About Pinnacle Collegiate Academies

Columbia, SC – Pinnacle Charter Academies is proud of the students, faculties and staffs at our three schools in South Carolina for all receiving overall grades of Excellent on their 2023-24 South Carolina School Report Cards from the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC).

According to the 2023-24 SC Oversight Committee Accountability Manual, each school receives an overall rating based on a 100-point scale. The 100 Rating Points are earned across various indicators. The indicators for high schools are: Academic Achievement, Preparing for Success, Graduation Rate, High School Student Success, School Climate, College & Career Readiness, and Multilingual Learners’ Progress. To receive a Rating for each indicator, a school must have data for that indicator from 20 or more students.

Each of Pinnacle’s three current schools achieved an overall grade for the 2023-24 school year at the highest overall level, which is Excellent, based on points earned in each of the assessed areas. A rating of Excellent indicates the “school’s performance substantially exceeds the criteria to ensure all students meet the Profile of the SC Graduate.”

The South Carolina EOC is charged with encouraging continuous improvement in the state’s public schools, approving academic content standards and assessments, and establishing the state's educational accountability system.

“Pinnacle Collegiate Academies’ Mission is to serve high school students in a safe, small, family-centered environment who seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards, and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit,” Pinnacle founder and CEO Mike D’Angelo said. 

“We believe if we do not provide a safe, small, family-centered environment, we will not be able to achieve the academic and athletic successes each of our schools have earned. We are extremely proud of all our students, staff, school boards and parents for creating cultures that afford all our schools – Oceanside, Legion and Atlantic Collegiate Academies – a 2023-24 Excellent rating on latest South Carolina School Report Cards.”

Each of the three Pinnacle Academies had areas in their individual report cards to be proud of in addition to the overall grade.

Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mt. Pleasant received an Excellent grade, earning 4.41 out of 5 points, for School Climate, which includes teacher perceptions of instructional focus, working conditions and safety as well as student perceptions of social-physical environment and safety.

“OCA's outstanding report card results reaffirm that innovation in education is not only valid but essential,” Oceanside principal Christina Brown said. “Our staff and families are deeply committed to our culture of excellence, and through their dedication and hard work, we continue to execute our unique mission at the highest level.”

OCA also received an Excellent rating, with 18.75 out of 19 points, for an on-time graduation rate of 99.4 percent; for Academic Achievement, with 95.3 percent of students scoring a C or higher in English in their end of course assessment, while significantly outperforming state-wide scores in Algebra, Biology and US History EOCs. 

Oceanside also received an Excellent rating for College & Career Readiness, earning 17.52 points out of 19, as well as High School Student Success, earning 11.07 points out of 12. OCA’s five-year student success rate stands at 100 percent. The report card also revealed that 94.6 percent of parents who completed the survey are satisfied with the learning environment, indicating a strong partnership between OCA and its families and a healthy, positive school culture.

“OCA's results highlight the strength of forward-thinking education and the dedication of our entire community,” Brown said. “While there may be differing perspectives, we hope our success serves as an example of how innovation can drive positive change. We believe in sharing our journey to inspire others and raise the standard for what's possible in education.”

Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill saw its students perform at a significantly higher rate than students from peer schools and across the state, with a gap of between 10 and 20 percent higher in each of the four EOC categories.

In addition to the overall rating of Excellent, LCA received an Excellent grade, earning 4.25 out of 5 points, for School Climate, and an Excellent rating, with 18.69 out of 19 points, for an on-time graduation rate of 99.2 percent.

“I continue to be proud of the ongoing efforts of our Lancers to demonstrate improvement on the Algebra, Biology, and US History EOCs,” LCA principal Dr. Julie Marshall said. “This year we implemented targeted instruction to address historically weak strands in each content area. Through our new Learning Labs all students received individual support which served to personalize learning and move all levels higher. This transferred into academic confidence allowing us to increase rigor.”

Legion also received an Excellent rating for College & Career Readiness, earning 18.07 points out of 19, as well as High School Student Success, earning 11.82 points out of 12. LCA’s five-year student success rate stands at 100 percent. 

The LCA report card also revealed that 97.8 percent of parents who completed the survey are satisfied with the learning environment, indicating a strong partnership between LCA and its families and a healthy, positive school culture.

“Our outstanding graduation rate continues as we constantly seek to know and understand the needs of our students,” Marshall said. “Our increased focus on mental wellness and emotional well-being has served to address the whole child.”

Atlantic Collegiate Academy in Conway completed its first year of operation in 2023-24 and was thrilled to receive an overall rating of Excellent.

"To have a first-year school score Excellent on the South Carolina report card is amazing, and it truly takes a team effort from our students, teachers, staff, coaches and parents,” ACA principal Mike Lorenz said. “ACA is already a great school that is headed in the right direction. We have areas we can improve upon, and we will be working hard in those areas."

In addition to the overall rating of Excellent, ACA received an Excellent grade, earning 4.21 out of 5 points, for School Climate, and an Excellent rating, with 17.69 out of 19 points, for an on-time graduation rate of 96.6 percent.

The school received good ratings for Academic Achievement and High School Student Success. ACA did not receive ratings in multiple categories because it was a first-year school with a lack of historical data to compare.

"This report shows all the hard work and determination is paying off,” Lorenz said. “I am so proud of our students and staff for creating a school and culture in which students enjoy coming to school to learn. We thank everyone who has worked so hard and sacrificed to make ACA what it is."

All three Pinnacle Charter Academies receive oversight from the Limestone Charter Association in association with Limestone University. It is the Mission of LCA to serve as the cornerstone of charter school authorizing in South Carolina and to facilitate a positive, educational environment that fosters school autonomy through support and oversight to its member schools.

The Limestone Charter Association is led by Superintendent Angel Malone, who expressed her extreme pride in the performance of the Pinnacle Charter Academies.

“We are incredibly proud of Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Legion Collegiate Academy and Atlantic Collegiate Academy for earning an excellent rating on the South Carolina report card this year,” Malone said. “This achievement reflects the unwavering commitment of the schools - and Limestone Charter Association - to a mission-driven approach that prioritizes rigorous academics, innovative learning, and a supportive community. Seeing our schools excel is a testament to the dedication of our educators, the resilience of our students and families, and the effectiveness of our vision in preparing children for lifelong success."

The Pinnacle Collegiate Academies family of schools will continue to grow in time for the 2025-26 school year with the opening of Marshview Collegiate Academy in Hardeeville. Marshview will be founded on the same principals of having a small, safe and family centered school that is focused on challenging students with rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics.

To learn more about Pinnacle Collegiate Academies and how your students can enroll for the coming year, visit our school websites or social media pages at the following links:

Oceanside Collegiate Academy – Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Legion Collegiate Academy – Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | YouTube

Atlantic Collegiate Academy – Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter | YouTube

Marshview Collegiate Academy – Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)