South Carolina students post gains on SC READY exams, state says

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - South Carolina students are continuing to make gains in reading and math, according to the latest SC READY results released by the South Carolina Department of Education.

The annual assessments measure student performance in English language arts and mathematics for students in grades three through eight and are used as a benchmark to track academic progress statewide.

State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said the results show South Carolina is moving in the right direction.

“There is still a lot more work to do, but we know we’re moving in the right direction,” Weaver said.

According to the department, English language arts scores have improved roughly eight percentage points since 2024, with 61.3% of students now meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. Education officials called it the strongest year of English growth on record for the state.

Math scores also showed improvement. 47.9% of students are now meeting or exceeding expectations, representing an increase of about five percentage points over the past two years.

Weaver pushed back against perceptions that South Carolina lags behind other states academically.

“Sometimes you hear South Carolina is not doing very well in education, but I’m here to tell you that is not true,” she said.

Nationally, South Carolina’s rankings have improved as well. The state now ranks 21st in fourth-grade math and 14th in fourth-grade reading. At the eighth-grade level, South Carolina ranks 32nd in math and 33rd in reading.

State education leaders acknowledge more progress is needed, particularly in middle school math, but say investments made in recent years are expected to produce stronger results over time.

“Historically that has been one of our weaker areas and I think a lot of that is due to the fact that we had very diffuse expectations, and now we’ve streamlined and focused those expectations around real impact,” Weaver said.

The department announced the results at Meeting Street Elementary Burns in North Charleston. The school led the state in English language arts growth and ranked among the top three schools for math growth.

Charleston County School District Superintendent Anita Huggins said the results reflect the impact of strong leadership and sustained academic focus.

“South Carolina is not at the bottom anymore. In fact, South Carolina is easing up to the top, and it’s because of leadership. Leadership matters,” Huggins said.

State leaders have also pointed to efforts to improve teacher retention, including recent pay increases approved by lawmakers and Gov. Henry McMaster, as a factor in improving student outcomes.

South Carolina’s long-term goal is for 75% of K-12 students to perform at or above grade level by 2030. Education officials say the latest SC READY results indicate progress toward that benchmark, while underscoring the work that remains ahead.

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