Charleston County students’ 1-year improvement earns 5-digit bonus for teacher

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – A Charleston County teacher received a performance bonus of more than $50,000 after her students made significant academic gains during the 2024-2025 school year.

Sydney Carroll, who has been teaching for six years, saw her students’ proficiency rates jump from 7% to 45% in one academic year. At the start of the school year, only 7% of her students were learning at grade level. By the end of the year, test scores showed 45% of her class was learning at proficient levels.

“My goal this year is 100%. Forty-five, I still think, is a failure. I only let half of my students go to high school on grade level, that’s not good enough,” Carroll said.

‘Excellence in Teaching Award’ program delivers big check

The gains earned Carroll an Excellence in Teaching Award. She was one of 526 teachers across the state to receive a monetary performance bonus for academic gains. The average bonus given out was $8,800. A first-year teacher in Charleston County last year made $56,000…

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