District 56 2025–2026 State Assessment Results and Academic Achievement

The South Carolina State Department of Education recently released state assessment results for the 2025–2026 school year. South Carolina Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver has established two ambitious goals for student achievement by 2030: 75% of students will perform at or above grade level, and 90% of students will score Approaches, Meets, or Exceeds grade level. These goals provide a clear framework for districts as they work to accelerate student achievement and ensure that all students are prepared for success beyond high school.

District 56’s 2025–2026 state assessment results demonstrate continued progress in English Language Arts (ELA) while highlighting mathematics as an area for continued focus. Overall, the percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds in ELA increased from 46.7% in 2024 to 54.8% in 2026, representing an 8.1 percentage-point increase over the two-year period. The percentage of students scoring Approaches, Meets, or Exceeds also increased from 73.8% in 2024 to 80.2% in 2026. These results indicate positive momentum in ELA and demonstrate that more District 56 students are performing at or above grade-level expectations.

Mathematics results show a more mixed trend. The percentage of students scoring Meets or Exceeds increased from 37.6% in 2025 to 38.9% in 2026, although the 2026 result remains slightly below the 2024 level of 39.2%. Similarly, the percentage of students scoring Approaches, Meets, or Exceeds decreased from 67.4% in 2025 to 66.7% in 2026. While these results identify mathematics as an area requiring continued attention, there are also encouraging signs of growth at individual grade levels. For example, eighth-grade students experienced a 12 percentage-point increase in Meets and Exceeds, while both third and fifth grades increased by approximately 4 percentage points in Meets and Exceeds.

District 56 has implemented several strategies to address mathematics achievement. Each elementary school has a math interventionist who provides targeted support to students through small-group instruction. The district also continues to provide professional learning opportunities focused on the new South Carolina Mathematics Standards and the implementation of high-quality mathematics curriculum and instructional materials. In addition, District 56 continues to utilize the mathematics resources provided by the South Carolina Department of Education. These efforts are designed to provide teachers with effective instructional strategies while ensuring that students receive timely, targeted support based on their individual needs.

High School End-of-Course Assessments

The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) provides an important measure of high school achievement. These assessments are administered in gateway courses in English/Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

District 56’s 2025–2026 EOCEP results show areas of both growth and continued opportunity. English 2 proficiency decreased from 88.6% in 2025 to 82.7% in 2026, while Biology 1 increased from 48.9% to 52.3%. U.S. History demonstrated notable improvement, increasing from 46.5% in 2025 to 53.5% in 2026, surpassing the 2024 result of 50.3%. In 2025-2026, Geometry with Statistics replaced Algebra 1 as the first course in the high school math sequence, which led to no students in District 56 taking Algebra 1. We anticipate the return to normal participation in this subject area test in 2026-2027.

These results reinforce the district’s commitment to monitoring student achievement, identifying areas of need, and providing teachers and students with the instructional support necessary to improve outcomes.

Career Readiness

The South Carolina Career Ready assessment provides an additional measure of college and career readiness for high school students. The assessment measures the academic and employability skills that employers identify as important for success in the workplace.

Clinton High School demonstrated encouraging growth in several areas in 2026. The percentage of students performing at Career Ready Levels 3–5 increased in Math from 40.0% to 43.1%, Data from 55.7% to 58.9%, and Reading from 57.3% to 60.6%. The most significant improvement occurred in Soft Skills, which increased from 64.1% in 2025 to 74.2% in 2026, an increase of more than 10 percentage points.

These results demonstrate progress toward ensuring that District 56 students possess not only the academic knowledge but also the communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and workplace skills necessary for success after graduation.

Moving Forward

District 56 remains committed to high expectations, continuous improvement, and ensuring that every student is prepared for college, career, and life. The 2025–2026 results provide evidence of meaningful progress, particularly in ELA, while also identifying mathematics and selected high school courses as areas where additional attention and strategic action are needed.

Moving forward, the district will continue to focus on South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards (SCCCR), high-quality instructional materials, targeted intervention, professional learning, data-informed instruction, and opportunities for students to receive additional academic support. By building on areas of success and addressing identified needs, District 56 will continue working toward the state’s 2030 achievement goals and, most importantly, toward improved outcomes for every student.

District 56 Superintendent, Dr. David O’Shields, says, “Superintendent Weaver has set some notable goals and in District 56, we continue to strive and improve in our test data, in our schools, and across the district. Teachers are to be applauded for their improvements over the past few years. While we haven’t arrived, we continue to focus on intentional, gradual improvement.”