Report Card Ratings Chart

2007 State Report Cards (pdf)

State report cards issued for public schools and districts show declines in many Horry County schools ratings, even though gains have been made in most assessments used to compute ratings. 

As a district, Horry County Schools’ ratings remain unchanged from last year with an Absolute rating of Average and an Improvement rating of Below Average. Fifty-four percent of the 85 school districts in the state received Absolute ratings of Average or higher, a three-point decline from 57 percent last year. None of the state school districts received an Excellent Absolute rating, down from just three in 2006.

Absolute ratings report the performance of students during a given year, while Improvement ratings compare the performance of matched students from one year to the next.  Ratings are received in one of five categories – Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average or Unsatisfactory. Results are based on student performance on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test (PACT), the High School Assessment Program (HSAP), End-of-Course assessments, and on-time graduation rates.

The District as a whole has shown improved PACT scores and improved HSAP scores from a year ago. On PACT, students showed improvements in 17 of 24 scoring categories among those meeting state standards. Improvements were shown in 18 of 24 categories among students scoring at Proficient and Advanced levels. Student performance on PACT is higher than the state average in all grades and all subject areas for students meeting and exceeding state-level standards.

District 10^th graders improved performance on HSAP and outpaced the state average on the test, which is commonly referred to as the exit exam. In 2007, 81.9 percent of HCS 10^th graders passed HSAP on their first attempt, a 1.2 point increase from 80.7 percent who passed in 2006. Statewide, 77.1 percent of 10^th graders passed HSAP on their first attempt last spring, a 2.4 point increase from 74.7 percent who passed on their first attempt in 2006.

HSC students performed higher in two of three areas than other students in comparable districts on End-of-Course examinations given at the conclusion of designated courses. District students have a 15-point lead in physical science, a two-point lead in English I, and trail one-half of a percentage point behind in Algebra I/Math for the Technologies when compared to similar districts. The District’s on-time graduation rate of 75.2 percent is 0.8 points higher than comparable districts, and represents an increase over 74.6 percent last year.

Increasingly stringent state and federal accountability requirements, coupled with modest growth in test scores were factors that contributed to a decline in school and district State Report Cards.  The State’s rating index requires a one-tenth point annual improvement to move from one rating level to the next. Both Absolute and Improvement ratings are based on mathematical formulas set by the Education Oversight Committee, which is created by the General Assembly to guide the implementation of the Education Accountability Act which mandates that by 2010, South Carolina’s student achievement will be in the top half of states nationally. The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that every student score at the proficient level on state tests by 2014.

Schools’ Absolute ratings…

Eighty-five percent of Horry County schools received Absolute ratings of Excellent, Good, or Average on 2007 State Report Cards, a decrease compared to 93 percent that received the same ratings in 2006. Statewide, 60 percent of schools were rated Average or better, a decrease from 65 percent in 2006.

Forty-six percent, or 21 HCS schools received Absolute ratings of Excellent or Good in 2007, compared to 26 percent at the state level. The Absolute rating improved in three schools, was unchanged in 26 schools, and decreased in 16 schools. No school in the District received an Unsatisfactory Absolute rating. Last year, 60 percent of District schools, and 33 percent of state schools, received Absolute ratings of Excellent or Good.

Eleven out of 24 primary and elementary schools received either an Excellent or Good Absolute rating. Three out of 11 middle schools received a Good Absolute rating. Five out of nine high schools received an Excellent or Good Absolute rating. One of two academies was rated Excellent, while one was unrated due to the reconfiguration of the school.  

Schools’ Improvement ratings…

Twenty-eight percent of District schools received Improvement ratings of Excellent, Good or Average in 2007, a four-point decrease from 32 percent in 2006. Statewide, 27 percent of schools earned the same ratings, compared to 33 percent last year. 

In order for schools to receive an Average Improvement rating, at least 10 percent of students must perform better than the previous year. A Good Improvement rating requires a 30 percent increase in performance while an Excellent Improvement rating requires a 40 percent increase.

District-wide, 13 schools improved their Improvement ratings, 12 schools had decreased Improvement ratings and 19 schools maintained Improvement ratings.

More than 37,000 Report Cards will be sent home with students in the next two weeks.  In addition to state and federal ratings required by the South Carolina Education Accountability Act of 1998 and the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Report Card data also include student-teacher ratios, dollars spent per student, absentee rates for students and teachers, socio-economic status of students' families and average teacher salaries.