The State Department of Education released statewide assessment results for schools and districts Thursday, and Florence County School District Three continues to strive to meet rigorous college and career readiness standards.
Florence County School District Three Superintendent Laura Hickson said even though we showed gains in some areas of the recently released SCPASS, ACT and WorkKeys assessments by the State Department of Education, the overall district’s results are still below the high expectations and potential of the district.
“We will continue to review all assessment data available to us to implement necessary changes for continuous improvement,” Ms. Hickson said. “We have seen improvement in some areas, but there are still areas of concerns. Our district instructional team is working closely with school administrative teams and teachers to determine the best strategies to address these challenges,” Ms. Hickson said.
Although FCSD3 shows some challenges that need to be addressed, there are some celebrations for the district.
SCPASS
The South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS) is a statewide assessment administered to students in grades four 4-8 in social studies and science.
Ronald E. McNair Junior High’s seventh grade science scores on SCPASS improved considerably over last year, from 39.2 percent of students scoring “met” or “exemplary” in 2015 to 46.9 percent in 2016. Seventh grade social studies scores also increased from 50.5 percent scoring “met” or “exemplary” to 57.1 percent.
J. Paul Truluck Intermediate School also saw growth in both subjects. In social studies, sixth grade scores improved from 64.9 percent “met” or exemplary” to 74. 8 percent. In science students scoring “met” or “exemplary” increased from 48.6 percent “met” or “exemplary” to 50.7.
Dr. Sharon Williams, Director of Science and Social Curriculum said the district continues to focus on strengthening curriculum and instruction and using resources in ways that improve what happens between teachers and students in classrooms.
One such resource involved teachers with above average test scores coming together to collaborate and create an instructional site that includes rigorous lessons, cyclical spiral reviews, consistent materials and best practices that support the instructional focus. Teachers are also using Professional Learning Communities to focus on teaching and learning with the new materials.
“We remain committed in our goal, which is to guarantee an excellent and equitable education for every student in Florence School District 3,” Williams said.
ACT and WorkKeys
While ACT and WorkKeys scores for Lake City High School trailed the state averages, the same trends in achievement were present.
The composite average scale score on ACT for the state was 18.2 while the average scale score at LCHS was 15.5.
Across the state and at Lake City High School, males outperformed females in the areas of math and science, and in the areas of English and reading, females performed better than males. An achievement gap between African American and white students is evident across all subtests at the state level and at LCHS, and while the school’s disabled subgroup is below the state average in other areas, their writing scale score is right in line with the state average.
WorkKeys is an assessment that evaluates job skills and identifies students’ abilities in the following areas: Applied Mathematics, Locating Information and Reading for Information. Based on their scores in all three areas, students can earn National Career Readiness Certificates (NCRC) at the following ascending levels: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.
In the state last year, 86.8% of students who completed all three WorkKeys tests earned an NCRC. At LCHS, 73.8% of tested students earned an NCRC. Across the three tests, LCHS students performed best on Reading for Information, with 96.8% of students scoring a Level 3 or higher. Applied Mathematics was the weakest area, with 79.6% of students scoring a Level 3 or higher.
Since the scores did not reflect the level of achievement that is expected and desired at Lake City High School, the leadership team has put several initiatives in place that should result in increased student achievement, beginning with a change to the structure of the school day.
The school now operates on a block schedule with students receiving 90 minutes of instruction daily for each class. Additionally, English and mathematics teachers embed test preparation components via USA Test Prep and CareerReady101 in daily instruction. Since English was the lowest tested area, juniors will receive a full year of English instruction as opposed to only a semester.
Principal Ned Blake cited the high school’s partnership with Florence Darlington Technical College as a move in the right direction. “With students now having access to various dual enrollment opportunities like English 101, Biology 101, Math 110 and more, they will receive rigorous instruction at the college level, ensuring their readiness for the challenging coursework they will encounter in college,” Blake said.
Results of SCReady, administered to students in grades four 4-8 in English Language Arts and mathematics, will be released by the State Department of Education in October.