Students in Beaufort County improved their performance on state tests administered at the end of key high school courses in 2012, according to results released by the South Carolina Department of Education.
South Carolina students’ scores on end-of-course exams count for 20 percent of final grades in Algebra 1, English 1, Biology and U.S. History and Constitution.
Beaufort County students’ mean scores on 2012 end-of-course exams exceeded state averages in three subjects: Algebra 1, English 1 and Biology.  Improvements were reported in all four subjects:
• Algebra 1 — Mean scores increased from 76.3 in 2008 to 82.1 in 2012 (state 2012 mean was 81.0).
• English 1 — Mean scores increased from 74.9 in 2008 to 83.9 in 2012 (state 2012 mean was 78.2).
• U.S. History and Constitution — Mean scores increased from 68.1 in 2009 to 70.1 in 2012 (state 2012 mean was 71.2).  These scores were first reported in 2009.
• Biology — Mean scores increased from 78.0 in 2011, the first year of reporting, to 83.9 in 2012 (state 2012 mean was 80.8).
District students’ passing percentages in 2012 exceeded state averages in two of the four subjects tested: English 1 and Biology.
“Educators look for trends in student test scores over time, and the trends here are very positive,” said Acting Superintendent Jackie Rosswurm.  “Are students where we want them to be?  No, certainly not.  But we’re on the right track, and we need to keep working hard and improving, not only in our high schools but in our elementary and middle schools as we prepare students for high school-level courses.”