SCHOOL DISTRICT TOUTS GAINS IN STATE TESTING

Edgefield County Shows State’s Second-Highest Math Growth

Officials at the Edgefield County School District are celebrating what they describe as “tremendous gains” in math test scores and “significant gains” in English language arts (ELA) as the South Department of Education released its most recent assessment data for 3rd-through-8th graders on Tuesday.

Districtwide, Edgefield County schools saw an 8.5 percent increase in “Meets or Exceeds” scores in mathematics during the 2024-25 cycle of South Carolina College-and-Career Ready (SC READY) assessments. With that, the district became “the second highest state in terms of growth” in math scores, according to a district release Wednesday afternoon.

Lee County saw the greatest gains in math scores with a 10 percent improvement, while McCormick County checked in at third highest with 5.6 percent gains. Statewide, school districts averaged 1.6 percent growth in math scores, making Edgefield County’s gains more than five times the state average.

“Our teachers have been through a lot the last couple of years with new standards being adopted and having to learn new instructional materials,” Superintendent Dr. Kevin O’Gorman said in the school district release. “They’ve really stepped up to the plate and adapted to these changes to meet the needs of their students.”

According to the district release, the mathematics data demonstrates that “while the state improved its ‘Exceeds’ numbers, ECSD excelled in elevating a significant number of students into the ‘Meets’ category. This highlights a districtwide effort to ensure more students are grasping foundational concepts and moving toward proficiency.”

In English language arts (ELA), the district’s “Meets or Exceeds” scores experienced a 7.8 percent gain, jumping from 50.7 percent in 2024 to 58.5 percent in the latest Department of Education data. Statewide, school districts saw a 6.1 percent gain in SC READY scores for language arts.

“This new data shows that every single school in our district had gains in both subjects,” Dr. O’Gorman said in the official district release. “I couldn’t be prouder of the growth we’ve seen, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”

Individual School Data Also Indicates Growth

In all, six Edgefield County schools are included in the 2025 data released by the Department of Education. On the SC READY mathematics assessments:

Douglas Elementary tested between 32 and 42 students in grades 3-5, and scored between 35.7 percent (5th grade) and 47.1 percent (4th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”
Johnston Elementary tested between 39 and 47 students in grades 3-5 and scored between 23.1 percent (4th grade) and 42.6 percent (3rd grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”
Merriwether Elementary tested between 111 and 134 students in grades 3-5 and scored between 51.4 percent (5th grade) and 59.0 percent (4th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”
W.E. Parker Elementary tested between 57 and 61 students in grades 3-5 and scored between 21.1 percent (5th grade) and 64.9 percent (3rd grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”
Johnston-Edgefield-Trenton Middle tested between 114 and 140 students in grades 6-8 and scored between 17.6 percent (7th grade) and 37.7 percent (6th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”
Merriwether Middle tested between 114 and 123 students in grades 6-8 and scored between 28.1 percent (8th grade) and 45.5 percent (6th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds Expectations.”

On the SC READY Engligh language arts (ELA) assessments:

Douglas Elementary scored between 25.0 percent (3rd grade) and 52.9 percent (4th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds.”
Johnston Elementary scored between 40.4 percent (5th grade) and 55.3 percent (3rd grade) at “Meets or Exceeds.”
Merriwether Elementary scored between 56.7 percent (3rd grade) and 67.5 percent (4th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds.”
W.E. Parker Elementary scored between 47.4 percent (5th grade) and 72.1 percent (4th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds.”
Johnston-Edgefield- Trenton Middle scored between 45.6 percent (6th grade) and 53.8 percent (7th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds.”
Merriwether Middle scored between 64.2 percent (6th grade) and 76.3 percent (8th grade) at “Meets or Exceeds” expectations.

This year’s testing data also includes SC READY assessments in science for 6th graders and 4th graders. Complete SC READY assessment data for the Edgefield County School District and its individual schools can be viewed at the Department of Education website.

Statewide, South Carolina has been standing out as “one of the nation’s leading states for growth, a rare bright spot in an otherwise challenging national picture” for reading and math assessments, according to the school district release. In fact, when the Urban Institute, a Washington-based think tank, adjusted all states’ scores to account for poverty, South Carolina’s performance ranked eighth in the nation.

In releasing the latest SC READY data, State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver said that “these results are a powerful reflection of what’s possible when dedicated educators, focused and supportive leadership, and engaged families come together with a shared mission. South Carolina recently distinguished itself on The Nation’s Report Card as one of the few states where students both maintained and moved forward. With these new SC Ready results, we have confirmed that this nationally recognized ‘Southern Surge’ is now truly South Carolina’s surge.”

To celebrate the release of the latest SC Ready data, the Edgefield County School District released a series of promotional photos spotlighting students from around the district: