S.C. Department of Education Releases SCPASS, SC READY Assessment Results

The South Carolina Department of Education released the 2021-2022 school year results for the South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) in Science and the South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) examinations in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics given in the elementary and middle school grade levels.

“Today’s results confirm the impacts and disruptions caused by the pandemic and the fact that we must continue to support students and educators as we recover,” said State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman. “We are alarmed and very concerned about the regression we see in areas like math, while encouraged by what we see in ELA. Much more will need to be done to reach our high standards and goals for the students of South Carolina, and it will take the combined efforts of educators, parents, and other stakeholders as we move forward.”

Several initiatives have been implemented on the state and local level to address learning loss during the pandemic, including a Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) professional learning program and a partnership with the South Carolina State Library to provide free online tutoring for South Carolina students through federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. ESSER funds have also been used to create a new Instruction Hub, a digital library for all teachers to provide access to high-quality, effective resources aligned to the South Carolina College and Career-Ready standards.

“The return to pre-pandemic scores in ELA is due, in large part, to the sense of urgency educators felt and the willingness of educators and lawmakers to act and implement support during and post pandemic,” Spearman said. “We are not painting a rosy picture and will look to implement meaningful actions, knowing that we have work to do in areas like math and bridging achievement gaps. However, we also want to pause to thank our educators for the growth we already see and work that we know they will do to address the challenges we have ahead.”

SCPASS
The SCPASS is a statewide assessment program that tests students in science that are aligned to South Carolina’s science standards. Pursuant to Act 94, the SCPASS Science assessment was administered statewide to students in grades four and six. State proviso suspended Science testing for students in grade eight. SCPASS Social Studies is no longer administered.

Science scores, since 2017, are reported in four achievement categories, Does Not Meet Expectations, Approaches Expectations, Meets Expectations, and Exceeds Expectations. Social studies scores are reported in three achievement categories, Not Met, Met, and Exemplary. 

Forty-six percent of the 113,880 fourth and sixth grade students tested in 2021-2022 met or exceeded state standards in science. This is an increase from 43 percent in 2020-2021 when 101,509 fourth and sixth graders were tested and a decrease from 49 percent in 2018-2019 when 178,756 fourth, sixth and eighth graders were tested.

SCPASS Science*

SC READY
SC READY is a statewide assessments in ELA and Mathematics that are aligned to the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards for ELA and Math. All students in grades three through eight are required to take the SC READY assessment except those who qualify for the South Carolina National Center and State Collaborative (SC-NCSC). The SC READY assessment was given for the first time in the 2015-2016 school year. 

Nearly 47 percent of the 347,962 third through eighth grade students tested met or exceeded expectations in ELA on state assessments during the 2021-2022 school year. This is an increase from around 42 percent (305,820 tested) during 2020-2021 and 45 percent (355,930 tested) during the 2018-2019 year. Math scores mirror national assessment data, which show a decline post pandemic. Just 39 percent of students met or exceeded expectations last school year, an increase from around 37 percent during 2020-2021 and decrease from around 45 percent during the 2018-2019 school year. 

SC READY English Language Arts*

SC READY Mathematics*

State, school district, and school level data for the SC PASS and SC READY assessments can be accessed by visiting South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) and SC READY - South Carolina Department of Education.