The county's elementary students are gaining ground in the battle to close the achievement gap on the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, sometimes even exceeding the state average.
The test is administered to students in grades three through eight and is the primary measurement to gauge school effectiveness at the state and federal level.
Mary Briggs, the school district's assistant superintendent for academics and accountability, has suggested several ideas to help improve students' scores:
Scores improved between 2004 and 2006, but data show that a lot of work remains to be accomplished. For instance, the gap is widest among low-income students. Fourth-graders on free or reduced price lunches increased scores by nine points to 26 percent proficient or advanced on the math section of the test. The state average is 41 percent. White fourth-graders, though, increased the number scoring proficient or advanced by double digits (11 percent) to about 56 percent. Hispanic third-graders scoring proficient and advanced on the social studies section increased about 8 points to about 14 percent.
The problem is that all students must score proficient by 2014 under the guidelines President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act approved by Congress five years ago. Beaufort County has a huge hurdle to climb, and any suggestions to improve students' lot should be examined fully by the district and the board of education.
