MORNING NEWSBREAK | Fewer than one-third of 8th graders in South Carolina public schools are doing math at grade level, according to statewide test results released Friday by the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE).
Locally, results showed Charleston County School District (CCSD) students continuing to outperform the statewide averages at every grade level. In the 8th grade, 59.1% were meeting expectations in English Language Arts (ELA), or reading, and 41.7% in math. CCSD officials called those results a “historic record” of student success.
For the state, the comparative bright spot was reading (ELA) where 50.3% of 8th graders were performing at grade level.
In earlier grades, the numbers were slightly better in both subject areas. The single best statewide result reported was 4th grade ELA, with 57.2% of students meeting grade-level expectations.
Of particular note were the widening post-pandemic gaps between students from different racial and economic backgrounds. For instance in 2019, 18.1% of Black 8th graders and 29.2% of Latinos were meeting expectations in math. Today those numbers stand at 13.1% and 22.5% respectively.
The SC READY test is given annually to public school students in grades 3-8. In a press release announcing the results, state Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver accentuated the positive.
“We are so encouraged by the progress made in many districts, particularly in ELA, and we are committed to partnering with local education leaders to grow and sustain that progress and address our challenges in math,” she said. “Our laser focus remains on providing a strong academic foundation in the fundamentals to ensure that every South Carolina student has the opportunity to meet their full potential.”
– Jack O’Toole
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