This Horry County high school is ranked among the top 10 such educational facilities in SC
St. James High School recently garnered an honor only a handful in South Carolina can boast.
The high school, located in Murrells Inlet, is among the top 10 educational facilities in the state, coming in ninth in rankings put out annually by U.S. News & World Report.
St. James graded out at 90.18, according to parameters in which schools “are ranked on their performance on state-required tests, graduation and how well they prepare students for college,” the website states. The home of the Sharks was the top-ranked school in Horry County and what the website lists as Myrtle Beach Metro Area High Schools and No. 1,748 in the nation.
St. James’ scores were based on having 45 percent of its students having taken at least one AP exam, 29 percent having passed an AP exam, 73 percent mathematics proficiency, 93 percent reading proficiency and an 88 percent graduation rate.
Here’s how the scoring breaks down:
- Thirty percent of the scoring is based on college readiness (The proportions of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam. Passing is worth three times more than just taking).
- Twenty percent on math and reading proficiency based on aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.
- Twenty percent on math and reading proficiency based on how aggregated scores on state assessments compare to U.S. News’s expectations given the proportions of students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households.
- Ten percent on underserved student performance (Scores on state assessments aggregated just among students who are black, Hispanic and from low-income households. These scores are compared to what is typical in the state for non-undeserved students, with parity or higher being the goal).
- Ten percent on college curriculum breadth (The proportions of 12th graders who took and passed AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four. Passing an exam is worth three times more than taking).
- Ten percent on graduation rate (The proportion of entering ninth-graders who graduated four academic years later).
Charleston school Academic Magnet was ranked No. 1 in South Carolina and No. 2 in the nation, scoring 99.99.
Carolina Forest and Socastee were the second- and third-highest ranked Horry County schools in the state, coming in at 26th and 27th, respectively.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 7:24 PM.
