Johnston, SC – Newly released SC READY state testing scores show Edgefield County School District (ECSD) students are outperforming their peers across the state in English Language Arts (ELA) at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and quickly closing the gap in math. The District’s overall elementary and middle school scores also show that students are outperforming their regional peers in both ELA and math.

On Monday, (8/10) the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) released statewide results from the Spring 2026 SC READY assessments for students in grades 3–8 and End-of-Course Examination Program assessments for high school credit courses.

The South Carolina College-and Career-Ready Assessments (SC READY) are statewide assessments in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) provides tests in high school core courses.

ECSD Superintendent Dr. Kevin O’Gorman says the progress students are making is historically significant and encouraging for the future.

“These English Language Arts results represent an important milestone for our students and community. For the first time since 2010, ECSD students at the elementary and middle school levels outperformed the state. This accomplishment reflects the consistent implementation of high-quality instructional materials and the tremendous amount of work our teachers have invested in our students,” said Dr. O’Gorman.

“We’re thrilled with the growth in ELA, but we’re also making outstanding progress in mathematics,” he added.

Over the past three years (2023-2026), the school district’s elementary and middle students have closed the gap on their statewide peers in math from nearly a 12-percent difference to now close to four percent (4.2).

Link to Spring 2026 ECSD SC READY Assessment Data: https://ecsdsc.info/xx2hx
Link to Spring 2026 ECSD EOC Assessment Data: https://ecsdsc.info/nt15g
Spring 2026 assessment highlights for the school district included the following

• Overall, 60.8% of ECSD students met or exceeded expectations in SC READY ELA (grades 3-8), compared with 60.3% statewide.
• ECSD students outperformed the state in ELA at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
• Seventy percent of ECSD students earned an A, B, or C on the English 2 EOC, compared with 69.36% statewide.
• ECSD reduced its mathematics gap with the state from 11.9 percentage points in 2023 to 4.2 points in 2026.
• Merriwether Elementary and W.E. Parker Elementary outperformed the state in both ELA and math.
• Johnston Elementary outpaced the state in ELA and math.