District reports literacy gains but warns EOC metric changes mask high‑school challenges

Lee James presented the district’s R1 literacy monitoring report to the Horry County Schools board, reporting measurable gains in multiple early‑grade assessments but flagging areas that require targeted attention.

The report reviewed formative assessments (My IGDIs for pre‑K; the kindergarten readiness assessment, KRA; and DIBELS for K–2 and other early grades), interim MAP/Lexile results from NWEA and summative assessments including ACCESS for ELLs, SC Ready (grades 3–8), and the English 2 end‑of‑course (EOC) exam. James stressed these data are used to inform instruction rather than serve as final accountability measures.

James outlined the district’s strategic goals for 2027: 90% of students in grades K–2 scoring benchmark or above on DIBELS; 85% of students in grades 3–8 meeting or exceeding on SC Ready; and 85% of high‑school students scoring a C or higher on the English 2 EOC. He said interim targets are set as stair‑step increases from baseline to the 2027 goals and are adjusted annually.

The report cited notable year‑to‑year gains at several grade levels (for example, median Lexile increases and double‑digit percentage improvements in some elementary grades). Board members commended teachers’ work but cautioned that lofty targets could be demoralizing without continued supports.

James drew attention to a change in how English 2 EOC results are calculated between 2021–22 and 2023–24: the state moved from a cohort‑based measure (focusing on seniors) to a year‑tested model that includes all students tested that year, assigns a 0 for students who left high school without testing, and includes SC Alt scores for students with moderate/severe disabilities. He said that shift and the inclusion of additional student groups likely contributed to a decline in the EOC proficiency rate and that high‑school EOC performance is now a central focus for district improvement efforts.

During board discussion, members urged that LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) teacher training be funded and supported in next year’s budget. Board members noted LETRS requires substantial professional time (the presentation and questions referenced about 160 hours of training) and asked administrators to include budget requests to pay teachers for training time and to schedule the time for completion.

Members also raised near‑term operational concerns: new third‑grade retention rules are expected to increase the number of retained students and may require more third‑grade sections; district staff said no statewide funding allocation for additional third‑grade teachers was known at the time, so the board should plan around local staffing and partnership strategies with teacher‑preparation programs.

James said the district will continue monitoring the data and focus learning‑services efforts on the areas of most concern while staff prepare any budget requests for the upcoming cycle.

The board had no immediate votes tied to the R1 presentation, but members asked the superintendent and cabinet to incorporate training and staffing priorities into the 2025–26 budget planning.