EOCEP, Career Readiness assessment results also released
Staff reports
The South Carolina Department of Education has released the 2023-2024 English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics SC READY assessment data for students in Grades 3-8. As the state and Beaufort County School District (BCSD) continue the mission to ensure that at least 75% of students are performing at or above grade level by 2029, these results highlight both successes and areas for continued focus.
The South Carolina Department of Education has also released the 2023-2024 results for the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) and SC Career Readiness Assessments, showcasing improvements in student performance across several key subjects. While some areas require continued focus, the overall trends indicate growth in South Carolina’s education outcomes, advancing the state’s goal of having at least 75% of students meet the standard for college or career readiness.
As a point of reference, BCSD serves more than 21,000 students and has more than double the population of multilingual learners (23%) in comparison to the state (10%). One third of the district’s students were born into families whose native language is something other than English. Districtwide, the BCSD serves families who speak more than 30 different languages.
BCSD highlights for SC READY, EOCEP, and SC Career Readiness Assessments:
- Every grade level showed improvement in Math
- Exceeded the state in Math SC Ready
- Exceeded the state in ELA SC Ready
- Exceeded the state, earning A-C in all EOCEPs
- Exceeded the state in Career Readiness Math, Data, Reading, and Soft Skills assessments
BCSD SC READY ELA scores remain strong; Math shows improvement
“Our SC READY scores indicate that our early interventions are working. ELA continues to be strong and steady, our math continues to rise,” BCSD Superintendent Frank Rodriguez said in a news release. “Of course, there is still work to be done. We are confident we will see even more progress in math next year, reaching or exceeding pre-pandemic levels.”
BCSD SC READY Summary
| Subject | % Meet/Exceeds 2019 | % Meet/Exceeds 2021 | % Meet/Exceeds 2022 | % Meet/Exceeds 2023 | % Meet/Exceeds 2024 |
| ELA | 45 | 44.7 | 48.1 | 53 | 53.4 |
| Math | 47.2 | 39.3 | 40.7 | 40 | 43 |
* In 2020 the state did not administer or report on data due to the pandemic.
BCSD English Language Arts (ELA) Performance: With the highest score in district history on the current state assessment since its inception, SC READY ELA performance remains a bright spot for BCSD and the state, with scores across Grades 3-8 continuing to surpass pre-pandemic levels. The weighted average of students meeting or exceeding expectations in ELA for the district stood at 53.4% in 2024, slightly higher than 2023 achievement and significantly higher than the 45% recorded in 2019. This data underscores the steady improvement and sustained growth achieved over the past few years.
Like the state, BCSD students in the early grades (3-4) continue to show relatively stronger performance in ELA than higher grades, a trend that has remained consistent in recent years. During the 2024-25 school year, BCSD will have full implementation of the early literacy professional development (LETRS) for all K-3 educators in all our schools. This is a statewide programmatic initiative to ensure every child can read by the end of third grade.
Mathematics Performance: In mathematics, there has been an improvement in scores from 2023 to 2024 for the district, with the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations rising from 40% to 43%. However, the overall performance still lags pre-pandemic levels (47.2% in 2019) and demands urgent and targeted intervention.
Reaching the 75% proficiency goal in math will require sustained effort and close collaboration among educators, students, and families. BCSD is focused on fidelity of practice of instructional resources for high-quality instruction that builds upon the foundation of multi-tiered support systems, making math come alive through conceptual understanding by increasing teachers’ and students’ utilization of mathematical manipulatives.
Several schools have made significant strides in ensuring their students are working toward meeting or exceeding the district and state’s rigorous 75% proficiency goals in both ELA and Math. Here are the examples, north of the Broad River:
1. Coosa Elementary School
· ELA (Grades 3, 4, and 5): Surpassed the 75% proficiency goal.
· Math (Grades 3, 4, and 5): Nearing or surpassed 75% proficiency goal.
2. Lady’s Island Elementary School
- Math (Grade 3): Nearing the 75% proficiency goal.
3. Riverview Charter School
- ELA (Grades 6, 7 and 8): Nearing or surpassed the 75% proficiency goal.
The State Department of Education remains committed to supporting students and educators as they continue to build on gains. While the steady performance in ELA is encouraging, the focus will be on bringing math scores back to and above pre-pandemic levels. With dedicated resources and a strategic approach, including initiatives like the Palmetto Literacy Project and now the Palmetto Math Project, the Department is confident in the continued improvement of student outcomes across the state.
State, school district, and school level data for the SC READY assessments can be accessed by visiting https://ed.sc.gov/data/test-scores/state-assessments/sc-ready/.
BCSD EOCEP and Career Readiness Assessment Results
The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) is a statewide assessment program of end-of-course tests for gateway courses awarded units of credit in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. These assessments are critical for ensuring that students are prepared for the academic challenges of college and the demands of the modern workforce.
BCSD EOCEP Summary
| Course | % Passing (A-C) 2023 | % Passing (A-C) 2024 |
| Algebra 1 | 48.6% | 53.3% |
| English 2 | 71% | 71% |
| Biology 1 | 52.3% | 53% |
| U.S. History | 47% | 46.4% |
Key EOCEP Highlights
Algebra 1
- The passing rate (grades A-C) improved from 48.6% in 2023 to 53.3% in 2024, reflecting a notable increase in students achieving higher grades.
- North of the Broad, Riverview middle school achieved the state’s 75% proficiency goal for student achievement on the Algebra 1 EOCEP.
English 2
- The passing rate remained relatively stable at 71%, indicating stable student performance and understanding in literacy skills.
- North of the Broad, Whale Branch Early College High School is nearing the state’s 75% proficiency goal for student achievement on the English 2 EOCEP.
Biology 1
- The passing rate rose from 52.3% in 2023 to 53% in 2024, indicating growing student comprehension of biological concepts. Additionally, BCSD is expanding live science opportunities for younger students to deepen the prerequisite knowledge required for upper-level, secondary science standards.
U.S. History and the Constitution
- The passing rate remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease of less than 1% in 2023 to 2024, indicating stable student performance in understanding U.S. history and constitutional principles. BCSD’s focus on the progression of standards this school year will be paramount at building students’ understanding of historical knowledge through increased use of primary and secondary sources.
SC Career Readiness Assessment
The South Carolina Career Ready Test is administered to all 11th-grade students to measure the skills that employers define as foundational for career readiness. These assessments play a key role in ensuring that students are equipped with the necessary competencies to thrive in the workforce and their future careers.
BCSD Career Readiness Assessment Summary
| Assessment | Career Ready 2023 (Levels 3-5) | Career Ready 2024 (Levels 3-5) |
| Math | 64.5% | 60.3% |
| Data | 71.8% | 71% |
| Reading | 73% | 73% |
Soft Skills Assessment Summary
| Assessment | Career Ready 2023 | Career Ready 2024 |
| Soft Skills | 70.9% | 70.4% |
While a significant number of South Carolina students are building the foundational skills necessary for success in college, careers, and life, progress is still needed to achieve the state and BCSD goal of having 75% of students meet the standard for career readiness.
Achieving the 75% Proficiency Goals on Career Readiness Assessment: Some (North of the Broad) schools have demonstrated exceptional commitment to preparing their students for career readiness by achieving the state’s rigorous 75% proficiency goal in the following areas:
Data
- Beaufort High School is nearing the state’s 75% proficiency goal for student achievement on the Data Career Readiness Assessment.
Reading
- Beaufort High School is nearing the state’s 75% proficiency goal for student achievement on the Reading Career Readiness Assessment.
Soft Skills Assessment
- Beaufort High School is nearing the state’s 75% proficiency goal for student achievement on the Soft Skills Assessment.
State, School District, and School Level Data for EOCEP and Career Readiness assessments can be accessed by visiting EOCEP assessment data at https://bit.ly/4dBf1Cc and Career Readiness assessment data at https://bit.ly/4ct6KPa.
