Leading the Surge: South Carolina Principal Drives Schoolwide Success

Photo credit: South Carolina Department of Education

At the State House, South Carolina State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver announced the results of the 2026 South Carolina Report Cards, showcasing the state’s historic progress in education. Amongst those recognized was Richmond Drive Elementary School in Rock Hill Schools, where Principal Robert Hamm has helped lead a remarkable turnaround

Under Principal Hamm’s leadership, Richmond Drive increased its score by nearly 12 points, moving up two report card levels. When he became principal just a few years ago, the school was performing Below Average on the state report card. Recognizing the need for change, Principal Hamm identified key areas for improvement and took action to strengthen teaching and learning. With support from NIET, he implemented strategies to elevate classroom instruction and support student success.

Today, Richmond Drive is part of the “South Carolina Surge” - a title noted by Superintendent Weaver to reflect the progress taking place across the state.

This National Principals Month, Principal Hamm reflects on how a strong principal can drive meaningful improvement in a school’s success, and how he is using a partnership with the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching to strengthen instruction and build school culture.

When you began working with NIET, what need did you identify, and why did you prioritize that need?

I knew that there were two immediate concerns that needed to be addressed. The first was the culture of the building. Teachers needed to feel appreciated, supported, and provided opportunities for growth. The second immediate concern was the instructional leadership within the building. We were a highly respected and well-intended team, however, I knew that we needed to be working towards a higher functioning team that elevated instruction within a school that was performing well below the state standard. I knew that the way to move an entire school would be to have an Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) working at the highest level. After meeting and working with NIET at our district, I recognized that this would be the most effective strategy to strengthen instruction at Richmond Drive.

How is the work of your instructional leadership team evolving? How has this impacted student achievement?

The structure of our leadership team has evolved significantly, allowing each member an equal seat at the table. We previously structured our meetings around "sharing out" and discussing what each member was doing within their department. Now, we are aligned and working as a team to improve teaching and learning. We have created six-week goals, which were developed based on data that the team was seeing within the classrooms. We were able to create the plan to ensure that need was addressed, a solution was identified, and action steps were implemented to satisfy the goal. This new alignment allows the team to systematically address needs, provide actionable and consistent feedback, and directly impact student achievement. 

What do your school's results reveal about the difference a strong principal can make?

Our school results have significantly improved. Teachers, teams, and students have grown in their individual and collective capacities. School data has shown that through a strong leader, scores can and have improved. Richmond Drive has become a school to watch with regard to the climate and culture of the building. I know that Richmond Drive will continue to grow, develop, and improve. A strong leader, building capacity in others, allows teachers to grow and develop, and identifies individual strengths to build a strong foundation from which to move student achievement.