Daniel Prince
State, local results show impacts from pandemic learning loss
The South Carolina Department of Education released statewide SCPass and SC Ready test results on Tuesday. SCPass tests 4th, 6th, and 8th graders on science and 5th and 7th graders on social studies. However, this year the social studies test was not given, and 8th graders did not take the science test. Statewide, 22.2% of 4th graders and 24.1% of 6th graders exceeded expectations, while 24.2% of 4th graders and 21.5% of 6th graders met expectations.
The numbers for Union County Schools was lower, with 10.6% of 4th graders and 10.4% of 6th graders exceeding expectations in science. 23.7% of 4th graders and 12.4% of 6th graders met expectations. The school with the highest percentage of 4th-grade students meeting or exceeding expectations was Monarch Elementary, at 42.3%. Jonesville Elementary followed closely behind, at 38.1%; Buffalo was 3rd at 34.2%; and Foster Park came in last at 22%. Foster Park had the highest percentage of students approaching expectations, at 32.4%, while Jonesville had the highest percentage of students scoring does not meet expectations, at 52.4%. Sims Middle School had the highest percentage of 6th graders meeting or exceeding expectations, at 23.9%, to 19.1% for Jonesville Middle. Jonesville had 25% approaching expectations, and Sims had the highest percentage that did not meet expectations, at 60.2%.
State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said the test 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. 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."
In future newscasts, we will take a look at the ELA and math scores at schools across the district and how they compare to the state average.