Park Center for Accelerated Studies	Public	PK, KG-5	1036 Ogden Road	Rock Hill	29730	York County	York 03	No	No	No	No	(803) 981-1260	431	32	13.4	72.7%	64 (14.8%)	307 (71.2%)	33 (7.7%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (5.6%)	43.3	373^rd of 661 public elementary schools	43.6%		43.2	355^th of 639 public elementary schools	44.4%	18	71.5	55.7	65.9				54.0	38.5	35.3				44.3		94%		$15,800	$755	$905	$1,660	$12,763	$1,378	$14,140
Jefferson Elementary	Public	PK, KG-4	1543 Chester Highway	York	29745	York County	York 01	No	No	No	Yes	(803) 684-1942	378	32	11.8	65.7%	224 (59.3%)	81 (21.4%)	39 (10.3%)	1 (0.3%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (8.2%)	54.7	279^th of 661 public elementary schools	57.8%		61.2	246^th of 639 public elementary schools	61.5%	33	65.4	65.0					61.4	45.5					53.3		96%		$17,430	$1,987	$824	$2,811	$12,582	$2,036	$14,619
The Palmetto School	Public, Charter	PK, KG-8	386 East Black Street	Rock Hill	29732	York County	York 03	Yes	No	No	Yes	(803) 328-6555	63	8	8.4	—	18 (28.6%)	36 (57.1%)	3 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (9.5%)								(n/a)															94%		$15,428	$924	$626	$1,550	$12,165	$1,713	$13,878

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy for Teaching and Learning

Is Academy for Teaching and Learning a good school?

Academy for Teaching and Learning ranks 421^st of 661 South Carolina elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Academy for Teaching and Learning?

Students at Academy for Teaching and Learning are 80% White, 16% African American, 2% Two or more races.

What district is Academy for Teaching and Learning in?

Chester 01

How many students attend Academy for Teaching and Learning?

In the 2024-25 school year, 329 students attended Academy for Teaching and Learning.

Rate Academy for Teaching and Learning!

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Latest South Carolina data All new data »

2025–26 graduation rates (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

2024–25 through 2025–26 immunization ratesOct 20, 2026

2025–26 school spending dataOct 12, 2026

2025–26 attendance data & dropout ratesOct 12, 2026

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the South Carolina Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.