South Carolina students improve performance on 2008 PACT tests

COLUMBIA, SC – September 10, 2008 -South Carolina students rode a wave of progress in Proficient and Advanced scoring across the board in 2008, the last year of PACT administration in the state’s public schools.  

More students in grades 3-8 scored Proficient or Advanced in all 24 test categories – a significant improvement over 2007.  African-American students and students who qualify for free/reduced price meals because of family income made progress in reducing achievement gaps  in English/Language Arts, science and social studies, according to data released today by the South Carolina Department of Education.

More than 300,000 students were tested last May in those three subjects plus mathematics.  Scoring levels are Below Basic, Basic, Proficient and Advanced.  Students meet state academic standards by scoring Basic or above.  PACT has been administered statewide since 1999, but will be replaced next year by a new standardized testing system – the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards, or PASS – that will feature more detailed information on individual students and a faster turnaround on score reporting.

“It’s good to see these improvements – especially in science and social studies – as our decade of PACT testing concludes,” said State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex.  “Having more students achieve at the highest levels has been one of our goals.  But we’re nowhere near where we need to be as a state.  Congratulations are certainly in order this year, for educators and students alike – but we have a long road ahead of us.”

Science and social studies led this year’s improvements.  For example, students scoring Proficient or Advanced in Grade 3 science increased by 9.1 percentage points, and by 6.3 percentage points in Grade 8.  Social studies gains of more than 6 percentage points were recorded in Grade 5, while Grades 4 and 8 had gains greater than 5 percentage points.  Sixth-graders scoring Proficient or Advanced in social studies had the largest increase for that part of the test – 8.2 percentage points.

African-American students’ biggest improvements were in Grade 6 social studies – 6.5 percentage points – and in Grade 3 science, up 6 percentage points. The largest increase for free/reduced-price lunch-eligible students also occurred in Grade 6 social studies, with Proficient or Advanced scores up 7.3 percentage points.  Grade 3 science scores gained 6.7 percentage points, while Grade 5 social studies increased 5.4 percentage points.

Overall, greater percentages of students met state standards by scoring Basic or above in 16 of 24 categories.  In several instances, there were significant reductions in the percentage of students scoring Below Basic.  There was a reduction of 6.6 percentage points for Below Basic scores in Grade 3 science, a 5.2 percentage points reduction in Grade 7 science and a reduction of 5.1 percentage points for Grade 4 science.         

The best long-term improvement trends for all students over PACT’s past five years are:
• English Language/Arts – Grade 6, increasing from 64 percent meeting standards in 2003 to 74.8 percent meeting standards in 2008.
• Mathematics – Grade 7, increasing from 71.5 percent meeting standards in 2003 to 77.8 percent meeting standards in 2008.
• Science – Grade 3, increasing from 60 percent meeting standards in 2003 to 71.1 meeting standards in 2008.
• Social Studies – Grade 6, increasing from 64.7 percent meeting standards in 2003 to 77.8 percent meeting standards in 2008.

PACT scores are key components in South Carolina’s annual School Report Cards that rate elementary and middle schools as Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or At-Risk.  High schools are rated by a formula that uses High School Assessment Program scores, end-of-course test scores and on-time graduation rates.

A variety of independent national research studies in recent years have showed that PACT scoring requirements are higher than tests in other states.  Those studies indicated, for example, that a PACT score of Basic might be equivalent to a score of Proficient in other states.

“We’ll be on more equal footing under the new accountability law the General Assembly passed last spring,” Rex said.  “It brings South Carolina’s student performance targets into alignment with other states and requires periodic reviews to make sure our system is working efficiently and effectively.”

But Rex warned that despite South Carolina’s 2008 gains on PACT, the state will still appear to lose ground when federal Adequate Yearly Progress ratings are reported October 1 under the No Child Left Behind law.  That’s because the state’s federal achievement goals for elementary and middle school students are 50 percent higher this year.   

South Carolina’s test score goals, like those of other states, are rising quickly in order to meet NCLB’s requirement that all students – including those who come from low-income families, speak limited English or have learning disabilities – score “proficient” on state math and English Language Arts tests by 2014. 

“NCLB looks only at students scoring Proficient or Advanced,” Rex said, “and we saw PACT gains across the board this year in those categories.  But due to the nature of the federal accountability system, our gains will end up looking like losses.  It’s a pretty clear illustration of why NCLB needs to change – so that it does a better job of recognizing improvement like South Carolina saw this year.”

Summary of statewide 2008 PACT results for all students

Grade 3
• English/Language Arts – 86.7 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 85.8 percent in 2007.  
• Mathematics – 77.2 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 78.4 percent in 2007.
• Science – 71.1 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 64.5 percent in 2007.  
• Social Studies – 83.9 percent scored Basic or higher in 2007, down from 84.7 percent in 2007.   

Grade 4
• English/Language Arts – 80.8 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 82.7 percent in 2007.
• Mathematics – 79 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 78.1 percent in 2007.
• Science – 68.9 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 63.8 percent in 2007. 
• Social Studies – 76.3 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 73.7 percent in 2007.

Grade 5
• English/Language Arts – 77.6 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 77.2 percent in 2007.
• Mathematics – 78 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 77.7 percent in 2007.
• Science –61 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 60.6 percent in 2007.
• Social Studies – 66.3 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 63.8 percent in 2007.

Grade 6
• English/Language Arts – 74.8 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 70.9 percent in 2007.
• Mathematics – 75.7 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 77.2 percent in 2007.
• Science – 56 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 59.5 percent in 2007.
• Social Studies – 77.8 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 77.1 percent in 2007.

Grade 7
• English/Language Arts – 73 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 69.8 percent in 2007.
• Mathematics – 77.8 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 76.8 percent in 2007.
• Science – 69.8 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 64.8 percent in 2007.
• Social Studies – 56.4 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, dow
n from 57.3 percent in 2007.

Grade 8
• English/Language Arts –71 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 71.3 percent in 2007.
• Mathematics – 69.7 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 67.9 percent in 2007.
• Science – 63.4 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, down from 63.7 percent in 2007.
• Social Studies – 68.7 percent scored Basic or higher in 2008, up from 65.9 percent in 2007.