The top reported proficiency rate is 48% in Social studies. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Jackson Creek Elementary
Jackson Creek Elementary is a regular public school in Columbia, South Carolina, serving students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. It is part of Richland 02, a district that covers portions of the Columbia area. The school sits in a part of the city that is suburban in character, a short distance from the downtown core where the state capitol, the University of South Carolina, and Fort Jackson shape the local economy and civic life.
The student body is diverse in composition. The largest share of students is Black, followed by a smaller but still substantial Hispanic population, with smaller numbers of students who are white, Asian, or of two or more races. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a fact that reflects the economic context of the attendance zone. The school serves a full pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade program, with enrollment spread fairly evenly across the elementary grades.
On the state's SC Ready assessments, proficiency rates for Jackson Creek Elementary fell below the midpoint among districts in Richland County. The school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in the county. In math, the share of students scoring proficient or above was below the county median across grades three, four, and five. In English language arts, the pattern was similar: proficiency rates were below the county median in each tested grade. Science results for fourth grade also came in below the county median. The data for social studies is older, from a prior assessment, and is not directly comparable to current results. Because the state changed cut scores for English language arts and science in recent years, direct year-over-year comparisons are not possible, and the school has only a single year of current data for most subjects.
The school's enrollment is relatively small for an elementary school serving pre-K through fifth grade. The student body is predominantly Black, with a notable Hispanic population and smaller shares of students who are Asian, white, or of two or more races. Every student at the school qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of the economic circumstances of the families the school serves. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source data.
Jackson Creek Elementary is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet. It does not have a Title I status designation in the available data, though the universal free-lunch qualification suggests it would meet the criteria. The school's location in Columbia places it within a city that is a state capital, a university town, and a military community all at once. The school itself sits in a suburban part of the city, away from the downtown and university core. Housing in the area is moderately priced relative to state and national benchmarks, with home values below the state average and rents that are a modest share of typical household income.
For a family considering this school, the academic picture is one where proficiency rates are lower than those of many other schools in the county. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what academic supports are in place and how the school is working to raise achievement. The school serves a population where every student qualifies for meal assistance, which often means the school has access to federal programs that can fund additional services. The school's small size and elementary-only grade span mean that the experience is contained to a single building and a familiar set of teachers and staff. The broader Columbia context offers a range of civic and cultural resources, from the university to the state capitol to the riverfront, but the school itself is in a residential area where families rely on cars for most trips.
See more original research from School Decision →