November 3, 2005 EDITOR’S NOTE: Complete state, district and high school scores are available at the State Department of Education’s website at www.myscschools.com.
Horry County Schools’ 10th graders dipped slightly in performance on the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) examination, yet maintained performance that is higher than the state average. This year, 78.3 percent of Horry County Schools’ 10th-graders passed the state’s high school exit exam on their first attempt in spring 2005, a 1.7 percent decrease from 80 percent that passed on their first attempt in 2004. Of those who did not pass on the first attempt, 11.7 percent missed on English/language arts and 18.3 percent missed on mathematics. Statewide, 71.8 percent of 10th-graders passed the state’s high school exit exam on their first attempt in spring 2005, a 4.2 percent decrease from 76 percent that passed on their first attempt in 2004. Of those who did not pass on the first attempt, 13.8 percent missed on English/language arts and 23.7 percent missed on mathematics. Public high school students must pass the English language arts and mathematics sections of the new High School Assessment Program (HSAP) to qualify for a South Carolina diploma. The tests are initially administered in grade 10, and students who do not qualify have additional opportunities to retake the test in later grades. In addition to functioning as South Carolina’s high school exit exam, HSAP scores also factor into high school Adequate Yearly Progress ratings under the federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires that all students score Proficient or higher by 2014. According to South Carolina’s NCLB plan, Proficient is equivalent to a score of 3 on HSAP’s four-level scale. On English/language arts 58.8 percent of HCS students scored 3 or higher and 54.9 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics. Last school year’s 10th-graders were the second group of students who must pass the new HSAP exit exam in order to graduate. In previous years, students had to pass the Basic Skills Assessment Program (BSAP) exit exam developed during the 1980s, when statewide academic standards did not exist. HSAP is based on South Carolina’s new academic standards, which became law in 1998 and which have been rated among the nation’s best. As with BSAP, students get their first opportunity to pass HSAP during their second year of high school and have additional opportunities to retake the exit examination. The following is a list of district high schools, the percent of 10th grade students who passed both sections on their first attempt, and the percent who scored 3 or higher on English/language arts and mathematics: - Aynor High School: 88.4 percent passed both sections; 61 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 60.5 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- Carolina Forest High School: 80.2 percent passed both sections; 65.6 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 56.8 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- Conway High School: 76.8 percent passed both sections; 53 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 51.7 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- Green Sea Floyds High School 70.3 percent passed both sections; 50.5 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 42 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- Loris High School: 65.8 percent passed both sections; 46.5 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 46.2 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- Myrtle Beach High School: 78.4 percent passed both sections; 59.8 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 54.5 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- North Myrtle Beach High School: 74 percent passed both sections; 56.2 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 53.8 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics;
- St. James High School: 79.6 percent passed both sections; 64.8 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 55.1 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics; and
- Socastee High School: 85.5 percent passed both sections; 62 percent scored 3 or higher in English/language arts; and 64.6 percent scored 3 or higher in mathematics.
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