COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina students showed improvement in English language arts but continued to struggle with math during the 2022-23 school year, data from the State Department of Education shows.
The South Carolina Department of Education released statewide public school results for the Career Readiness and End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) this week.
The End-of-Course Examination Program provides tests in high school core courses and for courses taken in middle school for high school credit. The EOCEP tests the following subject areas: Algebra 1; English 2; US History and the Constitution; and Biology 1.
End-of-Course Examination Program
The EOCEP provides tests in high school core courses and for courses taken in middle school for high school credit. Additionally, EOCEP scores account for 20% in the calculation of students' final grades in gateway courses.
The mean score for Algebra 1 increased from 68.12 to 69.12, surpassing the pre-pandemic mean score of 68.34 in 2019. English 2 scores increased to 77.65 from 76.52 in 2022. Biology 1 and U.S. history means scores also increased from 2022 but remained lower than pre-pandemic levels.
EOCEP data by subject showed mixed results. While the number of students scoring F decreased in all subjects but English 2, the percentage of F scores remains significant in Algebra 1 (31.55%), Biology 1 (40.81%), and U.S. History (39.14%). Nearly 16% of students taking the English 2 EOCEP exam scored F.
“There's some cause for celebration. We're seeing students returning, and in some cases, exceeding where we saw student achievement levels on these tests prior to COVID, especially in the areas of literacy," Patrick Kelly with the Palmetto State Teachers Association said. “There are some lessons we can learn in areas like literacy that we can apply to other areas to help continue to propel our students to reach their full potential.”
Both Fort Mill and Chester County School Districts said they saw gains in all subjects.
Joe Burke, a spokesman for Fort Mill schools, said providing more time for teachers to collaborate and plan helped with student achievement.
"And just support too," Burke said. "We've added some positions in our district when it comes to having the science, math, and social studies areas -- but mainly, the work that's been done by our teachers in the classroom is what's given these results."
Prioritizing state standards and tailoring support to students helped in Chester, though the district said social factors can also pose a challenge to student achievement.
“High poverty does not in any way dictate whether a child is capable or is going to master and meet proficiency, but it does create some challenges to that oftentimes," Denise Khaalid, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for Chester County, said. "We're definitely happy about seeing the growth and also seeing that achievement needle move as well. That, I think, validates the work that we're doing."
The SCDE announced two civics-based competitions as part of its effort to help improve scores in history.
South Carolina Career Ready Test
The South Carolina Career Ready Test is a career readiness test administered to all 11th grade students to measure the most common skills that employers define as foundational for career readiness.
Students are assessed in four key areas: soft skills, math, reading, and data. This is the first year that this particular career readiness assessment has been given, so there is no exact comparative data to results of previous years. South Carolina shifted from the certificate level descriptors provided by assessment vendors to a more definitive statement of job readiness based on U.S. Department of Labor O*NET Job Zones.
Career-ready credentials are issued for students who have earned an achievement level 2-5. The levels are defined as follows:
- Achievement Level 5 - Learner has foundational skills to pursue 100% of O*NET Job Zones
- Achievement Level 4 - Learner has foundational skills to pursue 83% of O*NET Job Zones
- Achievement Level 3 - Learner has foundational skills to pursue 59% of O*NET Job Zones
- Achievement Level 2 - Learner has foundational skills to pursue 35% of O*NET Job Zones
WLTX contributed to this report.
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