SC Ready test scores for Horry schools ‘outperform the state.’ Here’s what that means

Horry County Schools outperformed the state in statewide testing, but results show that the scores still have gaps in student achievement.

Gaps include over half of students throughout grades 3-8 with disabilities scoring “did not meet standards” on SC Ready tests, which measure students’ understanding of English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics.

SC Ready scores, which measure students in grades 3-8, were released September 6 to the public.

Test scores are reported as “Exceeds Standard,” “Meets Standard,” “Approaches Standard,” or “Does Not Meet Standard” for both areas tested. “Meets or exceeds standard” are considered the highest performance levels.

Students scoring at the highest performance levels in ELA ranged between three and seven percent higher than the state. In mathematics, students scoring at the highest performance levels ranged between six and ten percent higher than the state.

Here’s a look at how the county fared on standardized tests for the 2021-22 year.

Demographic shows a drastic difference in comparison to the overall scores. A little over half, 50.9 percent, of Black or African American students in grade 6 scores “did not meet expectations” for the mathematics assessment.

John Washburn, executive director of accountability and instruction in Horry County schools, pointed out that these numbers are still better than the state average. 53.7 percent of Black or African American students across the state scored “did not meet expectations,” for that same category, which is a little over two percent more.

Washburn said that the school district doesn’t discount these gaps.

“We understand that there is a gap there,” Washburn said. “And I think our district is working very hard to try to minimize those gaps.”

Rick Maxey, Superintendent of Horry County Schools, spoke about the gaps during a board meeting on Monday.

“We still need to improve in some areas,” Maxey said. “But overall, we’re very proud of where we are, as far as the circumstances are concerned.”

Lisa Ellis, democratic candidate for SC Superintendent of Education, said that it’s important to remember that SC Ready scores reflect one day of testing.

“Our students deserve a more accurate way of evaluating their skills and curriculum,” Ellis said. Ellis also stated that stark differences in testing can be seen even between neighborhoods.

“This also tends to happen between predominantly white communities and predominantly communities of color. It is inexcusable to continue underfunding schools where students need help, whether that be through more teachers, better access to broadband, and more, Ellis said. “As Superintendent, consistent funding across districts and allowing them to put funds toward programming that students need most will be my priority.”

COVID-19 Learning

These scores are important because it’s a window into how students are recovering with reading loss from the pandemic.

Ellen Weaver, a republican candidate for SC Superintendent of Education, said during a Tim Scott rally that South Carolina students are lagging behind their national counterparts.

“COVID certainly made that trend worse, we see that six out of 10 of our kids aren’t able to do math on grade level, and over half of our kids aren’t able to read on grade level,” Weaver said. “And that’s urgent, that is a crisis.”

Weaver added that a solution was prioritizing early literacy.

“Awareness and vocabulary, we know that that is what closes those achievement gaps for student groups who are falling further and further behind,” Weaver said. “So that’s going to be my number one academic priority as Superintendent of Education.”

Washburn, who presented at the school board meeting on Monday, stated that SC Ready scores for Horry County students have rebounded to where they where pre-pandemic level. 52.1 percent of students grades 3-8 scored “meets or exceeds standards,” which is only a 0.2 percent difference.

Here’s a look back at the scores from the 2018-19 school year.

Additionally, Horry County Schools performed higher than the state on a similar statewide test that tests grades 4 and 6 on science. Students scoring at the highest performance levels ranged between six and eight percent higher than the state on the South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS).

“Student learning has got to be our top priority. That’s the entire point of our education system,” Weaver said.