Summary:
Middle Schools in zip code 29038 consist of a single school, Carver Edisto Middle, serving grades 6-8 in the rural town of Cope, South Carolina, with 439 students enrolled.
Carver Edisto Middle, part of the Orangeburg district, shows a mixed picture. The school has a low state ranking (264th out of 335 schools) and a very high chronic absenteeism rate of 44.8%, which is nearly double the district rate and more than double the state average. However, there is a clear positive trend: the school improved from a 0-star to a 1-star rating, and test scores jumped significantly from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026. For example, 6th-grade math proficiency nearly doubled from 19.8% to 39.2%, and 7th-grade math proficiency more than doubled from 8.2% to 20.2%. ELA scores also improved across all grades, with 7th-grade ELA rising from 34.5% to 43.4%.
Despite these gains, a concerning "math cliff" remains: while 6th-grade math proficiency (39.2%) is close to the state average, it drops sharply to around 20% in 7th and 8th grades. The school spends a substantial $15,823 per student and has a favorable student-teacher ratio of 12.7, yet these resources have not fully translated into high outcomes. Interestingly, students taking the Algebra 1 End-of-Course exam performed well (70.36% proficient), beating the district average, suggesting strong preparation for advanced students. The combination of high spending, improving scores, and persistent absenteeism suggests that while the school is making progress, chronic absenteeism remains a major barrier to broader academic success.
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