COLUMBIA, S.C. — Just over 20% of South Carolina schools received an overall rating of excellent as state education officials monitor the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, report cards issued by the SC Department of Education said.
Statewide, 20.6% percent of schools received an overall excellent grade, which is in line with 2019 data. Despite seeing success in many schools, the Education Oversight Committee (EOC) and SCDE stressed there is much work ahead for students to reach college and career readiness.
"I commend the effort of South Carolina educators and students," EOC Executive Director Matthew Ferguson said. "These results beat all expectations of what was thought possible while living through the COVID disruptions."
South Carolina high schools saw the biggest drop in excellent grades, falling from 26% in 2019 to 16.7% in 2022. Middle Schools were up from 20.7% to 21.4%, while elementary schools saw the biggest increase from 18.7% to 21.8% excellent. Click here to view full report card data for all South Carolina schools.
The number of high schools with unsatisfactory ratings increased from 10 in 2019 to 19 schools in 2022.
State Superintendent Molly Spearman said there are "real challenges" to overcome after the drops among middle and high school students.
"Though many of the results we see are perhaps expected following the pandemic, we are no less concerned about drops in assessment results and the widening gaps for many of our students," Spearman said.
The 2022 South Carolina school report cards included a new metric for "school climate," which uses results from teacher and student surveys to measure the perception of safety, working conditions and social-physical environment. They also included added value growth, a student-centered measure that focuses on rewarding growth that leads to grade-level proficiency and preparedness for college and careers.
Ferguson called this new metric the "ultimate expectation of the accountability system."
South Carolina school report cards are based on the South Carolina education system's accountability system. All elementary, middle and high schools receive overall ratings based on a 100-point scale. The ratings are defined as excellent, good, average, below average and unsatisfactory. Schools are also rated on various indicators, including graduation rate, academic achievement and college and career readiness.
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