How Rock Hill region high schools fared in math, reading, career readiness tests
High schools in Fort Mill and Clover have some of the best-prepared students for careers once they graduate, according to new state test scores.
In fact, most schools across the Rock Hill region consistently test in the upper half of schools statewide.
SC Career Readiness scores released Tuesday measure skills employers most look for, according to the South Carolina Department of Education. Students are scored in math, reading, data assessment and soft skills. The single test measures whether students have the math, reading and other skills relevant to job tasks or comprehension needed in the workforce.
Scores aren’t an overall measure of math or language abilities, like an SAT or ACT test would be.
The state Education Department released results from testing this spring for nearly 80 school districts and 260 high schools.
The Fort Mill and Clover districts topped other traditional school districts in several measures. The state data include specialty high schools, public charter schools and programs like the selective, residential Governor’s Schools.
Use the tables below to see where every high school and school district in the Rock Hill region placed:
Math testing results for Rock Hill region
Fort Mill and Clover scored highest among all traditional districts in math testing, trailing only two Governor’s School programs. Governor’s Schools are residential schools for students who meet high course requirements at traditional schools statewide before they apply. There’s a school for math and science, one for the arts and one for agriculture.
Fort Mill and Clover combined to test more than 2,200 students, compared to 271 students for both Governor’s School sites combined.
Fort Mill also had the second-highest percentage of students who scored in the top level (16.2%), behind only the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. Clover, at 10.4%, was fifth overall.
Lancaster County tied for No. 12 in math testing. Nearly 49% of students scored in the top two levels. Next among local districts were York (tied for No. 26), Rock Hill (tied for No. 32) and Chester County (tied for No. 58).
The top performing schools in math testing were Fort Mill High (tied for No. 9), Catawba Ridge High (No. 15) and Nation Ford High (tied for No. 21).
Most high schools at the top of the rankings are specialty schools within public districts.
Several other area schools finished top 50 in the state. Indian Land High and Clover High tied for No. 26. York Preperatory Academy and Legion Collegiate Academy tied for No. 32. York Comprehensive High and Northwestern High ranked in a tie just inside the top 100, at No. 95.
Reading testing results
The Fort Mill (No. 3) and Clover (No. 4) districts again trailed only two Governor’s Schools in reading tests. Lancaster County also tied for No. 9. All three districts had more than half of their students test in one of the top two levels.
Next were York (tied for No. 29), Rock Hill (tied for No. 38) and Chester County (tied for No. 56).
Fort Mill High and Catawba Ridge High tied for the top score among area high schools in reading. Both tied for No. 13 statewide.
Catawba Ridge had more than 77% of students score in the top two levels. Fort Mill topped 73%.
Indian Land High, Clover High, Nation Ford High and York Preparatory Academy tied for No. 24. Legion Collegiate tied for No. 43, followed by Northwestern High that tied for No. 82.
Data assessment testing results
The Fort Mill and Clover districts were close at the top again in data assessment testing. Fort Mill was No. 3 and Clover No. 4, trailing only two Governor’s School programs. More than 60% of Fort Mill and Clover students tested scored in the top two levels.
Lancaster County tied for No. 19, followed by York and Rock Hill which both tied for No. 32. Chester County tied for No. 49.
By school, Fort Mill High and Catawba Ridge High tested the highest.
Those schools tied for No. 13. Both schools had more than 72% of their students test in one of the top two levels. York Preparatory Academy wasn’t far behind the Fort Mill schools, at a tie for No. 25 statewide.
Clover High and Nation Ford High were next, tied for No. 28. Indian Land High and Legion Collegiate Academy tied for No. 47. Northwestern High tied for No. 99.
Soft skills test results
Testing for career-ready soft skills is different from the others. Students either pass or fail that test. Also, districts vary widely in how many students they test.
The Fort Mill district, for instance, tested nearly 1,300 students. Fort Mill finished No. 3 statewide, behind only two Governor’s Schools.
The Clover district, though, finished with the lowest mean score of any district that got results. But Clover only tested 35 students, a much smaller group than tested in the other categories.
After Fort Mill, area districts that fared best on the soft skills test were Rock Hill (tied for No. 23), Chester County, Lancaster County and York (all three tied for No. 37).
School results are bunched together with similar mean test scores, but pass-fail rates differ. The highest pass rates were Fort Mill High (91.2%), Catawba Ridge High (90.3%), Nation Ford High (87%), York Preparatory Academy (78.3%), Legion Collegiate Academy (74.5%) and Indian Land High (70.9%).
