District academic leaders told the Richland School District Two board on Sept. 23 that students made measurable gains on the 2024–25 SC Ready assessments but that recovery in mathematics remains a focus area.

"Richland 2 has made some meaningful progress as a district in both math and ELA in elementary and middle school during the 24‑25 school year," said Jen Morrison, senior chief academic officer, attributing gains to sustained effort by teachers, principals, students and families.

Jennifer Coleman, executive director of accountability, summarized results and explained the state’s four achievement levels for SC Ready (exceeds expectations, meets expectations, approaches and does not meet). Coleman said district data show increases in the percentage of students at “approaches and above” in multiple grades over a five‑year span and that the district has reduced the number of students in the “does not meet” category.

"When you recover, you are back to where you were prior to the pandemic. When you rebound, you're moving in that direction," Coleman said, adding that Richland 2’s ELA scores have not only recovered but exceed pre‑pandemic levels in some grades.

Presenters also called out areas that need further work. District staff said math remains behind pre‑pandemic levels in some grade bands, a trend they tied to disruptions in early‑grade instruction during the pandemic. Arthur Newton, executive director of elementary education, and Dr. Jerome Davis, executive director for secondary education, described district strategies the board will use to accelerate learning: protected instructional minutes (district leaders said elementary schools are expected to provide 75 minutes for math instruction), more structured professional learning communities (PLCs), lesson internalization training for teachers, consistent learning walks to confirm implementation integrity, and use of vetted, high‑quality instructional materials.

On science, presenters said 2024–25 was the first year for a new SC Ready science assessment. The district reported a fourth‑grade baseline of 49.3% meets/exceeds and sixth grade at 21.3% meets/exceeds; staff said the fourth‑grade result is above the state average and will serve as a baseline for improvement.

Shaquina McLaughlin and the student services team said special education will emphasize co‑teaching, inclusive practices and a compliance system that links monitoring with instruction. McLaughlin said the district has collected a baseline of co‑teaching practices across schools and will provide targeted professional development to align specially designed instruction with general‑education settings.

Board members asked for ongoing updates. Several trustees requested more frequent briefs so the board can track formative assessment results and implementation timelines rather than relying solely on the state test report. Dr. Moore, the superintendent, told the board staff would incorporate more regular updates into the superintendent’s report and the board brief, and staff committed to monthly special‑education updates.

Presenters emphasized the work is ongoing and described several immediate priorities: ensure 75 minutes of math instruction at elementary schools, strengthen PLCs and lesson internalization, sustain teacher coaching and observations, and expand interventions to move more students into Tier 1 instruction. The district did not present a voteable action on Sept. 23; staff will return with implementation updates and timelines.