Statewide school performance scores were released last week for the 2014-2015 school year, and at first glance, many Beaufort County schools did not perform at high levels.

Only two schools scored a letter grade higher than a “C” with Chocowinity Primary School earning a “B” and Beaufort County Early College High earning an “A.” S. W. Snowden Elementary had the lowest score with an “F” letter grade.

The letter grades are called school performance grades and are determined by a variety of factors, including end-of-grade assessment results, end-of-class assessment results, ACT scores and graduation rates.

But Beaufort County Schools Superintendent Don Phipps said the letter grades only tell part of the story, and while the public usually sees testing results, there are a lot of other factors that go into the success of a school.

He said other factors to consider are the growth students show throughout the year, discipline referrals at a school and even programs that provide basic supplies to help students be prepared.

“I think eyes are usually drawn more to the letter,” Phipps said. “There are some things that go on that I think are very important.”

Looking at the numerical scores, seven schools showed some sort of improvement, as compared to scores for the 2013-2014 school year, and eight schools either met or exceeded their expected growth.

Phipps said many schools across the state saw lower scores when they were switched from the ABCs standard of performance to the READY achievement standards based on Common Core.

According to a document from the state Department of Public Instruction, the ABCs standards were implemented for 16 years in the state, were phased out after the 2011-2012 school year. As of 2012, these standards assessed a school’s performance based on end-of-grade and end-of-class assessments, comparisons of the percentage of students who completed College/University or College Tech Prep courses, alternate assessments for students with disabilities and graduation rates.

Under those standards, some of Beaufort County’s school faired better. P.S. Jones Middle earned a “D” letter grade this year, but in the 2011-2012 school year it was considered a School of Progress and met its expected growth. S. W. Snowden Elementary was considered a School of Progress with high growth in the 2011-2012 school year.

According to Phipps, the state was expecting lower scores due to the process of transitioning to the READY accountability standards, but those scores have not bounced back as they were expected to in the second and third years.

Considering all of the factors, he said the outlook was positive, as Beaufort County Schools has reason to celebrate — such as its high graduation rates — but remains dedicated to addressing problems and finding ways to improve.

“I think that we’ve got very strong instruction going on on a regular basis,” Phipps said. “The bar is as high now as it ever has been. … You’re probably not going to have major success overnight.”