GCS Outperforms State & Shows Steady Gains in All Testing Categories: SC READY, End-of-Course and Career Ready
Greenville County Schools’ test scores show elementary and middle school students outperformed the state on SC READY English Language Arts, Math and Science assessments, Greenville County middle and high school students outperformed the state in all subject areas on the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP), and 74.4% of GCS students who took South Carolina’s Career Ready Assessment in spring 2025 earned a credential, outperforming the state rate of 69.0%. In addition to outperforming the state, the district maintained a trend of steady growth in all subject areas across all levels over a three-year period.
“This year’s achievements underscore the unwavering dedication of our students, faculty, and school and district leadership,” said Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster. “These achievements are made possible by the direction set forth by our Board of Trustees, which remains focused on student growth and achievement while preparing our graduates with college-level coursework and workforce credentials through our Graduation Plus framework.”
SC READY
Reflected in the latest assessment data for the 2024-25 school year, Greenville County elementary and middle school students outperformed the state in South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) for English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, which are administered in grades 3-8.
Elementary Schools:
- GCS elementary school students outperformed the state in every grade level in ELA, Math and Science for the 2024-25 school year.
- Every GCS elementary school maintained or increased ELA and/or Math scores from 2023-24 to 2024-25 school year.
Middle Schools:
- GCS middle school students outperformed the state in every grade level in ELA, Math and Science for the 2024-25 school year.
- 95% of GCS middle schools maintained or increased ELA and/or Math scores from 2023-24 to 2024-25 school year
SC READY English Language Arts 2024-25: % Meets or Exceeds
|
Grade |
SC |
GCS |
Difference in Percentage Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
3rd |
61.7 |
70.7 |
+9.0 |
|
4th |
63.5 |
70.7 |
+7.2 |
|
5th |
62.5 |
70.1 |
+7.6 |
|
6th |
56.0 |
60.7 |
+4.7 |
|
7th |
58.2 |
63.0 |
+4.8 |
|
8th |
55.7 |
60.9 |
+5.2 |
SC READY Math 2024-25: % Meets or Exceeds
|
Grade |
SC |
GCS |
Difference in Percentage Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
3rd |
56.3 |
66.4 |
+10.1 |
|
4th |
53.7 |
64.5 |
+10.8 |
|
5th |
48.1 |
59.6 |
+11.5 |
|
6th |
39.4 |
46.6 |
+7.2 |
|
7th |
34.0 |
41.1 |
+7.1 |
|
8th |
32.4 |
40.7 |
+8.3 |
End of Course Exam Program
Algebra 1
- 60% of GCS high schools maintained or increased passage rates from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year.
- The passage rate district-wide increased from 83.3 percent to 85.6 percent from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year.
English 2
- Two-thirds of GCS high schools outperformed the state passage rate.
- 73% of GCS high schools maintained or increased passage rates from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year.
Biology
- Four GCS high schools showed increased passage rates from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year after every high school saw an increase the previous year.
- 73% of GCS high schools outperformed the state passage rate.
U.S. History
- 80% of GCS high schools maintained or increased passage rates from the 2023-24 school year to the 2024-25 school year.
- The passage rate for GCS students on the US History and the Constitution exam exceeded the state passage rate by 8.8%.
End of Course Exam Program: % Passing
|
Subject |
SC |
GCS |
Difference in Percentage Points |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Algebra I* |
73.9 |
85.6 |
+11.7 |
|
English II |
86.4 |
88.7 |
+2.3 |
|
Biology I |
61.7 |
70.1 |
+8.4 |
|
U.S. History |
61.5 |
70.3 |
+8.8 |
*The South Carolina Department of Education reports Algebra I Passage Rates for middle and high school students combined.
South Carolina Career Ready Test
The South Carolina Career Ready test provided by WIN (Worldwide Interactive Network) is a career-readiness assessment designed to measure essential workforce skills. The assessment contains four parts: Math Assessment, Data Assessment, Reading Assessment and Soft Skill Assessment.
Students in grade 11 (or third year of high school) take the assessment, and students in grade 12 who did not take the assessment or receive a career-ready designation the year prior can take the assessment.
South Carolina Career Readiness Credentials Among GCS Students:
- Level 2 (received credential): 74.4% (score of level 2 or higher on all exams)
- Level 3 (or higher meet the Accountability criteria for College and Career Ready): 54.9% (score of level 3 or higher on all exams)
- Level 4: 38.3% (score of level 4 or higher on all exams)
- Level 5: 1.6% (score of level 5 or higher on all exams)
On the South Carolina Career Readiness Assessment, the percentage of students who scored Level 3 or higher was greater for Greenville County Schools compared to the state. On all three sections of the assessment, the percentage of students who scored Level 3 or higher was greater for Greenville County Schools compared to the state. A greater percentage of students in GCS passed the Essential Soft Skills section of the assessment compared to students across the state.
WIN’s South Carolina Work Ready Assessment aligns to the knowledge, skills, and attributes of the Profile of the South Carolina Graduate and the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards. In addition, the assessment is endorsed by the National Work Readiness Council, founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2003.