Richland One Students Improve Scores on Exit, End of Course Exams

Seventy-nine percent or nearly 4 out of 5 of South Carolina’s students who took both the English language arts (ELA) and mathematics High School Assessment Program (HSAP) exams passed on their first attempt, according to 2010-11 school year data released on Friday from the State Department of Education.

In Richland One, the percentage of students who passed the ELA section increased by 3.8 percent from the 2009-10 school year to the 2010-11 school year. The percentage of students who passed the math portion, however, decreased by one percent.

The data also showed that the percentage of students who passed End of Course (EOC) exams in Algebra, Physical Science and U.S. History, increased statewide from the 2009-10 school year. English was the only subject area to show a decrease.

Richland One mirrored the statewide results, with an increase in the percentage of students who passed in all subjects except English.

For ELA HSAP tests, 88.6 percent of the students tested statewide (51,357) during the 2010-11 school year met the HSAP exam requirement of scoring a Level 2 or higher on the exam. In mathematics, 81.2 percent of the 51,356 students who took the test met the exit requirement.

Here is a breakdown of the statewide EOC exam results:

• 82.1 percent of the 56,492 students tested passed the Algebra exam, an improvement of 1.9 percent
• 68 percent of the 51,514 students tested passed the Biology exam
• 72.5 percent of the 54,830 students tested passed the English exam, a decrease of 1.2 percent
• 59.8 percent of the 53,506 students tested passed the Physical Science exam, an improvement of .7 percent
• 49.7 percent of the 47,724 students tested passed the U.S. History exam, an improvement of 3.4 percent

The 2010-11 school year is the first year for the Biology I exam. 

Students receive a grade from A-F. In South Carolina, the uniform grading scale is as follows: an A is 93-100; a B is 85-92; a C is 77-84; a D is 70-76; and a 69 or below is an F. A passing score is above 69. 

Public school students must pass both the HSAP exams in order to meet the state’s exit exam requirement for a high school diploma.  A level 2 score or higher will qualify as a passing score for the state.

If a student doesn’t pass an exam on his or her first attempt, additional opportunities are given to retake any exam.

Students must score a Level 3 or higher to meet proficiency standards for federal accountability, according to the education department.

The HSAP, which is based on the state’s curriculum standards for ELA and math, is administered during a student’s second year of high school.

The Education Accountability Act of 1998 requires students to take the End of Course exams in what the State Education Department calls gateway or benchmark courses, which includes English and Algebra.

All public school students in middle school, high school, alternative school, virtual school, adult education, and home schools who are enrolled in these courses must take the exam. 

The End of Course results count for 20 percent of a student’s final course grade.

HSAP 2010 and 2011 Comparison for Richland One

End of Course Exam Results for Richland One