More Richland Two students taking AP Exams, SAT and ACT

COLUMBIA, SC — Conversations about preparing for college start early and often in Richland Two. These discussions between students, parents, teachers, administrators and school counselors may be a key reason why more Richland Two students took college entrance exams and Advanced Placement exams for college credit last school year.

Richland Two students took 214 more AP exams in the 2014–2015 school year compared to the previous year. Scores of three or higher on AP exams indicate a student is qualified to take college-level courses and may earn students college credit at many colleges and universities. This past school year, 64 percent of students who took AP Exams earned scores of 3 or higher, which is above the state and national average.

“Conversations about preparing for college begin in our middle school academic programs through after school clubs and other activities, said Superintendent Debbie Hamm. “The college specialists at each of our high schools work with students and parents to build on that early foundation.”

In 2015, the number of students taking SAT increased by 12 percent and ACT increased by 11 percent from the previous year. Two-thirds of Richland Two’s 2015 graduating seniors, or 1,255 took the SAT, and 930 took the ACT. Richland Two’s SAT composite score for 2015 was 1391, a slight decrease of around 2 percent from the previous year. The district’s ACT composite score remained unchanged from 2014 at 20.2.

Overwhelming research indicates that higher levels of education lead to greater prosperity and competitiveness in the knowledge economy. Recent studies predicting workforce demands for South Carolina in the coming years indicate a need for additional workers with associates degrees or higher.

Hamm said, “Our focus on Richland Two’s Four Squares — Learning, Character, Community and Joy — guides the learning experiences our students receive to prepare them for not only Advanced Placement courses and college placement exams but ultimately for developing life and career skills that serve them well as enter the workforce and pursue higher education.”