South Carolina Students Lag Behind in Math and Reading, New Test Scores Reveal

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Newly released SCREADY test scores from the 2023-2024 school year show that South Carolina students are falling short of state expectations in reading, writing, and math. The scores reveal that 53% of students tested at or above their grade level in English Language Arts (ELA), while only 42% met grade-level expectations in math.

These results are far below the South Carolina Department of Education’s goal of 75% proficiency. While ELA scores have shown improvement since the pandemic, math scores remain troubling, with only slight gains from last year.

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver expressed concern over the math scores and announced a new initiative, the Palmetto Math Project, aimed at providing targeted support to struggling schools. Despite the challenges, some individual districts have reached the state’s ambitious goals, offering hope that improvement is possible statewide.

The full SCREADY scores for the state and individual districts can be viewed here.

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