SC schools are improving, but there is still work to be done to meet the 2030 goal

GREENWOOD, S.C. (WCSC) – South Carolina education leaders have set an ambitious goal for students to achieve in reading, writing and math in six years.

The South Carolina Department of Education wants 75% of the state's students to achieve at least grade level in these three areas. New results from annual school reports published on Tuesday show state schools are making progress. But schools still have a long way to go to reach the 2030 goal.

The report cards measure metrics such as academic achievement, college and career readiness, graduation rates, and school safety and climate – and give each school a score out of 100.

State Superintendent Ellen Weaver and other school leaders presented this year's numbers from Pinecrest Elementary School in Greenwood, the second-highest scoring elementary school in the state.

“Being the good person who holds down a job and contributes to society is our number one goal,” said Steve Glenn, superintendent of Greenwood School District 50.

With an overall rating of “Excellent,” Pinecrest is one of the best schools in the state.

This year's reports show that fewer schools received this top grade than last year, but also fewer schools received the worst rating of “Unsatisfactory” than last year.

The results show that just over half of students in third through eighth grades are performing at or above grade level in reading and writing, while less than half are performing at or above grade level in math.

“We will continue to focus on this part of early literacy to build a solid foundation for these students as they move into middle and high school, but then real focus on math needs to be the top priority,” Weaver said.

A major concern for the state is chronic student absenteeism, missing at least 10 percent of the school year.

One in five students in South Carolina are considered chronically absent, and the state Education Oversight Committee is conducting a study into the causes and options for remediation.

Communities across the state are still recovering from Helene, and many students have missed a significant amount of school because of it.

Weaver says the department is working with districts to make up for this lost time so that a year from now they won't be talking about how much students have fallen behind as a result.

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