Improved Access No Excuse for Lower Scores: How S.C. Compares to Other States

Last week, the S.C. Department of Education almost suggested the state’s second-lowest-in-the-nation SAT score was excused by increased participation rates. At the very least, let’s say they focused on increased “access,” instead of addressing why the state’s scores fell for the second year in a row.

Contrary to DOE Claims, SAT Participation Rate Falls for 2010

Fewer South Carolina students took the SAT in 2010 than in 2009, as participation rates for African-American and white students fell. This finding raises questions about the S.C. Department of Education’s claim that “South Carolina is doing dramatically better with access … as more minority and low-income students are aiming for college.”

Districtwide Analysis of S.C. 2010 SAT Scores

    As reported earlier, the statewide results of the 2010 SAT have been released by the College Board. Districtwide results are also out now. These are the results:       Explore our interactive map.     47 school districts saw average scores decline, while 38 districts saw an improvement. Last year, 35 districts [...]

South Carolina SAT Scores Second-Lowest in the Nation

South Carolina student performance on the 2010 SAT declined by 5 points to a lowest-in-the-South average composite score of 1447. Students from private schools and religiously affiliated schools again scored far ahead of their peers in public schools while the state’s best students again scored far below their peers in other states. While the achievement gap between white and African-American students declined slightly, the gap between students from the state’s wealthiest and poorest households increased.

An Analysis of 2010 SAT Scores: Part I

As education policy makers across the state await the release of the 2010 SAT scores, it’s worth reviewing how South Carolina fared on the 2009 SAT. In Part I of this report, we’ll do that, with special attention paid to the following:

Behind the Myths: Education Spending Up 20 Percent Since Start of Recession

The ongoing practice of keeping state spending high, especially in the midst of the “Great Recession” that has lowered the standard of living for many South Carolinians, depends upon the perpetuation of a number of myths. The first of these is that the state budget is only $5 billion. In fact, it’s $21 billion. This myth makes possible a second: that the budget has been drastically cut over the past few years. In fact, overall spending has increased, and the FY10-2011 budget is the largest in state history. A third myth, accepted as fact by almost everyone, is that education funding, in particular, has been cut. The truth is that K-12 spending increased this past year and is up by nearly 20 percent since the beginning of the recession in 2007.

The Best & Worst to Come: A Review of Education Policy for 2009-2010

As we review the best and worst education legislation of 2009, it’s also time to begin to consider what ideas are likely to resurface during the 2010 session. There is no disputing that South Carolina’s educational system is among the worst in the United States (if not the developed world). Consider the following: 82 percent [...]

How School Choice Can Create Jobs

HOW SCHOOL CHOICE CAN CREATE JOBS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA AN EXPERIMENTAL CASE STUDY OF FIVE COUNTIES   Sven R. Larson, Ph.D. Our findings are based on the research of Russell Sobel and Kerry King, which shows that counties that offer school choice see a significantly higher rate of self-employment among young men and women. According [...]

School District’s Foray into E-Books Inefficient, Ill-Advised

Authors: SCPC and Kevin Dietrich With the money Greenwood School District 52 spent on more than two dozen E-book reading devices this summer, it could have bought thousands of paperback texts, enough to supply classics to a decade or more of high-achieving English students. Greenwood 52 paid out more than $9,000 for 25 Kindle 2s, [...]

SAT Scores Drop, Achievement Gap Widens

South Carolina student performance on the 2009 SAT dropped by 9 points to a lowest-in-the-South average score of 1452, according to an S.C. Policy Council analysis of the 2009 College Board report released today. South Carolina students fell further behind their peers during 2009 as students scored 57 points behind the national average of 1509. [...]