Beaufort County Students Raise the Bar on State ELA, Math Tests
Education in Beaufort County, South Carolina recently got a big thumbs up! The Beaufort County School District (BCSD) is celebrating the latest set of state test scores that show its students are improving. Sounds awesome, right? But, the folks at BCSD also admitted they’re not quite ready to give themselves a full-on high five or an ‘A’ grade just yet.
English Language Arts Rocks in Beaufort!
In 2024, more than half of the students in grades 3-8 in Beaufort County crushed the standards in English Language Arts (ELA), with 53.4% meeting or exceeding them. This was the county’s all-time top score on the state’s ELA assessment. The scores were slightly better than in 2023 (where 53% of the students matched or passed the standards) and a huge leap from 2022 (when only 48.1% did).
The Beaufort folks aren’t resting on their laurels, though. They have big plans for the 2024-25 school year, with full steam ahead on the early literacy professional development for all K-3 educators. This cool program is designed to make sure that every kid in Beaufort can read by the time they finish third grade.
Positive Vibes in Math, but Room for Improvement
On the math side of things, the results were less stellar. Only 43% of the Beaufort students matched or exceeded the standards. But hey, that’s a 3% rise from 2023. Yes, it is lower than the 47.2% in 2019 (before the pandemic), but the school honchos reckon the effects of the pandemic on kids, especially in math, is something schools all over the country are dealing with.
The BCSD folks said this test score report was a good one overall. And check this out — every grade improved in Math. Yep, that’s right. Every. Single. Grade.
Gunning for 75% Proficiency in the Next Five Years
The school district has set its sights high for its students. They want to pump up the proficiency numbers to a whopping 75% in both ELA and Math in the next five years. They may not be there yet, but they’re definitely on the move!
“We believe that you’re going to see sort of like compounding interest,” said the Beaufort County School Superintendent. “As you begin to have more and more students reaching, meeting and exceeding levels in mathematics, then you’re going to get that compounding interest over the years. And they’ll continue to accelerate their learning as well.”
Diverse District, Diverse Languages!
One of the coolest things about BCSD is that it’s a super diverse district. More than twice the number of multilingual learners study here (23%) compared to the state average (just 10%). A third of the students come from families whose first language is not English. In total, the district is home to families who speak over 30 different languages!
The Beaufort County Standouts!
Several schools in the district have done an epic job of getting students to meet or exceed the district and state’s super challenging 75% proficiency goals in both ELA and Maths. Hats off to Coosa Elementary School, Okatie Elementary School, Lady’s Island Elementary School, Pritchardville Elementary School and River Ridge Academy for their top-notch performance!
The district has also shown commitment to preparing its students for career readiness by achieving the state’s rigorous 75% proficiency goal in the following areas: Math, Data, Reading, and Soft Skills. Take a bow, Bluffton and May River high schools. You guys are rocking it!
