There was improvement in Georgetown County schools this year in the state’s End-of-Course testing, according to data released this week by the S.C. Department of Education.
The EOC tests are given in the areas of biology, English, algebra and U.S. history and constitution and the results are two percent of a student’s final grade in a course.
In the county, middle school passage rates led the way with English I and Algebra I students. Carvers Bay Middle had 100 percent of its students pass these exams with Waccamaw Middle having 100 percent of its Algebra I students achieving passing marks.
Waccamaw High School had a passage rate of 91.5 percent of its second year to high school students making 100 on the Biology I exam.
The district-wide average passage rate was 77.8 for biology (74.9 last year), 77.2 for English (76.9 last year), 70.1 for U.S. history and constitution (69.4 last year), and 80.0 for algebra, up from 79.3 last year.
“Gains were also posted in our overall passage rates in U. S. History with WHS leading the way. As compared with the state our various subgroups of students kept pace with the gains in closing the achievement gaps,” said Georgetown County School District spokesman Ray White.
“U. S. History remains a challenge state-wide and in our district. Balanced literacy strategies have been implemented in all elementary and middle schools, and with this approach we fully expect our English scores to improve. We also realize that with the loss of budgets we can no longer employ extra teachers who assisted with ELA and Math in middle and high schools. We are very proud of the gains that we continue to make.”
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com