>> Carolyn: WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS CELEBRATING A SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC PROGRESS. >> Erin: AND AS NEWS 2'S OCTAVIA MITCHELL REPORTS, DISTRICT LEADERS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE AFTER CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENTS ON TWO STATE ASSESSMENT EXAMS ON THE JOURNEY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE DISTRICT. >> RECENT SCORES SURPRISED ALL OF US. WE KNEW WE PUT IN A GREAT BODY OF WORK AND ANYHOW WE'D SEE A RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT. WE HAD GREAT NUMBERS WITH ALGEBRA 1. >> Reporter: WHEN IT COMES TO ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENTS, KINGSTREE HIGH SCHOOL HAS A LOT TO BE PROUD OF YEAR TO YEAR. THEY MADE BIG IMPROVEMENTS ON THE SC READY EXAMS. >> 89.6% PASSING RATE AND THAT IS FOR ALGEBRA 1. WE HAD 92% PASSING RATE WITH READING AND SUPERSEDED THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AS IT RELATES TO ELA AND ALGEBRA 1. OUR SCHOLARS HERE ARE DOING GREAT WORK. AND IT IS ABOUT INSTILLING A SENSE OF PRIDE IN OUR KIDS AND LETTING THEM KNOW THEY CAN COMPETE WITH ANYONE. NOT JUST IN SOUTH CAROLINA, BUT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. >> THE KINGSTREE PRINCIPAL MARK FRASIER SAID THEIR SUCCESS CENTRED ON STRATEGY AND -- >> HARD WORK. BEING PURPOSEFUL. IMPLEMENTING THIS WITH FIDELITY. AND BELIEVING IN THE VISION. BELIEVING IN OUR TEACHERS. BELIEVING IN OUR SCHOLARS. KNOWING THAT THEY CAN AND WILL DO IT AND WILL ACHIEVE AND THAT'S AMAZING WHAT PEOPLE WILL DO WHEN THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN. THAT IS KEY. AND LET ME SAY THIS. IT DOESN'T COME BY HAPPENSTANCE. IT IS NOT IMPROMPTU. IT IS INTENTIONAL AND PRESCRIPTED. >> Reporter: SUPERINTENDANT DR. KELVIN WYMBS SAID THE ACHIEVEMENTS ARE DISTRICT WIDE. >> WE'VE SEEN SUBSTANTIAL GAINS. AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED FROM LAST YEAR'S SCORES AND THIS YEAR'S SCORES, OUR SCHOLARS ON THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HAD THE HIGHEST GROWTH IN ALGEBRA I AND BIOLOGY I. YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE THAT TO THE PROGRESS MONITORING THAT THESE TEACHERS ARE DOING REALLY ON A DAILY BASIS. THEY REALLY KNOW THEIR SCHOLARS AND ARE REALLY EXPECTING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARENTS. >> Reporter: 6 YEARS AGO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TOOK CONTROL DUE TO ACADEMIC AND FINANCIAL CONCERNS. >> THE WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN UNDER A LOT OF SCRUTINY, ESPECIALLY THE LAST FEW YEARS. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU? FOR THE DISTRICT TO HAVE THIS KIND OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS? >> I THINK IT GIVES US A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AND MOTIVATION. ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SCHOLARS AND OUR PARENTS. THEY KNOW THAT THEIR STUDENTS CAN ACHIEVE AT A HIGH, RIGOROUS LEVEL AND IT GIVES US THE CONFIDENCE AND BELIEF THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO WORKS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH US THROUGH FOR THE COMMUNITY. >> Reporter: THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SENT THIS RESPONSE TO THE ACADEMIC GAINS. "OUR FOCUS REMAINS ON FOSTERING STRONG COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO BUILD DISTRICT CAPACITY AND ALIGN BUDGET AND SYSTEMS TO ENHANCE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES. WE ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE UPCOMING SCHOOL REPORT CARD DATA AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING STRONG GROWTH. OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT THIS PROGRESS IS SUSTAINED IN THE COMING YEARS" >> I THINK THEY'RE HAPPY WITH OUR PROGRESS AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB OF SUPPORTING US. SUPERINTENDANT HAS BEEN REAL SUPPORTIVE AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT COLLABORATIVE EFFORT AND PUSH FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE OUR SUCCESSES. WE'LL INCENTIVIZE OUR SCHOLARS AND WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING IN OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S COLLABORATING TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOLARS HAVE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. NOW LET'S CONTINUE FORWARD. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF ROOM FOR GROWTH AND A LONG WAY TO GO BUT KNOW WE CAN GET THERE. >> Reporter: PRINCIPAL FRASER SAID THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. >> WE DON'T SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY AND IT IS NOT IN OUR VOCABULARY. WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD. WHEN THE STATE TOOK OVER, OUR CHILDREN WERE DISHEARTENED BECAUSE THE STATE DID TAKE OVER. BUT WHEN YOU COME IN AND INSTILL A SENSE OF PURPOSE AND PRIDE AND DIGNITY, KNOWING THEY CAN COMPETE WITH ANYBODY, THESE CHILDREN WILL DO JUST WHAT YOU ASKED THEM TO DO AND WE HAVE GREAT MOMENTUM. MOMENTUM WE SHALL NOT AND WILL NOT LOSE. WE WILL ONLY GET BETTER. >> Reporter: AND FRASIER SAYS HE PREDICTS THE DATA WILL SUPPORT THE GROWTH WILL CONTINUE. >> THIS YEAR, CURRENT YEAR TO BE GOOD OR EXCELLENT ON THE SCHOOL REPORT CARD. WE'RE GOING TO SKIP ABOVE AVERAGE. WE'RE GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO GOOD IF NOT EXCELLENT AND WE'RE STRIVING TO BEAT EXCELLENT. WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE IN THE EAR NOT JUST IN THIS AREA BUT EVERYWHERE IN THE STRAIGHT AND WE'RE MAKING