District sees test scores rise, but still lag state averages – Coastal Observer

District sees test scores rise, but still lag state averages – Coastal Observer

Students in Georgetown County School District improved their scores on the state’s standardized tests this year, but still lag behind state averages, according to results released this week. Scores for students in the Waccamaw schools were above the district and county averages in all grade levels. SCReady tests students in third through eighth grades on English and math. Grades four and six are also tested on science. The state Department of Education has a goal for 75 percent of students to test at or above grade level by 2030. The statewide results mark the strongest English results and significant gains in math since the inception of SCReady testing in 2015, according to the state department. State Superintendent Ellen Weaver said she is especially proud of the progress made in Charleston County. “These results reflect years of hard work and a shared commitment stretching all the way from the Statehouse to the classroom,” Weaver said in a statement. “When everyone shares a vision and pulls in the same direction, our students win.” There are 165 schools that have at least 75 percent of students at or above grade level for English, according to the state department. There are 71 schools that meet the state goal in math. In Georgetown County, 55.2 percent of students meet or exceed English standards, an increase of 8 points over last year. Statewide, 61 percent of students meet or exceed English standards, a 7.8 percentage point increase. In math, 41.4 percent of district students meet or exceed math standards. That’s 6.6 points below the state average, but a 4.4-point increase over last year.  That’s the highest math performance in the past five years, said Deputy Superintendent Sherri Forrest, who previously worked with turnaround schools in Atlanta. Forrest and other district officials have emphasized the need to provide research-based materials that are directly aligned to state standards for teachers. Elementary grades use iReady, the district’s universal screener, and middle school grades use Math Nation, an online program. “There was a strong focus on that this year,” she said. “If we’re always teaching below grade level, we’re never going to hit mastery.” Nearly 48 percent of students statewide meet or exceed expectations in math, a 5.6 point increase over two years. The district averages 9.8 points below the state in math across all grades except for fourth grade, which has trended above state averages for the last two years. The results released this week show that math scores for Georgetown County third graders have decreased by 38.2 percentage points since 2024. Third grade math was above the state average in 2024 with almost 83 percent of students at or above standards. In 2025, 71 percent of third graders met or exceeded the standards. This year, 44.5 percent of students meet or exceed standards. Third graders are also struggling in English. The number of those who meet or exceed standards dropped to 56 percent  from 78.6 percent. Over two years, the drop is  20.8 percentage points. At Waccamaw Elementary nearly 75 percent of third graders meet or exceed math standards. Scores for the county’s sixth graders didn’t change; about a third of students meet or exceed math standards and 48 percent meet or exceed English standards. Sixth graders at Waccamaw Intermediate saw a decrease of 5.8 percentage points in English from last year. They also saw a 7.5-point decrease in math results. But close to 75 percent still meet or exceed the English standards and almost 61 percent meet or exceed the math standards. Seventh grade scores show improvement in both areas across the district. Nearly 53 percent meet or exceed English standards, a 12.5-point increase over the last two years.  More than 36 percent of seventh graders meet or exceed standards in math, a 9.8-point increase since 2024. At Waccamaw Middle, 75 percent of seventh graders meet or exceed math standards, 38.7 points above the district average.  Just under 83 percent of Waccamaw eighth graders meet or exceed the math standards, 45.2 percentage points higher than the district average. The results also show growth for district fifth graders, especially in English where scores are up 11.4 percentage points over the last two years. Fifth graders are still below the state average in math, but increased scores by 4.8 percentage points since 2024. Forrest will provide an overview of the test scores at next week’s school board meeting. “I like to dive into it all,” she said.