See how Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Clover and York students rank in high school testing
High marks for area school districts aren’t just for the lower grades. High school student test scores show they can keep pace and often exceed state marks too.
A little more than a week after the South Carolina Department of Education released new data on elementary and middle school test scores, numbers are in for high school level courses. As with the prior numbers, older students in the region registered some of the highest scores in the state.
Data released Monday shows results for end of course and ready to work testing.
It’s part of college and career readiness that State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman said shouldn’t just be an aspiration in South Carolina, but a responsibility.
“We acknowledge the growth and improvement shown in the results as compared to 2021, but we also recognize that there is significant work to be done,” Spearman said in the release.
Locally, two districts again led the way in core course testing while a third shone in work readiness testing.
End of course tests
End of course testing for four core classes ranked more than 80 districts statewide. Fort Mill topped those rankings. Clover finished in the top three for three of those subjects. No area schools fell in the bottom quarter of the statewide rankings in any of the four subjects.
In Algebra 1 testing, Fort Mill led the state with Clover at No. 3. Following were area districts Rock Hill (No. 33), Lancaster County (35), Chester County (38) and York (57).
Fort Mill and Clover again were respectively first and third in Biology 1 testing. Lancaster County was No. 34 followed by Rock Hill (38), York (45) and Chester County (50).
Fort Mill was first and Clover second in English 2 testing. Next were Lancaster County (37), Rock Hill (40), York (56) and Chester County (57). In U.S. History and the Constitution testing, Fort Mill was No. 3 behind two Governors School districts with about 100 students each. York was next at No. 17, followed by Rock Hill (18), Clover (26), Lancaster County (37) and Chester County (59).
Ready to Work
Ready to Work is a career-readiness test administered to all 11th-graders in 2018, but just more than 6,600 students last year. It measures achievement in applied mathematics, reading for information, locating information and soft skills. Soft skills, according to the education department, relate to a student’s skills in problem solving, goal setting, decision-making and self-direction that prove vital in workplace success.
Students can earn platinum, gold, silver or bronze certificates based on scores. Statewide, 62% of students tested last year earned a certificate. York schools did particularly well among area districts in ready to work testing.
York finished second statewide in applied mathematics. Fort Mill followed at No. 12, then came Clover (t-No. 13), Chester County (t-21), Rock Hill (t-29) and Lancaster County (t-37).
York ranked No. 19 in soft skills, followed by Chester County (25) and Lancaster County (30). Fort Mill, Rock Hill and Clover didn’t test enough students to receive a district score.
Clover tied for second and York for sixth statewide in the locating information column. Next were Rock Hill (t-No. 13), Chester County and Fort Mill (each t-36) and Lancaster County (t-51).
In reading for information, Clover was tied for seventh in the state followed by York (t-No. 9), Chester County (t-21), Rock Hill and Fort Mill (each t-29), and Lancaster County (t-51).
Clover was second statewide with almost 90% of its test takers earning a certificate. York was third with almost 88%. Clover and York high schools respectively were the second and third ranked schools in the state for students earning certificates.
This story was originally published September 20, 2022 at 2:09 PM.
