When Dr. Shawn Foster became Orangeburg County School District’s first superintendent in 2020, only 18% of students were entering kindergarten ready to learn. With 100% Title I schools and a district built from three consolidated systems, the stakes were high.
After implementing Waterford Early Learning in PreK and expanding it through 2nd grade, the results were measurable and sustained. Kindergarten readiness grew by 115% and 3rd grade reading scores increased by 123%. For the first time, Orangeburg outperformed the state average.
The students who used Waterford from PreK through 2nd grade went on to post the district’s greatest 3rd grade gains ever recorded.