Greenwood, SC – Tuesday morning, the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) released the 2024 SC School Report Cards at Pinecrest Elementary School in Greenwood School District 50. These report cards, available at www.screportcards.com, provide insights into student performance and school quality for the 2023-2024 school year.

All South Carolina public schools receive overall report card ratings based on a 100-point scale. Schools also receive ratings on various indicators such as academic
achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and graduation rate.

South Carolina public schools increased in the overall number receiving an Academic Achievement rating of Excellent, an indicator that uses state summative assessment results to measure if students are meeting state standards in English Language Arts and Math.

For school year 2023-24, 54% of 3rd through 8th graders scored Met or Exceeds Expectations on SC READY ELA.

“As South Carolina schools continue to recover from the disruptions of the pandemic, programs like LETRS, grounded in the Science of Reading, are proving to be effective in fostering foundational literacy skills in early grades," said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver.

Student performance on the high school end-of-course exams improved in school year 2023-24 for all required assessments except U.S. History and the Constitution.

Superintendent Weaver celebrated the successes of SC public schools while emphasizing the work ahead: “As we continue to strive towards at least 75% of students
performing at or above grade level, the school report cards allow us to shine a light on the successes of schools across South Carolina.”

Weaver called out the performance of Pinecrest Elementary School in Greenwood School District 50, the host school for the annual release of report cards. Pinecrest earned an Excellent overall rating on the 2024 School Report Cards and also received the highest rating in both Academic Achievement and Student Progress. Of the student population that Pinecrest serves, 87% of them are considered Pupils in Poverty.

“The performance of schools like Pinecrest Elementary reminds us that though poverty is a challenge, it does not have to be destiny,” stated Weaver. “The faculty, staff, and students at these schools are living proof of the progress that is possible with a clear vision, focused leadership and high expectations for every student.”

While 44% of South Carolina public schools received an overall rating of Excellent or Good, data from this year’s report card also indicates areas of needed improvement.

"Moving forward, South Carolina will continue to expand evidence-based efforts to advance early literacy by investing in teacher knowledge and Science of Reading aligned classroom materials and practice. Improving math proficiency must also be an urgent, parallel priority to ensure that all students are fully prepared for future success. The Department’s newly launched Palmetto Math Project is positioned to do just that,” said Weaver.

April Allen, Chair of the SC Education Oversight Committee, the group that determines the components of the school accountability system, pointed to the disconnect between the on-time high school graduation rate and the rate at which those same students are college-or career-ready.

“This year’s report card data shows a disparity between the percentage of high school students who graduate on time and the rate at which those same students are college and career ready. We want to ensure that our students are adequately prepared for life after graduation.”

Additionally, Allen stated that the committee is looking closely at the impact of chronic absenteeism on students and schools.

“The state’s 2022-23 chronic absenteeism rate is 22% which means 1 in 5 students are chronically absent,” Allen stated. “The data confirm that if students are not present at school, they can’t learn.” Allen emphasized that it takes parents and families as well as communities to work on solving this problem.

For more detailed information on the 2024 School Report Cards and district-specific performance, please visit www.screportcards.com.