Lowcountry School Districts Report Academic Growth

Charleston, SC – Several Lowcountry school districts have reported significant academic growth based on the 2023-2024 SC READY assessments released by the South Carolina Department of Education. These assessments measure students’ proficiency in English language arts, mathematics, and science for grades 3 to 8. The newly announced results indicate that the overall percentage of third through eighth graders not meeting requirements in English and math has decreased, although there was a slight uptick in fifth-grade mathematics performance.

South Carolina Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver highlighted that the percentage of fifth graders failing to meet expectations in mathematics rose slightly, from 22.1% in 2024 to 22.2% in 2025. Nevertheless, the overall trend across the state suggests encouraging progress in academic performance as the Department continues to strive for a goal of having at least 75% of students testing at or above grade level by 2030.

The Charleston County School District (CCSD) stood out with historic gains, reporting that 65% of its students are reading at or above grade level, marking a record high that surpasses the state average of 59.6%. Additionally, proficiency in mathematics was recorded at 54%, over ten points higher than the state average of 43.9%. CCSD’s science proficiency also reflected successful outcomes, reaching 54.5%, compared to the state average of 48.7%.

Results from the End-of-Course Examination Program showed that 64.9% of CCSD students scored a “C” or better in Algebra I, exceeding the state average of 53.1% by 11.8 points. For Biology I, 53.9% achieved a “C” or better, still above the state average of 45.5%, despite a minor drop of 1.3 points. In English II, scores improved to 74.9%, reflecting an increase of 1.4 points from the previous year. U.S. History results showed that 56% of students scored a “C” or better, which is a five-point increase from the previous year, exceeding the state average by more than eight points.

Superintendent Anita Huggins attributed these positive results to various factors, including the Weight Student Funding program, which has effectively allocated resources to support students’ needs. Importantly, these performance improvements considered all tested students, even those who have been inconsistently enrolled.

Other districts in the Lowcountry also reported academic growth. The Berkeley County School District observed an increase of 6.3% in SC READY English language arts scores, with a noteworthy nine-point jump in third-grade performance. In this district, the percentage of third graders failing to meet expectations decreased dramatically from 28.8% to 15.9%.

Dorchester District 2 reported English language arts scores above the state averages in all grades, while Colleton County exhibited a remarkable 12% growth in English language arts scores and improvements in mathematics proficiency. Although Williamsburg County generally remained below the state average, there were positive trends in both ELA and math compared to the previous year.

Georgetown County saw slight improvements with a majority of students achieving better scores year-on-year. Beaufort County noted modest growth in both English language arts and mathematics, although some grades experienced declines. School officials across districts anticipate that state report cards, expected in October, will further showcase the positive trends in student performance.

The improvements have been attributed to various initiatives, including early literacy programs, enhanced teacher training, and the use of high-quality instructional materials, with a specific emphasis on expanding LETRS training.

Statewide, the data indicates that third-grade reading proficiency has reached nearly 62%, demonstrating a collective commitment to improving early literacy across South Carolina.