Beaufort County Students See Improvement on State ELA, Math Tests

BEAUFORT COUNTY – Beaufort County School District is pleased to announce the latest round of statewide test scores, revealing a significant improvement from its student body. However, school leaders acknowledge that there is room for continued growth despite this progress.

Improvement in Student Scores

In 2024, about 53.4% of Beaufort County students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded standards in English Language Arts (ELA) on the state assessment – the highest score in district history. This score is a marginal increase from the 53% in 2023 and notably higher than the 48.1% in 2022. Furthermore, for the school year 2024-25, the district will fully implement the LETRS early literacy professional development for K-3 educators, a state initiative aiming to ensure literacy for every child by third grade.

Math Score Improvements

In Mathematics, the numbers were slightly lower with 43% of students meeting or exceeding the standards, marking a 3% improvement from 2023. However, this is lower than the 47.2% mark in 2019, pre-pandemic. Superintendent Dr. Frank Rodriguez points out, “One of the things nationwide that you see in math is that was the area that was hardest hit due to the impact of the pandemic. We anticipate a multi-year recovery to reach pre-pandemic performance levels.”

Positive Overall Report

Despite the challenges faced, the school district views this as an overall positive report. All grade levels displayed improvement in Mathematics and ELA, exceeding state averages in both subjects. The district now aims to reach proficiency numbers of 75% in both ELA and Mathematics within the next five years.

Addressing Multilingual Learners

A significant aspect of the Beaufort County School District is its multilingual student population which is over double the state average. Approximately one-third of the district’s students hail from families where English is not the native language. The district serves families that communicate in over 30 different languages.

Individual Schools Show Significant Strides

Several schools within the district have made significant strides toward achieving or even surpassing the district and state’s 75% proficiency goals in both ELA and Math. These schools include Coosa Elementary School, Okatie Elementary School, Lady’s Island Elementary School, Pritchardville Elementary School, River Ridge Academy, and Riverview Charter School.

Career Readiness Measures

Beaufort County school district has also reported progress in preparing students for career readiness, as several high schools are nearing or have achieved the state’s rigorous 75% proficiency goal in Math, Data, Reading, and Soft Skills assessments.

Moving Forward

Dr. Mary Stratos, the district’s Chief Instructional Services Officer, makes it clear that while they are proud of the progress, they are not yet satisfied with the results. The continuous effort to secure the success of their students after graduation remains a priority. Therefore, the steps towards improvement must be bolder and more robust in the upcoming years.